Indigenous Child and Family Service Agencies in British Columbia

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 delegation agreements between the province and Indigenous communities to return historic responsibilities for child protection and family support to Indigenous communities.

On this page

• Delegation agreements
• Adoption delegated agencies
• C6 delegated agencies
• C4 delegated agencies
• C3 delegated agencies

See also:

• Related links

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Delegation agreements

Through delegation agreements, the Provincial Director of Child Welfare (the Director) gives authority to Indigenous Child and Family Service Agencies (ICFSAs) and their employees to undertake administration of all or parts of the Child, Family and Community Service Act.

The amount of responsibility that each agency undertakes is the result of:

• Negotiations between the ministry and the Indigenous community served by the agency
• The level of delegation provided by the Director

To date, 117 of the 204 First Nations in British Columbia (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 25 ICFSAs with various levels of delegation:

• Two adoption delegated agencies have full child protection, guardianship, and voluntary services delegation
• Thirteen C6 delegated agencies have full child protection delegation, including the authority to investigate reports and remove children, as well as guardianship and voluntary services delegation
• Seven C4 delegated agencies provide guardianship and voluntary services for children and youth in continuing care
• Three C3 delegated agencies provide voluntary services for children and youth in continuing care as well as recruit and approve foster homes

Adoption delegated agencies (Full child protection, guardianship, voluntary services, and adoption)

• Lalum’utul’ Smun’eem Child And Family Services (South Vancouver Island)
• Métis Family Services (Also known as La Societe de les Enfants Michif) (South Fraser)

C6 delegated agencies (Full child protection, guardianship, and voluntary services)

• Denisiqi Services Society (Thompson Cariboo)
• Fraser Valley Aboriginal Children and Family Services Society (Xyólheméylh) (East Fraser)
• Knucwentwecw Society (Thompson Cariboo)
• Ktunaxa Kinbasket Child and Family Service Society (Kootenays)
• Kw'umut Lelum Child and Family Services (North Vancouver Island)
• Lii Michif Otipemisiwak Family and Community Services (Thompson Cariboo)
• Nisg̱a’a Child and Family Services (North West)
• Nlha'7Kapmx Child and Family Services Society (Thompson Cariboo)
• Northwest Inter-nation Family and Community Services Society (Northwest)
• Scw'exmx Child and Family Services Society (Thompson Cariboo)
• Secwépemc Child and Family Services Agency (Thompson Cariboo)
• Usma Nuu-chah-nulth Family and Child Services (Also known as Nuu-chah-nulth) (North Vancouver Island)
• Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society (VACFSS) (Vancouver-Richmond)

C4 delegated agencies (Guardianship and voluntary services)

• Ayás Mén̓men Child and Family Services (Squamish Nation, Coast North Shore)
• Carrier Sekani Family Services (North Central)
• Gitxsan and Family Services Society (North West)
• Island Metis Family and Community Services Society (South Vancouver Island)
• Nezul Be Hunuyeh Child and Family Services Society (North Central)
• NIȽ TU,O Child and Family Services Society (South Vancouver Island)
• Surrounded by Cedar Child and Family Services (South Vancouver Island)

C3 delegated agencies (Voluntary services)

• Haida Child and Family Services Society (Northwest)
• Heiltsuk Káxḷá Child and Family Services (Coast North Shore)
• K'wak'walat'si ('Namgis) Child and Family Services (North Vancouver Island)