A forum to strengthen our children our way

Our Mission.

Our mission is to support Indigenous Nations’ visions for jurisdiction and self-government pertaining to the well-being of their children and youth.

We aim to speak with a collective and expert voice on child welfare matters, with a focus on systemic changes to policy, practice, legislation and funding to ensure the best interests Indigenous children are being met. In a nutshell: our children, our way.

Welcome to the Indigenous Child and Family Services Directors. A forum to strengthen our children our way.

We represent the 24 Indigenous Child and Family Service Agencies in British Columbia. We work to ensure that the best interests of Indigenous children are being met. We advocate for systemic changes to policy, practice, legislation and funding. We address issues that have a province-wide impact, with a view to providing a collective, First Nations voice.

In 2022, we find ourselves at a crossroads.

We are on a precipice of historic changes in Indigenous child welfare. Federal enabling legislation provides our Nation’s with the legal instrument needed to enact our Indigenous laws. The provincial government has embedded the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of indigenous People into legislation ensuring our children’s rights to culture, land and freedom to thrive are honoured. Successive Canadian Human Rights Tribunal orders mean Canada must now fund preventative services and activities allowing Indigenous Child and Family Service Agencies to provide cultural and strength based services. Our time is now to breathe life into our own laws, to celebrate our victories and to strengthen our children, our way. The time is now to right the wrongs of the past.

Who We Are

Indigenous jurisdiction

For millennia, Indigenous Peoples have governed our Nations and overseen the welfare of our children and families. The Canadian legal system has acknowledged that Indigenous governments have the authority to exercise jurisdiction.

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Recent News

NOTICE OF PETITION: VACFSS pursues judicial review of the BC Human Rights Tribunal decision

xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil Waututh) / Vancouver, BC, Jan. 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society (VACFSS) has filed a petition with the Supreme …

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RCYBC Representative’s statement on services for children and youth with support needs

Dr. Jennifer Charlesworth, Representative for Children and Youth As British Columbia’s Representative for Children and Youth, it is my job to monitor the child-and youth serving systems in this province and make comments and recommendations on …

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