We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, and Aboriginal governments to commit to reducing the number of Aboriginal children in care by:
- Monitoring and assessing neglect investigations
- Providing adequate resources to enable Aboriginal communities and child-welfare organizations to keep Aboriginal families together where it is safe to do so, and to keep children in culturally appropriate environments, regardless of where they reside.
- Ensuring that social workers and others who conduct child-welfare investigations are properly educated and trained about the history and impacts of residential schools.
- Ensuring that social workers and others who conduct child-welfare investigations are properly educated and trained about the potential for Aboriginal communities and families to provide more appropriate solutions to family healing.
- Requiring that all child-welfare decision makers consider the impact of the residential school experience on children and their caregivers.
Why “In Progress?”
July 10, 2024: The federal government has signed a major agreement with First Nations organizations that will see Ottawa spend more than double what it planned two years ago, with $47.8-billion earmarked for First Nations child-welfare reforms. (See Call to Action # 1)
Governments in all jurisdictions – federal, provincial and territory – have initiated specific plans to directly address 1 and 2. National Professional Social Worker organizations address 3, 4 and 5.
June 14, 2024: Of the 44 Schools of Social Work in Canada, 33 have completely addressed the three specific elements identified in C2A # 1: 3, 4 and 5; 2 will implement a mandatory course in Sept, 2024 and 9 have no mandatory course at all (including 8 french universities)
April 16, 2024: Budget 2024 proposes to provide $1.8 billion over 11 years, starting in 2023-24 to support communities in exercising jurisdiction under An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families, including the first Inuit agreement to support community-led, prevention-based solutions to reduce the number of children in care.
Budget 2024 proposes to provide $167.5 million over two years, starting in 2023-24, to ensure Inuit children can access the health, social, and educational services they need, when they need them.
New Brunswick has ended the use of Birth Alerts as of Oct. 29, 2021 joining Saskatchewan (Feb. 1 2021), PEI (Feb. 5, 2021), Ontario (Oct. 15, 2020), Manitoba (June 30, 2020) and B.C. (Sept. 16, 2019)
Current Status
In Progress
Call to Action
last updated
October 11, 2024
Jan. 4, 2022: Assembly of First Nations – In a total settlement package valued at $40 billion, the AFN, the Government of Canada and other parties signed two Agreements-in-Principle on December 31, 2021.
- First Agreements-in-Principle proposes a total settlement of $20 billion in compensation to First Nations children and families impacted by discrimination through the FNCFS program and the improper implementation of Jordan’s Principle.
- The second Agreement-in-Principle commits the Government of Canada to $19.807 billion to reform the current FNCFS program and includes a framework to correct the many discriminatory aspects of the FNCFS program and the implementation of Jordan’s Principle.
No formal mechanism or coordinated plan in place at the federal, provincial or territory levels to monitor and assess neglect investigations
Latest Updates
Reducing # of children-in-care
Manitoba amends Child and Family Services Act to support parents, keep children with kin
Families minister unveils four new agreement categories https://player.vimeo.com/video/1018838210?badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&app_id=58479 APTN News: It’s a legal amendment that Cynthia Broadfoot believes would have changed her family’s life. In……
October 11, 2024
Canadian Human Rights Tribunal
Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Bulletin – Amendments to Draft Agreement on Long-Term Reform of First Nations Child and Family Services
Summary: On July 11, 2024, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), along with Chiefs of Ontario (COO), Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) and the Government of……
October 11, 2024
Indigenous-led Initiatives
Ontario First Nations endorse $47.8B child welfare reform deal
Provincial endorsement paves way for national vote on proposed settlement, though concerns persist Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict addresses a meeting of the Chiefs of……
October 10, 2024
Government and Instution Issues
Manitoba apologizes for clawing back money for kids in care as part of $530M settlement
Class-action settlement will compensate roughly 30,000 children who spent time in child welfare system A child walks along the signs condemning the Manitoba government in……
October 8, 2024
Commitment to Call to Action # 1
New accord on child well-being signed by First Nations Leadership Council, Province
New accord on child well-being signed by First Nations Leadership Council, Province NationTalk: Ministry of Children and Family Development, Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs,……
September 18, 2024
Govt. and Institution Issues
Public Advisory – Settlement Approval Hearing of CSA Class Actions on September 5 & 6, 2024
NationTalk: WINNIPEG, MB – The hearing to approve the $530 million settlement of three class actions will occur at the Law Courts Complex (408 York……
September 4, 2024
Indigenous Perspectives on Agreements-in-Principle
AFN national chief moves child welfare reform meeting to October or November
APTN News: The Canadian Press – The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is postponing a meeting planned for September in Winnipeg……
August 27, 2024
Indigenous-led Initiatives
3 Sask. First Nations now have emergency safe houses to keep kids in their community
24/7 short term placements mean kids stay ‘if not in their family home then at least in their community’ Kanaweyimik Child and Family Services has……
August 16, 2024
Govt. Commitments to Child Welfare
Manitoba Government Supporting Community Programs that keep Families Together
NationTalk: The Manitoba government is providing more than $500,000 to three programs focused on keeping families together, Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine, minister responsible for women……
August 12, 2024
Govt. Commitments to Child Welfare
AFN, federal government confirm $47.8B child welfare reform settlement offer
Vote on settlement offer to happen in September Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu and AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak at a news conference Thursday……
July 11, 2024
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Official Federal Government Response: Sept. 5, 2019
The Government of Canada has made historic investments to better support the well-being of children and families on reserve, improve the quality of education for First Nations children and urgently address housing needs on reserve. These investments include Budget 2016 funding of $635 million over 5 years and ongoing, as a first step in addressing funding gaps in First Nations Child and Family Services and provide greater support for culturally appropriate prevention services and front-line service delivery. Budget 2018 announced additional funding of $1.4 billion over 6 years, starting in fiscal year 2017 to 2018, for the First Nations Child and Family Services Program to address the funding pressures facing child and family service agencies, while increasing prevention resources so that children are safe and families can stay together. To support the safety and well-being of First Nations children and families living on reserve, Indigenous Services Canada is focused on fully implementing the orders of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, including reimbursement of funding to First Nations child and family services agencies based on actual costs for prevention, intake and investigation, legal fees, building repairs and small agencies in the best interest of the child, as well as reforming the First Nations Child and Family Services Program. These solutions, however, are multi-faceted and will require collaboration with First Nations partners, the provinces and territories to ensure that the well-being of children comes first.
The Government of Canada will continue to collaborate with First Nations, Inuit and Métis, as well as other partners, to advance the reforms to child and family services that are needed and develop Indigenous-led solutions that put the well-being of children first. For example: $1 million in funding was provided to the Métis National Council to support their work on engagement and consultation to advance culturally appropriate reform.
The government is also engaged in over 80 Recognition of Indigenous Rights and Self-Determination discussions tables through which Canada and Indigenous groups explore new ideas and ways to reach agreements that will recognize the rights of Indigenous groups and advance their vision of self-determination for the benefit of their communities and all Canadians. In many of the existing discussions Indigenous groups have identified child and family services as an important subject for discussion.