Improving child and family services in First Nations communities: Engagement

What

Our first priority is the well-being of children. The Government of Canada is committed to taking concrete steps to completely transform the First Nations Child and Family Services Program to ensure we are meeting the needs of First Nation children and families.

Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) wants to hear from you on what is needed to best meet the needs of First Nations children and families on reserve.

Why

Renewing relationships with Indigenous peoples and reforming the First Nations Child and Family Services Program to better meet children's needs are top priorities for the Government of Canada. The over-representation of Indigenous children in care is a significant issue across Canada and the Government of Canada is working with partners to change this reality. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's final report also made a number of calls to action (PDF) in this area.

Who

The Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs appointed Dr. Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux as the Minister's Special Representative (MSR). Between October 2016 and March 2017, the MSR held meetings with partners to discuss promising practices and short and long-term solutions.

ISC is reaching out to hear from:

• First Nations youth, families, and communities
• First Nations leadership
• First Nations agencies/service providers including front-line workers
• national and regional Indigenous organizations
• child welfare advocates
• provinces and Yukon

How

This engagement will be inclusive and includes:

• regional meetings in provinces and the Yukon
• an online survey for anyone to complete
• tri-partite technical tables
• funding to Indigenous regional organizations to meet with communities and get their advice on what needs to change
• a national advisory committee with representatives from the Assembly of First Nations and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society

There are four ways to participate:

1. Attend a regional or national meeting (by invitation only for service providers, First Nation technical groups and First Nation communities and community members).
2. Fill out the online survey. (closed in April 2017)
3. Send an email to request a meeting or to share your suggestions about engagement, or on what is needed for the First Nations Child and Family Services program to best meet the needs of children.
4. Send a letter to the address in the contact us section below.

What we heard

Consult the MSR's final report:

• Reforming First Nations child welfare: Summary of engagement

Consult summaries of the key issues and findings from the MSR's regional meetings:

• Alberta
• Atlantic (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island)
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Ontario
• Quebec
• Saskatchewan
• Yukon

Related links

• A Report on Children and Families Together: An Emergency Meeting on Indigenous Child and Family Services
• First Nations Child and Family Services program
• Jordan's Principle
• Audit of the First Nations Child and Family Services program

Contact us

Child and Family Services Branch
Indigenous Services Canada
10 Wellington, 22nd floor
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0H4

Email: SEFPN-FNCFS@aadnc-aandc.gc.ca
Tel: 1-877-535-7259 (toll-free)
TTY: 1-800-465-7735