About us
Vision, Mission, Values
The Saskatchewan First Nations Family and Community Institute Inc. (commonly referred to as SFNFCI or the Institute) is a non-profit organization in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The Institute works with its partners and stakeholders to provide professional training and services to Saskatchewan First Nations Child and Family Services Agencies who provide child protection and prevention services in First Nations communities.
Our Vision is to be the leading, innovative, sustainable, holistic center of research and professional learning to organizations serving children, youth and families.
Our mission is to build capacity within organizations serving children, youth and families based on First Nation values.
Our values are based on First Nations Values
- Respect – Having high expectations of staff and the Board regarding their commitment to the vision, mission, value and guiding principles of SFNFCI.
- Love – Demonstrating our belief (as professional services) that all organizations can and will succeed through their commitment to their communities.
- Bravery – Committing to create an innovative and sustainable approach to development and delivery of services.
- Wisdom – Creating internal capacity through ongoing professional development.
- Humility – Acknowledging the need to learn more about how to better support Child and Family Services organizations in their service.
- Honesty – Accepting that we have a requirement to be transparent and accountable to our members, communities, funders, stakeholders and each other.
- Truth – Developing measurable outcomes for organizational success and using them as key indicators of how we are fulfilling our vision and mission.
Our Guiding Principles
All of the work that we do is guided by the nature of relationships which are necessary to achieve our vision.
- Elders: Actively engaging Elders and honouring their sacred teachings.
- Youth: Respectfully engaging youth and honouring their voices in program development.
- Community: Increasing the capacity of service organizations to improve the lives of First Nations on and off reserve.
- Members/Other Organizations: Respectfully engaging those we serve to seek their guidance on the Institute’s services.
- First Nation Government: Respecting First Nation governance and leadership and honouring First Nation Treaty and Inherent rights, language, land, customs and ways.
- Government: Striving toward proactive relationships with governments.
- Professional Organizations: Creating respectful, collaborative relationships, clear communication, building confidence in our role as credible providers of professional services.
- Employees: Respecting, supporting and valuing employees and their ongoing development in a safe, professional and ethical way.
- Environment: Decreasing our carbon footprint by increasing electronic communication and information storage while protecting privacy and integrating resource efficient tools, equipment and facilities.
- Funders: Maintaining respectful, transparent relationships with a diversity of funders with view to building autonomy and sustainability.
- Funding Partners: SFNFCI receives funding from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Social Services and Saskatchewan office of Indigenous Services Canada.
Our business model is emergent and integrative, focused on collaboration with our partners to improve child and family well-being. Our goal is to reflect the needs of our First Nations members and stakeholders, ensuring that all of our services involve their input in the following areas
- Research
- Standards Development & Feedback
- Development of Culturally Relevant Curriculum
- Development of Culturally Relevant Programs and Services
- Training – Required
- Training – Professional Development
Responding to the Truth & Reconciliation Calls to Action
- SFNFCI ensures that social workers and others who conduct child-welfare investigations are properly educated and trained about the history and impacts of residential schools (TRC Recommendation 1iii)
- SFNFCI ensures that social workers and others who conduct child-welfare investigations are properly educated and trained about the potential for Aboriginal communities and families to provide more appropriate solutions to family healing (TRC Recommendation 1 iv)
- SFNFCI provides skills- based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism (TRC Recommendation 57)
Our Vision is to be the leading, innovative, sustainable, holistic center of research and professional learning to organizations serving children, youth and families.
Our Mission is to build capacity within organizations serving children, youth and families based on First Nation values.
Our Values are based on First Nations Values:
- Respect – Having high expectations of staff and the Board regarding their commitment to the vision, mission, value and guiding principles of SFNFCI.
- Love – Demonstrating our belief (as professional services) that all organizations can and will succeed through their commitment to their communities.
- Bravery – Committing to create an innovative and sustainable approach to development and delivery of services.
- Wisdom – Creating internal capacity through ongoing professional development.
- Humility – Acknowledging that we need to learn more about how to better support Child and Family Services organizations in their service.
- Honesty – Accepting that we have a requirement to be transparent and accountable to our members, communities, funders, stakeholders and each other.
- Truth – Developing measurable outcomes for organizational success and using them as key indicators of how we are fulfilling our vision and mission.
