About Us

First Nations can now:

• Create their own child and family law,
• Revitalize historical practices relating to the well-being of children, youth and families in the form of a locally informed child and family well being law

WHY CREATE A NEW FAMILY LAW?

• Keep Indigenous children and youth connected to their families, communities, and culture and 
• Reduce the alarming number of children and youth in the care of children’s aid societies
• Assert inherent sovereignty over the well-being of children, youth and families.
• Affirms the right of self-government
• Includes jurisdiction over child and family services;
• Enables communities to develop their own Family Well Being Law
• It is flexible enough for communities to adopt their own distinctions-based early intervention, prevention and treatment programs
• Communities can develop your own solutions for child, youth and family well-being
• Your community can define what is in the best interests of a child or youth: 
  • Child/youth’ physical, emotional, mental, sense of belonging and overall well being 
  • Importance of preservation of heritage, culture, language, spiritual upbringing 
  • Attachments and emotional ties to family and other significant persons
  • Child’s views and preferences
  • Family violence and its impact on the child

• Over representation of Indigenous children in care since the 1965 Child Welfare Act, also known as the 60’s scoop
• In 2000 changes to the Child Welfare Act again dramatically increased the number of Indigenous children and youth in care
• Approach to services was based on colonial practices and separated children from families and communities  due to poverty, effects of intergenerational trauma and culturally biased child welfare practices 
• After decades of advocacy on the part of Indigenous leaders to reclaim jurisdictional rights to child and family services, Indigenous Services Canada agreed to develop and enact legislation to address these concerns
• In 2018, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) engaged with First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders and experts, as well as Treaty Nations, provinces and territories and those with lived experience, on options for potential federal legislation. 
• In 2020 the legislation was passed