Question Period Note: Nunavut Children placed in care outside of the Territory

Indigenous Services Canada is responsible for the First Nations
Child and Family Services Program, which serves First Nations
children and families residing on a reserve or in the Yukon. All
children and families in Nunavut receive their services from the
territorial government through the Department of Family Services.
• An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and
families provides the framework under which Indigenous groups
can re-assume jurisdiction and develop their own laws to meet the
needs of their communities.
• Our government is confident that through our continued
collaboration with Inuit and Inuit land claim organizations, as well
as provinces and territories, we can help achieve a bright future for
Inuit children within Inuit Nunangat and outside of these
homelands.

According to a CBC report, hundreds of children taken into care by Nunavut child services are
placed in care in southern Canada since the creation of the territory in 1999.
An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families (the Act) came into
force on January 1, 2020. It provides a framework for the exercise of jurisdiction by Indigenous
groups, communities and peoples, and also sets out principles applicable on a national level in
the interpretation and administration of the Act, as well as minimum standards that apply in the
delivery of child and family services to Indigenous children.
Canada continues to collaborate with provinces and territories on the implementation of the Act,
as well as Indigenous governing bodies and National Indigenous Organizations such as Inuit
Tapiriit Kanatami.
Canada has one coordination agreement discussion table with an Inuit Indigenous governing
body in relation to the exercise of jurisdiction over child and family services—the Inuvialuit
Regional Corporation. However, there are not currently coordination agreement discussion
tables that pertain to Nunavut.

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