A First Nations Child and Family Services Agency (FNCFS)
Monthly Updates
November & December 2023
The Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD) is pleased to share this monthly update on its research to support First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform.
On October 24-25, 2023, IFSD convened Phase 3 collaborators in Ottawa to review a data organization strategy for the Measuring to Thrive pilot. The workshop was attended by all 20 collaborators for Phase 3 (a mix of First Nations exercising jurisdiction and FNCFS agencies), with 43 participants contributing to the discussion.
Mary Teegee (Executive Director of Child and Family Services, Carrier Sekani Family Services) set the stage reminding us that we are the ancestors the next generation of children will remember. Dr. Fred Wulczyn (Chapin Hall, University of Chicago) shared lessons from 40 years of experience in gathering and analyzing child welfare data and linking it to funding.
Collaborators had the opportunity to participate in a data exercise which provided the opportunity to structure data and analyze it. Collaborators highlighted the importance of measurement in child and family services (CFS) to build evidence and evaluate the efficacy of interventions. When information is being tracked and analyzed, it can be used to create a narrative and understand outcomes for children, families, and communities, as well as to support funding asks.
The full monthly update can be found here. It provides an analytic summary of the workshop, focusing on key challenges and success, as identified by collaborators at the meeting, across four areas: people, process, strategy, and systems.
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on our research to support First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
October 2023
The Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD) is pleased to share this monthly update on its research to support First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform.
As part of Phase III of this project, IFSD is identifying best practices in post-majority services. A previous monthly update (July 2022) on post-majority services, focused on existing frameworks and research, can be found here. This update focuses on costing and can be found here.
There is limited information available on costs and associated activities in post-majority supports and services. The most complete data available comes from the provinces. From IFSD’s existing analysis, British Columbia has the most complete data available (recent; program activity details; uptake rates). On a per capita basis, British Columbia spends roughly $11,000 per youth ageing out of care. Quebec’s rate is within range and Alberta’s is higher (closer to $13,000). The proximity of the per capita funding and take-up rates suggest the British Columbia data is representative.
The available data can be used to build initial cost estimates for post-majority supports and services. IFSD considers this approach to be a work in-progress. IFSD’s current cost analysis is based solely on provincial data and does not consider cultural and contextual nuances for youth.
As more information is available and lessons learned about what works for youth, the cost estimation assumptions can be improved. Including activities such as, cultural considerations, supporting housing and supportive housing, life skills supports, and direct engagement with youth to understand needs can be helpful practices to refine cost estimates and better capture needs.
IFSD needs your help. The cost analysis can be improved with data that includes cultural considerations and relationship building. If you are documenting local initiatives to support youth, please get in touch with our team (info@ifsd.ca).
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on our research to support First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
August-September 2023
The Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD) is pleased to share this monthly update for August/September 2023 on its research to support First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) reform.
On August 2, 2023, Dr. Fred Wulczyn, a specialist in child and family services data gathering and analysis, joined the First Nations and the First Nations Child and Family service agencies collaborating with the IFSD in piloting selected indicators (and others) from the Measuring to Thrive framework.
In support of Phase 3 research on FNCFS reform, a virtual session with research collaborators was hosted to discuss organizing events-based Child and Family Services data, which tracks services received by children and families and analyze the outcomes of child and family services.
This update is designed to provide more detail about the Measuring to Thrive framework and data organization strategy that underlies the pilot. The indicators chosen by the collaborators are designed to test how Measuring to Thrive could work in the context of FNCFS reform.
Consult the full update here.
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on our research to support First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
July 2023
The Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD) is pleased to share this monthly update for July 2023 on its research to support First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform.
This update is designed to provide an overview of IFSD’s approach to pilot the Measuring to Thrive framework working with 20 collaborators (a mix of FNCFS agencies and First Nations exercising/contemplating jurisdiction).
Monitoring through a set of indicators is essential to measure change from a starting point. In the 15 indicators selected by collaborators, there are a mix of case-level and community-level indicators. This recognizes the relationship between child and family services and the different environments/lived realities of First Nations.
Hear from collaborators on the importance of measurement and their contributions to this pilot:
- Riley Randall and Matthew Hayman, Quality Assurance Supervisors, Nogdawindamin Family and Community Services
- Janna Olynick, Data Analyst, Carrier Sekani Family Services
Consult the full update here.
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on our research to support First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
May & June 2023
The Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD) is pleased to share two monthly updates for May and June 2023 on its research to support First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) reform.
May 2023 – Transition
Transition is about shifting people, processes, systems, and strategies to achieve a different mandate, objective or goal. The way transition is managed will have consequences for children and families. In Phase 3, IFSD will be piloting transition processes taking into consideration people, processes, systems, and strategies for a total of 20 collaborating FNCFS agencies and First Nations exercising jurisdiction.
The collaborators represent a diverse cross-section of communities and service providers. IFSD will develop generalized transition plans according to contextual factors (e.g., remoteness, size of community served). The transition plans will articulate how, and on what timelines, collaborators plan to move from their current state to their future state.
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June 2023 – General project overview
This update is designed to provide an overview of IFSD’s work to undertake research and analysis on the long-term reform of FNCFS. The project updates are summarized in the table below and the full update can be consulted here.
| Component | Phase 3 | Where can I find additional information on Phase 3 interim findings? |
| IFSD’s mandate | – Close data gaps, e.g., capital needs, baselines | Capital needs initial summary |
| – Model and test the proposed funding approach | ||
| – Refine and test the Measuring to Thrive framework | ||
| – Enhance fiscal certainty and planning tools | IFSD is preparing transition framework and tools Note: national estimates of the FNCFS program are anticipated in Fall 2023 using IFSD’s proposed funding approach |
IFSD relies on and is grateful for the contributions of First Nations and FNCFS agencies that help to shape this work. This would not be possible without your willingness to share information, time, and experiences with IFSD.
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on our research to support First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca)
April 2023
The Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD) is pleased to share this monthly update on its research to support First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform.
The Phase 3 work on First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) is about building representative models of change to prepare for implementation of a funding model to support changes to the FNCFS Program.
The design and delivery of FNCFS will vary based on the chosen approach of a First Nation. Some First Nations may exercise jurisdiction, others may join or remain with their FNCFS agency, others may bring their agency under their own laws. There are many potential models.
IFSD is grateful to the 20 collaborators in Phase 3 (FNCFS agencies and First Nations serving (or planning to serve) children and families under An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families) that are sharing their models and plans in FNCFS in the hopes of supporting other First Nations with change and transition.
Phase 3 research is demonstrating that whatever a First Nation’s chosen model for child and family services may be, the structure, funding, and accountability mechanism of those changes should align to the approach and the needs of the community. Through the research, we are seeing that changes to the funding structure is about more than the amount of money alone, but about the terms and conditions on that money, and how the effects of the money are tracked by the community.
Building on lessons from Phases 1, 2, and ongoing contributions in Phase 3, IFSD has prepared an overview of funding components for consideration in FNCFS in a slide deck. While extensive, the list may not be exhaustive for all approaches.
The components are those from the bottom-up approach IFSD developed with contributions and wise practices from FNCFS agencies and First Nations from the bottom-up. The approach is linked to the different environments and contexts that First Nations are operating in, e.g., geography/remoteness, income-based poverty, demographics, etc., and is intended to adjust to varying realities.
As IFSD is working with collaborators in Phase 3 on their own funding approaches, other elements for consideration in funding are expected in the months ahead.
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on our research to support First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
March 2023
Collaborators of the Phase 3 project are FNCFS agencies and First Nations serving (or planning to serve) children and families under An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families. To better understand capital needs among service providers, IFSD worked with collaborators to build detailed capital needs assessments, as well as with FNCFS agencies through a questionnaire to build a generalized portrait of the current state of capital assets across jurisdictions. We identified some common themes emerging from this research and have provided an overview of these themes in the attached slide deck.
For the purposes of this work, the definition of capital includes assets that would be renewed or repaired to extend its useful life beyond one year (e.g., buildings, cultural camps, transition home, etc.) This assessment of capital needs in FNCFS highlights existing pressures on space (and the need for repairs), as well as an emphasis on housing-related capital to support children and families.
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on our research to support First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
January 2023
IFSD is pleased to share this monthly update for January 2023. This update provides an overview of Indigenous Services Canada’s (ISC) principal existing funding approaches, namely block funding, and offers comparisons to the reformed FNCFS funding model tested by IFSD in Phase 3 research on costing out FNCFS reform.
Read the analysis here.
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
November - December 2022
We are pleased to share this monthly update for November and December 2022.
There are two parts to this update: 1) a summary of what we are learning from the FNCFS agency questionnaires; and 2) the results of the Measuring to Thrive Workshop, hosted in Ottawa on November 8-9, 2022:
- While you are exercising jurisdiction, current-state cost analysis may be useful in your planning and preparation for negotiations. A summary of the principal findings from the FNCFS agency questionnaire is below (please read the full summary here):
- 49% of FNCFS agencies participated in the questionnaire.
- Key observations:
- On average, FNCFS agency budgets have increased when compared with past research.
- To deliver all desired services, FNCFS agencies estimate an average budget of $22M per year.
- Participants indicated they would like to offer services that emphasize housing/lodging with supports, e.g., transition homes, safe homes, etc.
- It is encouraging to note that the relationship between the number of children in care and FNCFS agency revenues and expenditures is weakening, when compared to previous analysis. This suggests that FNCFS agency funding is less dependent than before on the number of children in care, with resources allocated to prevention-focused services and activities.
- Providing services to First Nations without year-round road access is resource intensive. On average, those budgets are nearly double the national average. Careful consideration should be given to geography and road-access and their implications for funding.
We are grateful to the FNCFS agencies that contributed their time and data to this exercise.
- To capture the well-being of the children and families you serve and to monitor their change from a starting point, measurement is essential. During our two day workshop in November 2022, research collaborators worked together to identify a subset of indicators from the Measuring to Thrive framework and others that they would test in 2023.
Please read the full summary of the workshop or review the principal takeaways below:
- With the Measuring to Thrive framework as a starting point, collaborators identified 15 indicators to pilot with their FNCFS agency or First Nation exercising jurisdiction.
- A majority of collaborators agreed to select as few or as many indicators as they considered feasible from the 15.
- Collaborators generously committed to working in their own contexts and together to learn and support others on the journey to long-term reform.
- The purpose of the pilot exercise is to:
- Learn about the measurement process and share practices, tools, and approaches;
- Leverage learnings to define and implement a well-being focused approach to measurement with First Nations care and control of delivery.
To those celebrating, we wish you Happy Holidays.
Questions? Contact Dr. Helaina Gaspard (helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca | (613) 983-8461).
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
October 2022
IFSD has been working with collaborators working toward jurisdiction in child and family services agencies. Other First Nations have reached out with questions about how to reflect on jurisdiction. In response, IFSD has shared guiding questions and themes that may be helpful for those exploring or working toward jurisdiction.
There are three main takeaways:
- Funding should be sufficient to meet needs.
- The funding structure should support flexible decision-making in First Nations and agencies who know how to best take care of their children and families.
- Measure to monitor changes to your starting point for accountability to your First Nation by your First Nation.
You may wish to consider:
- Defining your starting point.
- How are children and families doing in your First Nation?
- What current services are available to children and families?
- What services would they like to have?
- What’s the environment of the First Nation, with consideration of root causes of contact with protection services, e.g., poverty, housing, potable water, etc.?
- Using actual expenditure data to estimate to your current and future needs.
- What expenditure information does your First Nation have to help shape its cost estimate in child and family services?
- Have you considered using existing information from other sources, e.g., FNCFS agencies, IFSD’s past work?
- Ensure funding is dynamic and linked to the changing needs of your First Nation.
- What are the principles that underlie your cost estimation?
- How do these principles adjust when circumstances change in your First Nation, e.g., population, poverty?
- What factors drive your costs for service delivery?
- Collect information about your First Nation for your First Nation.
- Does your First Nation collect its own information about the well-being of children and families?
- What are some existing sources of information you can access?
- Do you have the people, processes, and systems in place to turn information into evidence for advocacy, decision-making, and reporting to your First Nation?
You may wish to consider reviewing IFSD’s existing work on costing child and family services to support your decision making:
- Phase 1: Enabling First Nations Children to Thrive, includes cost analysis of the FNCFS system and gap analysis with bottom-up data from 76% of FNCFS agencies.
- Phase 2: Funding First Nations child and family services (FNCFS): A performance budget approach to well-being, defined a needs-based well-being focused approach to funding FNCFS, with Measuring to Thrive as the guiding framework.
Questions? Contact Dr. Helaina Gaspard (helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca | (613) 983-8461).
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
September 2022
Jordan’s Principle is named in honour of Jordan River Anderson who died in a Winnipeg hospital, never having been in his family home because of a jurisdictional battle between the federal and provincial governments on who would pay for his homecare.
Jordan’s Principle is a child-first principle that aims to eliminate service inequities and delays for First Nations children, ensuring access to the services and supports they need without delay or denial. Substantive equality for First Nations children is a core pillar of Jordan’s Principle, recognizing that some First Nations children may require unique supports to achieve equitable outcomes to their non-Indigenous peers.
At this time, however, we cannot determine if substantive equality is being achieved.
When we reflect on the long-term sustainability of Jordan’s Principle, we should consider:
- What we know: Jordan’s Principle is addressing needs and the number of requests to Jordan’s Principle is increasing.
- What we don’t know: the root causes of requests to Jordan’s Principle…why are children in need? We know inequalities exist, but what are they? How are they affecting children?
- Why does this matter? Jordan’s Principle is filling gaps in existing program areas. Understanding the root causes of need is critical to developing informed policy and funding decisions to support well-being over the long-term, and to permanently address program gaps.
With these questions in mind, the IFSD analyzed available information from Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) on Jordan’s Principle to better understand whether substantive equality is being achieved.
You can read the full report here.
Questions? Contact Dr. Helaina Gaspard (helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca | (613) 983-8461).
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
August 2022
Many people are feeling pressure from price increases in food, clothing, and the cost of living. In June 2022, inflation was 8.1% higher than the previous year (June 2021). When working with First Nations and FNCFS agencies, we have heard concerns and challenges associated to increasing levels of inflation.
From a program funding perspective, inflation adjustments alone will not address broader issues of underfunding. Inflation adjustments do not replace program funding that is adequate for the needs of a First Nation. If a program area is underfunded relative to need, it will remain insufficient even with an inflation adjustment.
IFSD’s Chief Economist, Dr. Mostafa Askari, prepared a primer on inflation and two approaches to remedy underfunding in First Nations program funding. You can read the full note here.
Questions? Contact Dr. Helaina Gaspard (helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca | (613) 983-8461).
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
July 2022
To better support young people transitioning out of the care of child and family services, best practices in post-majority services are being identified by youth with lived experiences and the organizations that offer that support. From housing to life skills, we have heard from First Nations exercising/contemplating jurisdiction about what they are doing and what they hope to do to deliver post-majority supports.
| Do you have an approach or program in post-majority support to share? Get in touch with IFSD. |
While we learn from you, IFSD has been working to compile existing frameworks and research to help understand the costs of designing and delivering post-majority supports and services.
The Assembly of Seven Generations (A7G), an Indigenous youth-led organization prepared a report based on the experiences of children in care. The report, Children Back, Land Back : A Follow-Up Report of First Nations Youth in Care Advisors, includes actions (past, present, and future) to support children and youth in contact with child and family services.
Hear from Dr. Melanie Doucet about the framework she has developed with former youth in care for post-majority supports standards in the mainstream system. The standards document and summary are available online.
Here is a summary of the framework proposed. Link to the full report can be found here.
| Equitable Standard | Description |
| Financial | Every young person should have the financial resources required to meet their needs. Youth in care deserve to have a financial starting point that is above the poverty line and allows them to pursue their career interests and dreams. |
| Educational and Professional Development | Every young person should experience an environment where they can learn and grow in ways that are meaningful to them and at their own pace. |
| Housing | Every young person should have a place they can call home without strict rules and conditions to abide by. |
| Relationships | Every young person should have people in their life that they can count on unconditionally and interdependently. |
| Culture and Spirituality | Every young person should be connected to their culture and spirituality, in ways that are meaningful to them, safe, and at their own pace. |
| Health and Wellbeing | Every young person should be provided with timely ongoing services and benefits that support their lifelong health and well-being. |
| Advocacy and Rights | Every young person should have their rights respected and should experience environments where their voices are heard. |
| Emerging Adulthood Development | Every young person should experience environments that cultivate personal growth and development as they transition into adulthood. |
Questions? Contact Dr. Helaina Gaspard (helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca | (613) 983-8461).
IFSD is writing to share its fourth monthly update on First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
May 2022
First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) Project
IFSD is writing to share its second monthly update on First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list .
There are 56 First Nations that have declared their intent to exercise jurisdiction or are engaged in the process. There are other First Nations that are preparing for or contemplating the exercise of jurisdiction in child and family services.
IFSD is grateful to the First Nations/bands that volunteered to serve as collaborators in this project. We look forward to working together.
In the June update, the characteristics and/or names (collaborators’ choice) of the collaborating First Nations/Bands will be announced.
The work and experiences of the collaborating First Nations will be helpful in charting a course forward in navigating the exercise of jurisdiction.
Questions? Contact Dr. Helaina Gaspard (helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca | (613) 983-8461).
April 2022
First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) Project
IFSD is writing to share its first monthly update on First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list.
In January 2022, after years at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT), the parties came to an agreement in principle (AIP).
As the parties continue to negotiate a final agreement, there is an opportunity to shape the reform of the First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) system to focus on well-being.
IFSD is working with the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), the Caring Society, and the National Advisory Committee (NAC) to provide research support and analysis for long-term reform.
We need your perspective to get this right.
This work is about building First Nation-based delivery models that transform organizational strategy, people, process, and systems. It is intended to build capacity and an enhanced bottom-up planning framework, while building confidence among stakeholders.
IFSD is seeking 10 First Nations exercising or moving to exercise jurisdiction to volunteer to serve as in-depth collaborators to model and simulate a well-being focused funding approach. This work is expected to be a 1.5-year commitment.
If your First Nation is interested in serving as a volunteer, contact Dr. Helaina Gaspard (helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca | (613) 983-8461) before May 13, 2022. IFSD will be working to balance various characteristics, e.g., region, geography, size of the population served, etc. We are very open to volunteers but will not be able to accept all volunteers (as much as we would like to). Resources are available to help defray the costs of participation.
Any data shared will only be used for the purposes of this project. Participants can withdraw at any time and any data they shared will be destroyed. Learn more about IFSD’s privacy and data management practices here.
Questions? Contact Dr. Helaina Gaspard (helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca | (613) 983-8461).
Monthly Updates
October 2023
The Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD) is pleased to share this monthly update on its research to support First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform.
As part of Phase III of this project, IFSD is identifying best practices in post-majority services. A previous monthly update (July 2022) on post-majority services, focused on existing frameworks and research, can be found here. This update focuses on costing and can be found here.
There is limited information available on costs and associated activities in post-majority supports and services. The most complete data available comes from the provinces. From IFSD’s existing analysis, British Columbia has the most complete data available (recent; program activity details; uptake rates). On a per capita basis, British Columbia spends roughly $11,000 per youth ageing out of care. Quebec’s rate is within range and Alberta’s is higher (closer to $13,000). The proximity of the per capita funding and take-up rates suggest the British Columbia data is representative.
The available data can be used to build initial cost estimates for post-majority supports and services. IFSD considers this approach to be a work in-progress. IFSD’s current cost analysis is based solely on provincial data and does not consider cultural and contextual nuances for youth.
As more information is available and lessons learned about what works for youth, the cost estimation assumptions can be improved. Including activities such as, cultural considerations, supporting housing and supportive housing, life skills supports, and direct engagement with youth to understand needs can be helpful practices to refine cost estimates and better capture needs.
IFSD needs your help. The cost analysis can be improved with data that includes cultural considerations and relationship building. If you are documenting local initiatives to support youth, please get in touch with our team (info@ifsd.ca).
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on our research to support First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
August-September 2023
The Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD) is pleased to share this monthly update for August/September 2023 on its research to support First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) reform.
On August 2, 2023, Dr. Fred Wulczyn, a specialist in child and family services data gathering and analysis, joined the First Nations and the First Nations Child and Family service agencies collaborating with the IFSD in piloting selected indicators (and others) from the Measuring to Thrive framework.
In support of Phase 3 research on FNCFS reform, a virtual session with research collaborators was hosted to discuss organizing events-based Child and Family Services data, which tracks services received by children and families and analyze the outcomes of child and family services.
This update is designed to provide more detail about the Measuring to Thrive framework and data organization strategy that underlies the pilot. The indicators chosen by the collaborators are designed to test how Measuring to Thrive could work in the context of FNCFS reform.
Consult the full update here.
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on our research to support First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
July 2023
The Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD) is pleased to share this monthly update for July 2023 on its research to support First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform.
This update is designed to provide an overview of IFSD’s approach to pilot the Measuring to Thrive framework working with 20 collaborators (a mix of FNCFS agencies and First Nations exercising/contemplating jurisdiction).
Monitoring through a set of indicators is essential to measure change from a starting point. In the 15 indicators selected by collaborators, there are a mix of case-level and community-level indicators. This recognizes the relationship between child and family services and the different environments/lived realities of First Nations.
Hear from collaborators on the importance of measurement and their contributions to this pilot:
- Riley Randall and Matthew Hayman, Quality Assurance Supervisors, Nogdawindamin Family and Community Services
- Janna Olynick, Data Analyst, Carrier Sekani Family Services
Consult the full update here.
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on our research to support First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
May & June 2023
The Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD) is pleased to share two monthly updates for May and June 2023 on its research to support First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) reform.
May 2023 – Transition
Transition is about shifting people, processes, systems, and strategies to achieve a different mandate, objective or goal. The way transition is managed will have consequences for children and families. In Phase 3, IFSD will be piloting transition processes taking into consideration people, processes, systems, and strategies for a total of 20 collaborating FNCFS agencies and First Nations exercising jurisdiction.
The collaborators represent a diverse cross-section of communities and service providers. IFSD will develop generalized transition plans according to contextual factors (e.g., remoteness, size of community served). The transition plans will articulate how, and on what timelines, collaborators plan to move from their current state to their future state.
***
June 2023 – General project overview
This update is designed to provide an overview of IFSD’s work to undertake research and analysis on the long-term reform of FNCFS. The project updates are summarized in the table below and the full update can be consulted here.
| Component | Phase 3 | Where can I find additional information on Phase 3 interim findings? |
| IFSD’s mandate | – Close data gaps, e.g., capital needs, baselines | Capital needs initial summary |
| – Model and test the proposed funding approach | ||
| – Refine and test the Measuring to Thrive framework | ||
| – Enhance fiscal certainty and planning tools | IFSD is preparing transition framework and tools Note: national estimates of the FNCFS program are anticipated in Fall 2023 using IFSD’s proposed funding approach |
IFSD relies on and is grateful for the contributions of First Nations and FNCFS agencies that help to shape this work. This would not be possible without your willingness to share information, time, and experiences with IFSD.
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on our research to support First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca)
April 2023
The Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD) is pleased to share this monthly update on its research to support First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform.
The Phase 3 work on First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) is about building representative models of change to prepare for implementation of a funding model to support changes to the FNCFS Program.
The design and delivery of FNCFS will vary based on the chosen approach of a First Nation. Some First Nations may exercise jurisdiction, others may join or remain with their FNCFS agency, others may bring their agency under their own laws. There are many potential models.
IFSD is grateful to the 20 collaborators in Phase 3 (FNCFS agencies and First Nations serving (or planning to serve) children and families under An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families) that are sharing their models and plans in FNCFS in the hopes of supporting other First Nations with change and transition.
Phase 3 research is demonstrating that whatever a First Nation’s chosen model for child and family services may be, the structure, funding, and accountability mechanism of those changes should align to the approach and the needs of the community. Through the research, we are seeing that changes to the funding structure is about more than the amount of money alone, but about the terms and conditions on that money, and how the effects of the money are tracked by the community.
Building on lessons from Phases 1, 2, and ongoing contributions in Phase 3, IFSD has prepared an overview of funding components for consideration in FNCFS in a slide deck. While extensive, the list may not be exhaustive for all approaches.
The components are those from the bottom-up approach IFSD developed with contributions and wise practices from FNCFS agencies and First Nations from the bottom-up. The approach is linked to the different environments and contexts that First Nations are operating in, e.g., geography/remoteness, income-based poverty, demographics, etc., and is intended to adjust to varying realities.
As IFSD is working with collaborators in Phase 3 on their own funding approaches, other elements for consideration in funding are expected in the months ahead.
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on our research to support First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
March 2023
Collaborators of the Phase 3 project are FNCFS agencies and First Nations serving (or planning to serve) children and families under An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families. To better understand capital needs among service providers, IFSD worked with collaborators to build detailed capital needs assessments, as well as with FNCFS agencies through a questionnaire to build a generalized portrait of the current state of capital assets across jurisdictions. We identified some common themes emerging from this research and have provided an overview of these themes in the attached slide deck.
For the purposes of this work, the definition of capital includes assets that would be renewed or repaired to extend its useful life beyond one year (e.g., buildings, cultural camps, transition home, etc.) This assessment of capital needs in FNCFS highlights existing pressures on space (and the need for repairs), as well as an emphasis on housing-related capital to support children and families.
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on our research to support First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
January 2023
IFSD is pleased to share this monthly update for January 2023. This update provides an overview of Indigenous Services Canada’s (ISC) principal existing funding approaches, namely block funding, and offers comparisons to the reformed FNCFS funding model tested by IFSD in Phase 3 research on costing out FNCFS reform.
Read the analysis here.
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
November - December 2022
We are pleased to share this monthly update for November and December 2022.
There are two parts to this update: 1) a summary of what we are learning from the FNCFS agency questionnaires; and 2) the results of the Measuring to Thrive Workshop, hosted in Ottawa on November 8-9, 2022:
- While you are exercising jurisdiction, current-state cost analysis may be useful in your planning and preparation for negotiations. A summary of the principal findings from the FNCFS agency questionnaire is below (please read the full summary here):
- 49% of FNCFS agencies participated in the questionnaire.
- Key observations:
- On average, FNCFS agency budgets have increased when compared with past research.
- To deliver all desired services, FNCFS agencies estimate an average budget of $22M per year.
- Participants indicated they would like to offer services that emphasize housing/lodging with supports, e.g., transition homes, safe homes, etc.
- It is encouraging to note that the relationship between the number of children in care and FNCFS agency revenues and expenditures is weakening, when compared to previous analysis. This suggests that FNCFS agency funding is less dependent than before on the number of children in care, with resources allocated to prevention-focused services and activities.
- Providing services to First Nations without year-round road access is resource intensive. On average, those budgets are nearly double the national average. Careful consideration should be given to geography and road-access and their implications for funding.
We are grateful to the FNCFS agencies that contributed their time and data to this exercise.
- To capture the well-being of the children and families you serve and to monitor their change from a starting point, measurement is essential. During our two day workshop in November 2022, research collaborators worked together to identify a subset of indicators from the Measuring to Thrive framework and others that they would test in 2023.
Please read the full summary of the workshop or review the principal takeaways below:
- With the Measuring to Thrive framework as a starting point, collaborators identified 15 indicators to pilot with their FNCFS agency or First Nation exercising jurisdiction.
- A majority of collaborators agreed to select as few or as many indicators as they considered feasible from the 15.
- Collaborators generously committed to working in their own contexts and together to learn and support others on the journey to long-term reform.
- The purpose of the pilot exercise is to:
- Learn about the measurement process and share practices, tools, and approaches;
- Leverage learnings to define and implement a well-being focused approach to measurement with First Nations care and control of delivery.
To those celebrating, we wish you Happy Holidays.
Questions? Contact Dr. Helaina Gaspard (helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca | (613) 983-8461).
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
October 2022
IFSD has been working with collaborators working toward jurisdiction in child and family services agencies. Other First Nations have reached out with questions about how to reflect on jurisdiction. In response, IFSD has shared guiding questions and themes that may be helpful for those exploring or working toward jurisdiction.
There are three main takeaways:
- Funding should be sufficient to meet needs.
- The funding structure should support flexible decision-making in First Nations and agencies who know how to best take care of their children and families.
- Measure to monitor changes to your starting point for accountability to your First Nation by your First Nation.
You may wish to consider:
- Defining your starting point.
- How are children and families doing in your First Nation?
- What current services are available to children and families?
- What services would they like to have?
- What’s the environment of the First Nation, with consideration of root causes of contact with protection services, e.g., poverty, housing, potable water, etc.?
- Using actual expenditure data to estimate to your current and future needs.
- What expenditure information does your First Nation have to help shape its cost estimate in child and family services?
- Have you considered using existing information from other sources, e.g., FNCFS agencies, IFSD’s past work?
- Ensure funding is dynamic and linked to the changing needs of your First Nation.
- What are the principles that underlie your cost estimation?
- How do these principles adjust when circumstances change in your First Nation, e.g., population, poverty?
- What factors drive your costs for service delivery?
- Collect information about your First Nation for your First Nation.
- Does your First Nation collect its own information about the well-being of children and families?
- What are some existing sources of information you can access?
- Do you have the people, processes, and systems in place to turn information into evidence for advocacy, decision-making, and reporting to your First Nation?
You may wish to consider reviewing IFSD’s existing work on costing child and family services to support your decision making:
- Phase 1: Enabling First Nations Children to Thrive, includes cost analysis of the FNCFS system and gap analysis with bottom-up data from 76% of FNCFS agencies.
- Phase 2: Funding First Nations child and family services (FNCFS): A performance budget approach to well-being, defined a needs-based well-being focused approach to funding FNCFS, with Measuring to Thrive as the guiding framework.
Questions? Contact Dr. Helaina Gaspard (helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca | (613) 983-8461).
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
September 2022
Jordan’s Principle is named in honour of Jordan River Anderson who died in a Winnipeg hospital, never having been in his family home because of a jurisdictional battle between the federal and provincial governments on who would pay for his homecare.
Jordan’s Principle is a child-first principle that aims to eliminate service inequities and delays for First Nations children, ensuring access to the services and supports they need without delay or denial. Substantive equality for First Nations children is a core pillar of Jordan’s Principle, recognizing that some First Nations children may require unique supports to achieve equitable outcomes to their non-Indigenous peers.
At this time, however, we cannot determine if substantive equality is being achieved.
When we reflect on the long-term sustainability of Jordan’s Principle, we should consider:
- What we know: Jordan’s Principle is addressing needs and the number of requests to Jordan’s Principle is increasing.
- What we don’t know: the root causes of requests to Jordan’s Principle…why are children in need? We know inequalities exist, but what are they? How are they affecting children?
- Why does this matter? Jordan’s Principle is filling gaps in existing program areas. Understanding the root causes of need is critical to developing informed policy and funding decisions to support well-being over the long-term, and to permanently address program gaps.
With these questions in mind, the IFSD analyzed available information from Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) on Jordan’s Principle to better understand whether substantive equality is being achieved.
You can read the full report here.
Questions? Contact Dr. Helaina Gaspard (helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca | (613) 983-8461).
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
August 2022
Many people are feeling pressure from price increases in food, clothing, and the cost of living. In June 2022, inflation was 8.1% higher than the previous year (June 2021). When working with First Nations and FNCFS agencies, we have heard concerns and challenges associated to increasing levels of inflation.
From a program funding perspective, inflation adjustments alone will not address broader issues of underfunding. Inflation adjustments do not replace program funding that is adequate for the needs of a First Nation. If a program area is underfunded relative to need, it will remain insufficient even with an inflation adjustment.
IFSD’s Chief Economist, Dr. Mostafa Askari, prepared a primer on inflation and two approaches to remedy underfunding in First Nations program funding. You can read the full note here.
Questions? Contact Dr. Helaina Gaspard (helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca | (613) 983-8461).
IFSD is writing to share its monthly update on First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
July 2022
To better support young people transitioning out of the care of child and family services, best practices in post-majority services are being identified by youth with lived experiences and the organizations that offer that support. From housing to life skills, we have heard from First Nations exercising/contemplating jurisdiction about what they are doing and what they hope to do to deliver post-majority supports.
| Do you have an approach or program in post-majority support to share? Get in touch with IFSD. |
While we learn from you, IFSD has been working to compile existing frameworks and research to help understand the costs of designing and delivering post-majority supports and services.
The Assembly of Seven Generations (A7G), an Indigenous youth-led organization prepared a report based on the experiences of children in care. The report, Children Back, Land Back : A Follow-Up Report of First Nations Youth in Care Advisors, includes actions (past, present, and future) to support children and youth in contact with child and family services.
Hear from Dr. Melanie Doucet about the framework she has developed with former youth in care for post-majority supports standards in the mainstream system. The standards document and summary are available online.
Here is a summary of the framework proposed. Link to the full report can be found here.
| Equitable Standard | Description |
| Financial | Every young person should have the financial resources required to meet their needs. Youth in care deserve to have a financial starting point that is above the poverty line and allows them to pursue their career interests and dreams. |
| Educational and Professional Development | Every young person should experience an environment where they can learn and grow in ways that are meaningful to them and at their own pace. |
| Housing | Every young person should have a place they can call home without strict rules and conditions to abide by. |
| Relationships | Every young person should have people in their life that they can count on unconditionally and interdependently. |
| Culture and Spirituality | Every young person should be connected to their culture and spirituality, in ways that are meaningful to them, safe, and at their own pace. |
| Health and Wellbeing | Every young person should be provided with timely ongoing services and benefits that support their lifelong health and well-being. |
| Advocacy and Rights | Every young person should have their rights respected and should experience environments where their voices are heard. |
| Emerging Adulthood Development | Every young person should experience environments that cultivate personal growth and development as they transition into adulthood. |
Questions? Contact Dr. Helaina Gaspard (helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca | (613) 983-8461).
IFSD is writing to share its fourth monthly update on First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list (info@ifsd.ca).
May 2022
First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) Project
IFSD is writing to share its second monthly update on First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list .
There are 56 First Nations that have declared their intent to exercise jurisdiction or are engaged in the process. There are other First Nations that are preparing for or contemplating the exercise of jurisdiction in child and family services.
IFSD is grateful to the First Nations/bands that volunteered to serve as collaborators in this project. We look forward to working together.
In the June update, the characteristics and/or names (collaborators’ choice) of the collaborating First Nations/Bands will be announced.
The work and experiences of the collaborating First Nations will be helpful in charting a course forward in navigating the exercise of jurisdiction.
Questions? Contact Dr. Helaina Gaspard (helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca | (613) 983-8461).
April 2022
First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) Project
IFSD is writing to share its first monthly update on First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) reform (updates will continue monthly). Feel free to share this update with colleagues or invite them to join our mailing list.
In January 2022, after years at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT), the parties came to an agreement in principle (AIP).
As the parties continue to negotiate a final agreement, there is an opportunity to shape the reform of the First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) system to focus on well-being.
IFSD is working with the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), the Caring Society, and the National Advisory Committee (NAC) to provide research support and analysis for long-term reform.
We need your perspective to get this right.
This work is about building First Nation-based delivery models that transform organizational strategy, people, process, and systems. It is intended to build capacity and an enhanced bottom-up planning framework, while building confidence among stakeholders.
IFSD is seeking 10 First Nations exercising or moving to exercise jurisdiction to volunteer to serve as in-depth collaborators to model and simulate a well-being focused funding approach. This work is expected to be a 1.5-year commitment.
If your First Nation is interested in serving as a volunteer, contact Dr. Helaina Gaspard (helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca | (613) 983-8461) before May 13, 2022. IFSD will be working to balance various characteristics, e.g., region, geography, size of the population served, etc. We are very open to volunteers but will not be able to accept all volunteers (as much as we would like to). Resources are available to help defray the costs of participation.
Any data shared will only be used for the purposes of this project. Participants can withdraw at any time and any data they shared will be destroyed. Learn more about IFSD’s privacy and data management practices here.
Questions? Contact Dr. Helaina Gaspard (helaina.gaspard@ifsd.ca | (613) 983-8461).