BC First Nations Tripartite Children & Families Working Group – Discussion Paper

Discussion Paper

November 24, 2022 – BC First Nations Tripartite Children and Families Working Group

DEVELOPING A NEW FUNDING MODEL AND APPROACH FOR BC FIRST NATIONS CHILDREN & FAMILIES

INTRODUCTION

Since time immemorial, First Nations have provided for the well-being of their children, families, and citizens through advanced systems of law, medicine, social supports, justice, and environmental management, among other functions of governance. The imposition of colonialism intentionally undermined these systems. Colonial child welfare systems have been imposed to disrupt First Nations societies, cultures, and kinship and familial networks, and to maintain state control of First Nations peoples.

Through efforts to examine, resist, and address colonialism in Canadian society and institutions, progress is being made. In the recent past, new funding has been invested to address inequity and racism in the funding for First Nations children, and legislation has been passed provincially and nationally to recognize Indigenous human rights and enable First Nations jurisdiction with respect to children and families.

Part of the transformative work underway is supported by the Tripartite First Nations Children and Families Working Group. The TWG was initially formed in 2016 to focus on addressing current policy and legislative frameworks related to First Nations children and families in British Columbia. The TWG was then formally established in 2017 through the Reconciliation Charter for First Nations Child and Family Wellbeing In British Columbia, signed by representatives from the First Nations Leadership Council, the Province of British Columbia, and Canada. Membership in the TWG consists of executive and technical representatives from the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, the BC Assembly of First Nations, the First Nations Summit, the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD), and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC).

One of the goals of the TWG has been to jointly develop a funding model applicable to First Nations child and family well-being in BC. A technical and legal-level working group, the Fiscal Framework Development Working Group (FFDWG), was formed in 2022 to focus on this goal. The purpose of the FFDWG is to work together to explore and develop a funding model applicable to First Nations child and family well-being in BC that adopts the principles of long-term, sustainable, needs-based funding to support jurisdiction and improved long-term outcomes for children, youth, and families.

Recent resolutions direct the FNLC organizations to prepare a comprehensive update to the Chiefs on the transformation of child and family services, including a new funding framework for all First Nations child and family services in BC, for the All-Chiefs Meeting on Children and Families in November 2022, and to seek a further mandate for key aspects of this work following this engagement with the Chiefs.

This discussion paper is informing these mandates by providing relevant context, describing options, and seeking direction on next steps. This paper is in three parts:

1. Context: Describes how the funding model currently works and the factors influencing a new approach.

2. Approach: Identifies preliminary concepts and principles to inform a new funding model and associated implementation considerations, and poses associated discussion questions.

3. Process: Identifies preliminary elements of the process of consultation and co-operation with BC First Nations on this important issue and poses associated discussion questions