Highlights
- There was an increase in the overrepresentation of Indigenous children among foster children in private households from 2011 to 2021; 47.8% of all foster children in 2011, to 51.7% in 2016, and to 53.7% in 2021.
- Disparity in rates of Indigenous and non-Indigenous foster children increased from 2011 to 2021, with the largest increase seen among Inuit children.
- Among the provinces and territories, Manitoba had the highest rate of Indigenous foster children (per 1,000 Indigenous children) from 2011 to 2021 with a decrease in rates observed between 2016 (63.9 per 1,000) and 2021 (61.8 per 1,000).
- Disparity between rates of Indigenous and non-Indigenous foster children increased from 2011 to 2021 for most provinces and territories, with the highest disparity observed in the Western provinces and specifically Alberta.
- Disparity in rates was higher among Indigenous foster children living in large urban population centres compared to rural areas in 2021.
- Rates of foster children were higher among First Nations children living off reserve compared to on reserve and among Inuit children living outside Inuit Nunangat compared to inside Inuit Nunangat in 2021.
- In 2021, the foster child rate among First Nations and non-Indigenous children was highest for those aged 10 to 14. Among Métis, it was highest for children aged 0 to 4 and 5 to 9 while, among Inuit children, it was highest for those aged 5 to 9.
- Just over half of First Nations (50.6%) and Inuit children (51.6%) and three-fifths (63.4%) of Métis children in foster care lived with non-Indigenous foster parents in 2021; this proportion was higher in large urban population centres.