First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS)

Project Overview

The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT), in its January 2016 decision and subsequent rulings, has found that Canada has used a discriminatory funding approach for FNCFS agencies.  Canada states it is committed to implementing these orders. 

In support of Canada’s efforts to develop an alternative system to fund First Nations child and family services, Indigenous Services Canada requires the services of a funding/technical and research expert with knowledge of Indigenous issues, and Indigenous practices with respect to data collection and Indigenous intellectual property as well as child and family services.

Purpose

The purpose of this project is to develop reliable data collection, analysis and reporting methodology for analyzing the needs of First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) Agencies.

The Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy (IFSD) at the University of Ottawa will provide technical expertise to analyze agency needs, will provide strategic advice on how to best monitor and respond to actual agency needs from fiscal and governance perspectives, with an approach informed by understanding, existing research, and analysis of assessments done by agencies and communities.

The IFSD will engage with the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) as the project contract holder and with the National Advisory Committee on First Nations Child and Family Services (NAC) for directional and strategic support.

Timelines