Ottawa, Manitoba and Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs reach agreement on child welfare framework

Representatives of the Government of Canada, the Province of Manitoba and the Manitoba Assembly of Chiefs (AMC), today announced a historic framework for First Nations child and family services (CFS) in Manitoba.

Funding for the enhanced prevention-focused approach will help more First Nations children and parents get the help they need to prevent the types of crises that lead to intervention and family breakdown.

The announcement was made by Shelly Glover, Member of Parliament for Saint Boniface and Parliamentary Secretary for Official Languages, on behalf of the Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians, along with the Honourable Gord Mackintosh, Minister of Family Services and Consumer Affairs, together with Grand Chief Ron Evans of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.

"Today’s announcement demonstrates the positive and growing working relationship we have with Manitoba," said Mrs. Glover. "Children represent the future of First Nations communities in Manitoba – and today’s announcement demonstrates our shared commitment to improving conditions for First Nations children and youth. With this announcement, six provinces will have reached historic tripartite frameworks for child and family services with our government."

The Framework with Manitoba and First Nations in Manitoba will provide over $177 million over five years to implement an enhanced prevention-focused approach to First Nations child and family services (FNCFS) on reserves in Manitoba.

"This framework caps years of hard work by the province and First Nations chiefs to correct historic imbalances and provide similar services across the province, regardless of where children live," Minister Mackintosh said. "Just as importantly, it will allow us to provide services and support for families under stress and in many cases prevent the need to take children into care."

"This new funding model and enhancement framework will assist in decreasing the number of children in care and support families to stay together," said Grand Chief Evans. "It will also assist agencies so they will have the resources available to support children and families they work with in our communities. Prevention is critical to positive change for our people."

By moving forward in this province, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) will be well on its way to completing the reform of CFS by ensuring roughly 68 per cent of on-reserve children have access to enhanced prevention services.

First Nation child and family service agencies in Manitoba, in collaboration with INAC and the province, will develop individual business plans that outline goals, outcomes and expectations and will be required to provide annual reports on these to access the new funding. Agencies will be required to ensure that results are obtained, measured and reported under this new regime.

This new funding will be conditional upon agencies meeting accountability requirements, in order to ensure that the funds will be used for their intended purpose and will serve the best interests of children and families.

INAC continues to discuss implementation of the new funding approach with willing provincial and First Nations partners. Since the launch of the new approach in 2007, frameworks have been reached with partners in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Quebec, PEI and Manitoba.

Under the six tripartite frameworks, more than $100 million per year in additional funding will be dedicated to the new approach by 2012-13. The goal is to have all provinces on board for the enhanced prevention-focused approach by 2013.