<p> Saskatchewan Info Sheet on First Nations Child Welfare</p><p>In 2006, there were 91,400 First Nations people in Saskatchewan; they represented 13% of the total First Nations population in Canada and 10% of the Saskatchewan population (Statistics Canada, 2006). First Nations children constituted 18 % of the child population in Saskatchewan; an additional 7.7% of the child population is non-First Nations Aboriginal (Statistics Canada, 2006 Census).1 In 2008, Aboriginal children made up 25% of the child population in Saskatchewan, yet comprised approximately 80% of all children in care of the Ministry of Social Services (Annual Report of the Ministry of Social Services, 2008; Statistics Canada, 2006 Census). First Nations communities in Saskatchewan have long worked to re-gain control over child welfare practices related to their children. The results of their efforts are demonstrated by the existence of eighteen First Nations child welfare agencies. In addition to the growing scope of First Nations agencies, the legislative and child welfare standards governing Saskatchewan’s provincially run child welfare agencies acknowledge the importance of community, heritage, and cultural ties for Aboriginal children. </p><p>Historical Overview of the First Nations Child Welfare System in Saskatchewan</p><p>Saskatchewan shares a common national history with other provinces in regards to the development of First Nations child welfare. Residential schools served as the primary mechanism of First Nations child welfare in Canada between 1879 and 1946 (Milloy, 1999). During this period, the Canadian government’s policy regarding First Nations child welfare was to assimilate Aboriginal peoples into Anglo-European culture by separating Aboriginal children from their families. In 1920 an amendment to the Indian Act made attendance at designated state sponsored (day, residential, institutional) schools mandatory for all children “between the ages of seven and fifteen years” who were physically able to attend (An Act to amend the Indian Act, 1920, A10). It also allowed truant officers to enforce attendance, giving them the right to, “enter any place where he has reason to believe there are Indian children” of school age and to arrest and convey to school truant children. (An Act to amend the Indian Act, 1920, A10). There were 20 residential schools operating from 1885 until 1983 in Saskatchewan (Assembly of First Nations, 2010). In 1951, the introduction of Section 88 to the Indian Act made “all laws of general application from time to time in force in any province applicable to and in respect of Indians in the province” (Indian Act, s. 88, c. 9, s. 151, 1985). Section 88 made it possible to enforce provincial child welfare legislation on-reserve. For the first time provincial child welfare authorities began to apprehend Aboriginal children living on- reserve; this resulted in a sharp increase of First Nations children placed in care (Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, 1996). In Saskatchewan before the introduction of Section 88 less than one percent of children in care were Aboriginal; by 1976 approximately 63% of all children in care were Aboriginal (Johnston, 1983). </p><p>1 There are three groups of Aboriginal peoples in Canada recognized by the 1982 Constitution Act: First Nations, Métis, and Inuit. In New Brunswick First Nations peoples account for 70% of the Aboriginal population. Starting in the early 1980s First Nations groups began to publicly express dissatisfaction with provincial child welfare services (Office of the Auditor General Report, 2008). During this time, First Nations groups began to develop federally funded child welfare agencies within their communities (Office of the Auditor General Report, 2008). By 1991, due to a rise in the number of First Nations child welfare agencies and a perceived lack of funding for such services, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) implemented a national First Nations child welfare program (Auditor General of Canada, 2008). The program comprised of a funding formula, Directive 20-1, and standards, documented in the First Nations Child and Family Services National Program Manual, which required First Nations child welfare agencies to conduct child welfare services based on provincial standards (Auditor General of Canada, 2008). The program placed greater constraints on First Nations child welfare agencies through standards of practice and funding control of services (Auditor General of Canada, 2008). </p><p>In 1993, the Saskatchewan Department of Child and Family Services signed the first bilateral agreement with the Federal government allowing for the Touchwood Child and Family Services to conduct child welfare investigations enforcing the The Child and Family Services Act (Child and Family Services Act, 2006; Dubois & Ramdatt, 2006). </p><p>In 1994 the Saskatchewan government made an amendment to Section 61 (1) of the Child and Family Services Act stating “The minister may, having regard to the aspirations of people of Indian ancestry to provide services to their communities, enter into agreements with a band or any other legal entity in accordance with the regulations (a) for the provision of services or the administration of all or any part of the this Act by the band or legal entity as an agency” (Child and Family Services Act, c.C-7.2, s.61(1) 2006). The Saskatchewan government has yet to further develop speical considerations for First Nations and Aboriginal children within the Child and Family Services Act (Child and Family Services Act, 2006).</p><p>The Current Structure of First Nations Child Welfare</p><p>There are currently eighteen First Nations child welfare agencies that serve on-reserve children and families in Saskatchewan. All First Nations child welfare agencies in Saskatchewan are delegated to conduct child welfare investigations; they have signed agreements with the provincial government that gives them authority to enforce the The Child and Family Services Act (Child and Family Services Act, 2006).</p><p>All First Nations child welfare agencies in Saskatchewan are tied to the same legislative and policy framework as provincial agencies. </p><p>In 2008, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) implemented the Enhanced Prevention-Focused funding formula in Saskatchewan (Government of Saskatchewan, 2010). The funding formula was introduced in response to criticism of Directive 20-1, the funding formula that was in place before 2007. The “Enhanced Prevention-Focused” formula consists of maintenance, operational, and prevention funds. Maintenance funds are meant to cover costs of each child in care, operational funds are intended to cover administrative costs and prevention funding is for child maltreatment prevention programs (MacDonald, & Ladd et al., 2002). The “enhanced prevention focused funding” model addresses some key criticisms of directive 20-1: it provides increased funding (Auditor General of Canada 2008, INAC 2010b), specifically targets funds for prevention, and allows agencies increased flexibility in using funds (Government of Canada 2009, Johnston 2009). Indeed, INAC reports that Saskatchewan First Nations child and family service agencies received $19.1 million additional dollars through the enhanced prevention model in 2008-09 (INAC 2010b). Still, as the Auditor General of Canada (2008) has noted, some of the flaws identified in directive 20-1 (McDonald & Ladd 2000) are reproduced in the new funding model. Operations costs continue to be partially based on an assumed average rate of out of home placements rather than actual agency expenses (House Standing Committee on Public Accounts 2010, Auditor General of Canada 2008) and there does not appear to be a formal mechanism for linking INAC funding levels to the shifting responsibilities mandated by provinces/territories (Government of Canada 2009, Johnston 2010). In addition, in contrast to directive 20-1, which covered actual maintenance expenses for children in out of home care, the new model designates a block of maintenance funds based on agency maintenance costs during the preceding year (Government of Canada 2009). This block funding mechanism does not include a formal mechanism for covering costs associated with the maintenance of children with particularly complex special needs, or the other factors which INAC identifies as driving a doubling of maintenance costs over the last decade (INAC 2010b). Thus, the full impact of the shift in funding models for First Nations child welfare agencies in Saskatchewan is yet to be assessed and understood. References:</p><p>Dubois, D. and Ramdatt, J. (2006). Promising Practices in First Nations Child Welfare Management and Governance. First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada. Retrieved from: http://www.fncfcs.com/pubs/fncfcsPubs.html. on March 31, 2010.</p><p>Indian Act, R.S., (1985). c.I-5, S88. Retrieved from:http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/I-5/</p><p>Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Department Audit and Evaluation Branch . (2007). Evaluation of the First Nations Child and Family Services Program Retrieved from: http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ai/arp/aev/pubs/ev/06-04/06-07- eng.pdf</p><p>Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. (2010). First Nations Profile. http://pse5-esd5.ainc inac.gc.ca/fnp/Main/Search/SearchRV.aspx?lang=eng</p><p>Government of Saskatchewan. Annual Report of the Ministry of Social Services, 2007- 2008 retrieved from: http://www.publications.gov.sk.ca/details.cfm?p=25472)</p><p>Government of Saskatchewan. Enhanced Prevention-Focused funding shift retrieved from: http://www.gov.sk.ca/news?newsId=f1ba2263-c926-4701-bee7- 7821bcfaae72 </p><p>MacDonald, R., & Ladd, P. et. Al. (2002). Joint National Policy Review of First Nations Child and Family Services. Ottawa: Assembly of First Nations.</p><p>Milloy, J. (1999). A National Crime: The Canadian Government and the Residential School System 1879-1986. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press.</p><p>Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. (1996). The report on the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. Retrieved from http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ap/rrc-eng.asp.</p><p>Statistics Canada. Aboriginal Peoples in Canada in 2006: Inuit, Métis and Fist Nations, 2006 Census. Retrieved from http://www12.statcan.ca/census- recensement/2006/dp-pd/hlt/97-558/index.cfm?Lang=E Questions for fact sheet:</p><p>Right now the Saskatchewan factsheet covers the following information:</p><p>1. percentage of Aboriginal children in out of home care 2. # of residential schools 3. info related to the 60s scoop 4. the Touchwood Child and Family Services (first tripartite agreement in Saskatchewan). No info on any other agencies 5. info about legislation – it is under-developed as compared to other provinces 6. # of agencies 7. Enhanced prevention focused funding information</p><p>We would like to include more information about the following:</p><p>1. Does this statement accurately represent developments in Saskatchewan?: “Starting in the 1970s First Nations groups began to publicly demand for greater control of child welfare services within their communities and expressed much dissatisfaction with provincially run child welfare programs (Office of the Auditor General Report, 2008).” Are there any specific examples that I can reference in the fact sheet for this time period? 2. More information about FN agencies (other than touchwood) and activities in Saskatchewan 3. Have there been any efforts to secure more rights for Aboriginal children within child welfare legislation? 4. Has there been any organizing around the issue of funding for FN agencies? 5. Are there any other important historical facts related to the development of FN child welfare in Saskatchewan that I can include? 6. Have there been any publications, meetings, documents concerning the new funding formula in Saskatchewan? </p>