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
Too Many Victims Sexualized Violence in the Lives of Children and Youth in Care: An Aggregate Review

British Columbia Representative for Children and Youth

2016
Towards A Better Tomorrow: 14-Year-Old Asinay, 15-Year-Old Sage, 18-Year-Old Cedar, 15-Year-Old Morley, 15-Year-Old Kari, 15-Year-Old Victoria, 18-Year-Old Jacob: Addressing the Challenge of Aboriginal Youth Suicide

Office of the Child and Youth Advocate Alberta

2016
Voices for Change: Aboriginal Child Welfare in Alberta

Office of the Child and Youth Advocate Alberta

2016
2014 Annual Report - Saskatchewan Children's Advocate Office

Saskatchewan Advocate for Children and Youth

2015
A Report and Next Steps for Action from A Forum for Change: Reconciliation for Today’s First Nations, Métis & Aboriginal Children Through Custom Adoption and Lifelong Family and Tribal Connections

British Columbia Representative for Children and Youth

2015
Aboriginal Cultural Connections: A Child Protection Resource Guide

Child Protection Services, Department of Community Services and Seniors

2015
Aboriginal policy and practice framework in British Columbia: A pathway towards restorative policy and practice that supports and honours Aboriginal peoples’ systems of caring, nurturing children and resiliency.

Government of British Columbia

2015
B.C. Adoption Update: April 2015

British Columbia Representative for Children and Youth

2015
Critical Injuries and Deaths: Reviews and Investigations Update #23

British Columbia Representative for Children and Youth

2015
Critical Injuries and Deaths: Reviews and Investigations Update #25

British Columbia Representative for Children and Youth

2015