Indigenous child welfare

Canada has a decentralized child welfare system that consists of 13 Canadian provincial and territorial child welfare systems. In addition, there exists Métis, First Nations and urban Indigenous child and family service agencies that are to varying degrees affected by federal policies and funding models.

Most commonly, Indigenous child welfare agencies have signed agreements with either the federal or both the federal and provincial governments that authorizes them to provide the full range of child protection services and receive federal funding to do so.

For more information about First Nations child welfare, see Denouncing the Continued Overrepresentation of First Nations Children in Canadian Child Welfare.

For information on the First Nations human rights complaint case against the federal government for under-funding child welfare services on-reserve: I am a witness.

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Title Authors Year
Does child abuse and neglect explain the overrepresentation of aboriginal and Torres Strait islander young people in youth detention? Findings from a birth cohort study

Doolan, I., Najman, J. M., Mills, R., Cherney, A., & Strathearn, L. 

2013
Review of Data and Process Considerations for Compensation Under 2019 CHRT 39 January, 2022

Barbara Fallon

Nico Trocmé

Marie Saint-Girons

Ashley Quinn

Leyco Wilson

Graham Rotenberg

Szymon Rodomar

Eden Haber

Johanna Caldwell

Cheryl Milne

Lisa Paul

Joseph Mercado

Marina Sistovaris

Eliza Livingston

2022
First Canadian Roundtable on Child Welfare Outcomes: Roundtable proceedings

Thompson, Julie
Fallon, Barbara

1999
Matrice des indicateurs d’impacts en protection de l’enfance (2000)

Trocmé, Nico
Nutter, Butch
MacLaurin, Bruce
Fallon, Barbara

2000
It Takes a Community: A Report on Child Welfare Services in the Northwest Territories

Hansen, Gaye
Shangreaux, Corbin
Balla, Mike

2000
Young Mothers In/From Care Project

Rutman, Deborah
Strega, Susan
Callahan, Marilyn
Dominelli, Lena

2001
A Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography Focusing on Aspects of Aboriginal Child Welfare in Canada

Bennett, Marlyn
Blackstock, Cindy

2002
Perspective on the Fragmentation of Services to Aboriginal Youth

Leslie, Bruce
Storey, Fred

2002
Extending Aboriginal control over child welfare services: The Manitoba Child Welfare Initiative

Hudson, Pete
McKenzie, Brad

2003
The Baby Andy Report: Examination of services provided to Baby Andy and his family

Montreal Lake Child & Family Agency inc.
Saskatchewan Community Resources and Employment

2003