The Aboriginal Children in Care Working group recently released its Aboriginal Children in Care Report to Canada’s Premiers.

The report highlights the fact that Indigenous children are vastly over-represented in child welfare systems across Canada. In August 2014, Canada’s premiers directed the provinces and territories to work with Indigenous communities in their respective jurisdictions to share information on local solutions, and acknowledged the need for governments and Indigenous communities to work collectively to address this Canada-wide problem.

The report to Canada’s premiers provides examples of existing programs and services that have been shown to reduce the number of Indigenous children in child welfare systems and (or) improve outcomes for Indigenous children in care. The report highlights a number of issues and challenges, and profiles some best and promising practices along three strategic child welfare themes: (i) root causes of abuse and neglect; (ii) prevention and early intervention strategies for Indigenous families; and (iii) better supporting the capacity of the child welfare workforce. Appendix B in the report contains a useful compilation of statistics on Indigenous peoples in Canada.

In spite of existing programming, Indigenous children still vastly outnumber non-Indigenouschildren in care on a proportional basis. These statistics underscore the need to continue to work together to support vulnerable Indigenous families and children and to change the outcomes for future generations.

Read More:

• Aboriginal Children in Care Report to Canada’s Premiers – EN | FR – Aboriginal Children in Care Working Group
• Improving outcomes for Aboriginal children in care – Canada’s Premiers (French) 
• Without denial, delay or disruption: ensuring First Nations children’s access to equitable services through Jordan’s Principle – Ontario Advocate for Children and Youth (French) 
• Calls to Action – EN | FR – Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada