Monthly Updates
October 2019
IFSD is pleased to provide the first monthly update to its stakeholders on the progress of the First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) Project – Phase 2.
Principal Updates
- IFSD has extended the questionnaire deadline to November 6, 2019. FNCFS gencies are encouraged to complete the short questionnaire and return it via email to IFSD, if they haven’t already done so.
- Some basic data on FNCFS program spending was shared by ISC pursuant to IFSD’s August 2019 request for required data. The balance of the request is in-progress.
- IFSD is seeking other FNCFS agencies to join those which have already agreed to serve as case studies and regular collaborators for this project. This will be a unique opportunity to share your experiences and have them inform this work on funding approach development.Are you an agency that hasn’t yet participated in the questionnaire, or would like to inquire about being a case study agency?
Current state spending by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC)
IFSD submitted a request for data in August 2019 to ISC. Some basic elements of the request have been fulfilled (and others are in progress). The data delivered by ISC suggests that:
- FNCFS program spending has trended upward since 2014-15, with an important increase between 2017-18 and 2018-19.
- Over time, Manitoba, Ontario and Alberta have received the largest total FNCFS program transfers.
- Ontario-based agencies have received the highest amount of CHRT-mandated supplementary funding.
- Agencies serving at least one community inaccessible by year-round receive larger transfers than those serving communities accessible by year-round round (using only identifiable agencies in ISC’s data).
Would your agency like to be considered as a case study agency?
In addition to the questionnaire, IFSD is seeking in-depth engagement from approximately 12 FNCFS agencies and two communities not served by a FNCFS agency. These agencies, all with different characteristics (e.g. geographic location, size, etc.), will be selected to serve as representative cases for the project. These agencies/communities will work closely with IFSD to evaluate and test models and frameworks throughout the project.
Are you an agency that hasn’t yet participated in the questionnaire, or would like to inquire about being a case study agency?
Next steps
- Finalize FNCFS agency participation to complete the questionnaire.
- Compile and analyze data provided through the questionnaire, once at least a 30% participation rate is achieved.
- Continue to identify and acquire federal spending data required to establish a clear portrait of allocations and spending.
- Finalize the complement of case study agencies who will work closely with IFSD throughout this phase of work.
- Leverage experiences from experts and jurisdictions in the United States, e.g. State of Tennessee, Chapin Hall (University of Chicago), to identify lessons and practices for a holistic approach to child welfare. There is no wholesale transfer of any model, but we can learn from what worked and what did not in other jurisdictions. Any approach will have to be informed by cultural practices and the goal of holistic well-being.
- Continue to refine the performance architecture and comparative assessments of results-focused funding approaches.
Contact information
IFSD is pleased to respond to requests for further information or to provide individual briefings on the project and its project. For questions about the project or to participate, please contact:
Dr. Helaina Gaspard, Director, Governance and Institutions
Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy
helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca
1 (613) 983-8461