What needs to change to support well-being of B.C. First Nations children, families, and communities?

Message to First Nations Who Do Not Receive Services from an Indigenous Child and Family Services Agency (Delegated Aboriginal Agency)

The Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy, University of Ottawa, is wanting to meet with First Nations in British Columbia that do not have an Indigenous Child and Family Services Agency (Delegated Aboriginal Agency) to understand what is needed to support the well-being of their children, families, and communities.

One-day workshops are being hosted in BC for this engagement in Vancouver on May 9 and 10, and in Prince George on May 12. The IFSD will cover travel and accommodation costs for up to two representatives from each First Nation who do not receive services from an Indigenous Child and Family Services Agency. It is recommended a representatives with service delivery and a representative with  financial experience from each Nation attend these one day sessions.

The IFSD is working with the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), the Caring Society (Dr. Cindy Blackstock), and the National Advisory Committee (NAC) to support the long-term reform for First Nations child and family services. IFSD is building a representative, informed, and Nation-driven portrait of the realities, needs and future visions of First Nations communities.

The IFSD is currently in Phase 3 of their work: they are building on the previous phases to describe First Nation-based service delivery models that transform organizational strategy, people, process, and systems.  This work is intended to build capacity and an enhanced bottom-up planning framework for agencies and First Nations.

In addition, IFSD is seeking 2-3 First Nations not served by agencies in BC to participate in a more in-depth fashion by serving as collaborators through a case study exercise. IFSD would work with these First Nations during an in-person (approximately 1-2 days) visit to explore programming, capital needs, and resource requirements in a detailed fashion.

For more information please contact Kim Paquet, [email protected]