Indigenous Child and Family Service 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.

• Review the list of all Indigenous Child and Family Service Agencies (ICFSA) (PDF)
• Phonetic Pronunciation Guide

Through delegation agreements, the Provincial Director of Child Welfare (the Director) gives authority to Indigenous Child and Family Service (ICFS) 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)

• LALUM'UTUL' SMUN'EEM CHILD & 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)

• FRASER VALLEY ABORIGINAL CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES SOCIETY (East Fraser)
• KNUCWENTWECW SOCIETY (Thompson Cariboo)
• KTUNAXA/KINBASKET CHILD & FAMILY SERVICES (Kootenays)
• KW’UMUT LELUM CHILD & FAMILY SERVICES (North Vancouver Island)
• LII MICHIF OTIPEMISIWAK FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES (Thompson Cariboo)
• NISGA'A CHILD & FAMILY SERVICES (North West)
• NLHA'7KAPMX CHILD & FAMILY SERVICES SOCIETY (Thompson Cariboo)
• NORTHWEST INTER-NATION FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES SOCIETY (Northwest)
• NUU-CHAH-NULTH TRIBAL COUNCIL USMA FAMILY AND CHILD SERVICES Or Usma Nuu-chah-nulth (North Vancouver Island)
• SCW'EXMX CHILD & FAMILY SERVICES SOCIETY (Thompson Cariboo)
• SECWEPEMC CHILD & FAMILY SERVICES AGENCY (Thompson Cariboo)
• VANCOUVER ABORIGINAL CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES SOCIETY (VACFSS) (Vancouver-Richmond)

C4 Delegated Agencies (Guardianship, and Voluntary Services)

• AYAS MEN MEN CHILD & FAMILY SERVICES (SQUAMISH NATION) (Coast North Shore)
• CARRIER SEKANI FAMILY SERVICES (North Central)
• DENISIQI SERVICES SOCIETY (Thompson Cariboo)
• GITXSAN CHILD & FAMILY SERVICES SOCIETY (North West)
• NEZUL BE HUNUYEH CHILD & FAMILY SERVICES (North Central)
• NIL/TU,O CHILD & 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 KAXLA SOCIETY (Coast North Shore)
• K’WAK’WALAT’SI (‘Namgis) CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES (North Vancouver Island)