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.

Title	Authors	Year
First Nations Child Welfare in Nova Scotia	Kozlowski, Anna Sinha, Vandna Glode, Joan MacDonald, Nancy	2012
First Nations Child Welfare in Ontario	Kozlowski, Anna Sinha, Vandna Richard, Kenn	2012
First Nations Child Welfare in Saskatchewan	Kozlowski, Anna Sinha, Vandna Hartsook, Gail Thomas, Shelley Montgomery, H. Monty	2012
Motives of Aboriginal foster parents	Brown, Jason D. Gerritts, Julie Ivanova, Viktoria Mehta, Nisha Skrodski, Donna	2012
Working with First Nations, Inuit and Métis Families who have Experienced Family Violence: A Practice Guide for Child Welfare Professionals	Steering Committe Native Child & Family Services: Charlene Avalos Chiefs of Ontario: Lillian Baibomcowai-Dell Ottawa Inuit Children Centre: Karen Baker Anderson Native Women’s Centre of Hamilton: Linda Ense Métis Nation of Ontario: Shelley Gonneville Ontario Native Women’s Association: Betty Kennedy Weechi-it-te-win Family Services: Leona McGinnis Tikinagan Child & Family Services: Thelma Morris Ontario Native Women’s Association: Kathy Sky Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres: Terry Swan Writer Catalyst Research and Communications: Joan Riggs	2012
2010-2011 Annual Report on the State of Inuit Culture and Society: The Status of Inuit Children and Youth in Nunavut	Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated	2011
A comparison of First Nations and non-Aboriginal children investigated for maltreatment in Canada in 2003	MacLaurin, Bruce Trocmé, Nico Fallon, Barbara Blackstock, Cindy Pitman, Lisa McCormack, Megan	2011
Briefing Document. Kiskisik Awasisak: Remember the Children. Understanding the Overrepresentation of First Nations Children in the Child Welfare System	Sinha, Vandna Trocmé, Nico Fallon, Barbara MacLaurin, Bruce Fast, Elizabeth Prokop, Shelley Thomas et al.	2011
Children under 15, registered Indian status and total population, for Canada, the provinces and territories, 2006	First Nations Child & Family Caring Society of Canada	2011
Inuit Child Welfare and Family Support - Inuit-Related Documents	National Aboriginal Health Organization	2011