Indigenous Child and Family Service Agencies/Delegated Aboriginal Agencies in BC

The Ministry of Children and Family Development has a variety of initiatives underway to address the number of Indigenous children in care.

This includes the development of agreements between the province and Indigenous communities to return historic responsibilities for child protection and family support to Indigenous communities. These agreements are known as delegation agreements.

Through delegation agreements, the Provincial Director of Child Welfare (the Director) gives authority to Indigenous Child and Family Service (ICFS) Agencies, also known as Delegated Aboriginal Agencies, and their employees, to undertake administration of all or parts of the Child, Family and Community Service Act. The amount of responsibility undertaken by each agency is the result of negotiations between the ministry and the Indigenous community served by the agency, and the level of delegation provided by the Director.

To date, 117 of the 202 First Nations in B.C. are represented by ICFS Agencies that either have, or are actively planning toward, delegation agreements to manage their own child and family services. The ministry is working with Indigenous communities to support them to carry out these responsibilities.

Currently, there are 24 Indigenous Child and Family Service Agencies with various levels of delegation: three provide voluntary services and recruit and approve foster homes; 7 have the additional delegation necessary to provide guardianship services for children and youth in continuing care; and 14 have the delegation required to provide, in addition to the above, full child protection, including the authority to investigate reports and remove children. 2 ICFS Agencies have Adoption Delegation.

 

Adoption Delegated Agencies (Full Child Protection, Guardianship, Voluntary Services and Adoption)

 

C6 Delegated Agencies (Full Child Protection, Guardianship, and Voluntary Services)

 

C4 Delegated Agencies (Guardianship, and Voluntary Services)

 

C3 Delegated Agencies (Voluntary Services)