Child Health, Social and Family Services

Aboriginal Child and Youth Health

This page examines the health issues that plague Aboriginal children under 16 and calls for a national strategy to improve their health.

Source: Canadian Paediatric Society

Aboriginal Early Learning and Child Care: Policy Issues

Discusses policy issues surrounding the development of a national early learning and child care program, and provides numerous links to related websites and documents.

Source: Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU)

Aboriginal Head Start (AHS) in Urban and Northern Communities – Division of Childhood and Adolescence

The Aboriginal Head Start (AHS) in Urban and Northern Communities is a Health Canada-funded early childhood development program for First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and their families.

Source: Government of Canada; Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)

Aboriginal Head Start On-Reserve

This page outlines the Aboriginal Head Start On Reserve initiative, designed to prepare First Nations children for their school years, by meeting their emotional, social, health, nutritional and psychological needs.

Source: Government of Canada; Health Canada (HC)

Aboriginal Parenting After Separation

Source: Justice Education Society of BC

Assisted Living Program

Assists First Nations people with functional limitations to maintain their independence, to maximize their level of functioning, and to live in conditions of health and safety.

Source: Government of Canada; Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC)

Building Capacities to Better Support Aboriginal Youth

Source: Kids Help Phone

Child and Youth Health

The NCCAH is focusing on children's programs as a means of bettering the overall health status of Aboriginal peoples in Canada.

Source: National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health

Child Care and the AHRDS

The First Nation and Inuit Child Care (FNICC) initiative offers a solution, providing affordable and quality child care services and gives parents a chance to work or learn.

Source: Government of Canada; Aboriginal Human Resources Development Strategy (AHRDS)

Community Programs Directorate

Aims to improve the health of First Nations on reserve and Inuit by promoting health and preventing disease among children and youth, and persons at risk of chronic disease, mental illness and addictions.

Source: Government of Canada; Health Canada (HCan)

Family Violence Prevention Program

This program aims to reduce family violence and create a more secure family environment for children on-reserve, by providing abuse prevention and protection services for children and their families.

Source: Government of Canada; Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC)

First Nation Child and Family Services Program

The FNCFS program assists First Nations in providing access to culturally sensitive child and family services in their communities by funding child and family services agencies.

Source: Government of Canada; Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC)

First Nations and Inuit Child Care Initiative

The First Nations and Inuit Child Care Initiative provides access to quality child care services for children of parents entering the labour market or taking part into a training program.

Source: Government of Canada; Human Resources and Skill Development Canada (HRSDC)

First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada

The purpose of the Caring Society is to promote the well being of all First Nations children, youth, families and communities with a particular focus on the prevention of, and response to, child maltreatment.

First Nations Children and Obesity: A Growing Epidemic – Protecting our Gifts and Securing our Future (PDF)

This report analyses the issue of obesity among First Nation children and makes recommendations for tackling the problem.

Source: Turtle Island Native Network

First Nations Early Childhood Development Council (FNECDC)

Food Mail Program

Program that pays part of the cost of shipping nutritious perishable food and other essential items by air to isolated northern communities that are not accessible year-round.

Source: Government of Canada; Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC)

Irnisuksiiniq – Inuit Midwifery Network

Through supporting Inuit midwives and maternity care workers and those who work with them with a variety of information services, the Irnisuksiiniq - Inuit Midwifery Network seeks to advance the cause of returning birthing to Inuit communities.

Lac La Ronge Indian Band Child & Family Services Agency Inc.

To give First Nations children and youth the opportunity to live and mature in a caring, nurturing and safe environment. By encouraging and supporting positive change to empower the families within the First Nations communities.

Many Hands, One Dream: New perspectives on the health of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Children and Youth

Many Hands, One Dream is directed by a group 11 national organizations concerned with the health and well-being of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and youth.

Maternal and Child Health (See under Children and Youth)

The purpose of this program is to support pregnant Aboriginal women and families with infants and young children, who live on reserve, to reach their fullest developmental and lifetime potential.

Source: Government of Canada; Health Canada (HC)

Midwifery and Aboriginal Midwifery in Canada

This document discusses midwifery and examines the history of the profession in relation to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities.

Source: National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO)

National Aboriginal Circle Against Family Violence

The NACAFV can serve many stakeholders by acting as a national clearinghouse for on-the-ground information, develop standards, training programs and provide a project monitoring around Aboriginal family violence.

National Child Benefit Reinvestment Initiative

The NCBR initiative allows First Nations to develop various projects that will address child poverty which exist in their individual community and improve the well-being of low-income families.

Source: Government of Canada; Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC)

Nutrition North Canada

The Government of Canada is committed to providing Northerners with healthy food choices at affordable prices. The objective of the new program is to make nutritious, perishable foods accessible to Canadians living in isolated northern communities.

Source: Government of Canada; Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC)

Publications and Resources – First Nations, Métis and Inuit Health

Here you'll find links to the full text of 8 position statements by the Canadian Paediatric Society on First Nations and Inuit health.

Source: Canadian Paediatric Society

Reconciliation in Child Welfare: Touchstones of Hope for Indigenous Children, Youth and Families (PDF)

This document is based upon the wisdom of participants at a "reconciliation event" and is intended to serve as a foundation for the development of community-based action plans.

Source: First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada

Social Programs

This page lists several AANDC's social policy and programs.

Source: Government of Canada; Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC)

Voices From the Field – Aboriginal Service and Programs for Low-Income Families and Children (PDF)

In this paper, Ryan Calder, Executive Director Métis Nation of Saskatchewan, Eastern Region II, discusses Aboriginal services and programs for low-income families and children.

Source: Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development

Voices From the Field – Aggression in Young Children from a First Nations' Perspective (PDF)

The author of this paper reviews research pertaining to aggression in young Aboriginal children.

Source: Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development

Voices From the Field – An Aboriginal View on Child Care (PDF)

This paper discusses the need for culturally-relevant child care for Aboriginal children and the fact that most research on child care is not relevant to Aboriginal practices.

Source: Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development

Voices From the Field – First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada (PDF)

Study on various challenges that arise from doing research on First Nations child social services.

Source: Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development

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For more information on programs and services available to all Canadians, please visit the following Web sites: Canadian Health Network, Services for Canadians – Public Safety and Services for Canadians – Canada Benefits.