The Minister of Indigenous Services, Patty Hajdu, issued the following statement today:
“The pattern of child and family services across the country, taking kids at risk out of their communities, out of their languages, out of their identity and putting them with non-Indigenous families was wrong. Five years ago, on January 1, 2020, Bill C-92, An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families (the Act), came into effect, undoing past harms and affirming the inherent rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples to exercise jurisdiction over child and family services.
The Act, co-developed with Indigenous, provincial and territorial partners, sets national principles, such as the best interests of the child, cultural continuity and substantive equality to help guide the delivery of child and family services. The implementation of the Act remains a government priority, reinforced by the Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling on February 9, 2024, that the Act, in its entirety, is constitutionally valid.
In partnership with Indigenous governing bodies and provincial/territorial governments, Indigenous Services Canada has been implementing the Act as part of our commitment to addressing the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in care in provincial and territorial child welfare systems. We strive towards reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit and Métis through renewed nation-to-nation, government-to-government and Indigenous-Crown relationships based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership. This is something we believe in deeply, something we co-developed with you, something we are funding in places across the country where the systems are built up.
To date, Canada has signed 10 coordination agreements and 1 bilateral agreement with Indigenous governing bodies, including the first Inuit agreement. Over the past 5 years, Indigenous Services Canada has received 64 notices to exercise jurisdiction over child and family services and 41 requests to enter into coordination agreement discussions from a total of 85 Indigenous governing bodies representing more than 110 communities. In addition, $251 million in capacity-building funding has been provided to more than 244 Indigenous governing bodies.
Through the Act, Indigenous groups can design and deliver child and family services solutions that best suit their needs. To this end, these coordination agreements have impacted hundreds of Indigenous children in meaningful ways. Continuing to have jurisdiction over their systems will help keep future generations immersed in their cultures, connected to their families and communities.”
SOURCE Indigenous Services Canada
