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.

Filter by Publication Date Range
Title Authors Year
Nistawatsimin: Exploring First Nations Parenting: A Literature Review and Expert Consultation with Blackfoot Elders

Lindstrom, Gabrielle
Choate, Peter
Bastien, Leonard
Weasal Traveller, Audrey
Breaker, Stewart
Breaker, Kathy
Good Striker, Wilton
Good Striker, Evelyn

2016
Profile of Children and Youth in the Downtown Eastside Report

British Columbia Ministry of Children and Family Development

2016
Report of the Auditor General of Alberta: Human Services - Systems to Deliver Child and Family Services to Indigenous Children in Alberta

Auditor General of Alberta

2016
Shameful Neglect: Indigenous Child Poverty in Canada

Macdonald, David
Wilson, Daniel

2016
Ten Years of Advocacy: Annual Report 2015/16 and Service Plan 2016/17–2017/18

British Columbia Representative for Children and Youth

2016
The Silent World of Jordan: Special Investigation Report

Saskatchewan Advocate for Children and Youth

2016
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