When Will My First Nation or Community Be Told About My Involvement With Child and Family Services?

If at the end of an investigation a case worker finds that your child is in need of protection, they will notify any applicable FNCFS Agency (that provides services to your First Nation or your child's First Nation) and any First Nation or other Indigenous governing body that you or your child are connected to. If your First Nation or other IGB is exercising authority over child and family services (as in the case of Cowessess First Nation), your file may be transferred to them.

Any time a case worker is proposing that your child be placed outside of your home, they will notify any applicable FNCFS Agency, First Nation or other IGB (like Métis Nation-Saskatchewan) to discuss options for keeping your child in your community. The case worker may also want to involve your First Nation or other IGB in case planning and family conferences. If you do not want your First Nation or other IGB involved, you should tell your case worker that. There are times when your First Nation or other IGB must be informed but this does not mean they must always be involved in case planning.

Information shared in case conferences can be quite significant so the case worker should get your consent to have other people involved. Everyone involved in a case conference is asked to sign or have signed a confidentiality agreement. The case worker is expected to take steps to limit the information shared and to not let anyone leave with any copies of any documents.

The law also sets out certain times when your First Nation or other IGB must be informed. Provincial law requires a case worker to advise any First Nation connected to the child about any court application. Federal law requires a service provider (could be a case worker with either the Ministry or an FNCFS Agency) to inform an IGB that acts on behalf an Indigenous community to which the child is connected before taking any significant measure in relation to the child. At the very least this includes any sort of court application, but it also includes things other than court proceedings.