The Saskatchewan First Nations Family and Community Institute Inc. are developing a research agenda and framework to provide timely and relevant evidence-based information on the trends and issues that impact First Nations Child Welfare in Saskatchewan.
As we further develop publications, reports, and findings we will share these with our membership and public as part of our communications and sharing strategies for First Nations Child Welfare.
Report on National Virtual Long Term and Continuing Care Gathering Sept. 13,14,15, 2022
On Sept. 13,14,15, 2022 SFNFCI hosted a virtual national long term and continuing care gathering. The 3-day event included a traditional opening and closing of prayer and drum, 15 breakout sessions on topics relevant to the national agenda on LTCC focusing on co-development of policy, and four amazing promising practices demonstrating collaboration and partnerships in developing programs and services to meet the needs of their First Nation members. The event was presented in both French and English.
The 70 attendees from 9 regions in Canada shared their visions, understanding and experiences to help build next steps to improve long term and continuing care for First Nations in Canada, all to inform a wholistic continuum of care. Please read the Executive Summaries for more detailed info.
For more information on the project , please contact, Kim Fraser-Saddleback at Kim@sfnfci.ca
LTCC Regional
In April 2022 ISC (Indigenous Services Canada) and SFNFCI (Saskatchewan First Nations Family and Community Institute) entered an agreement to work on the project to inform Long Term and Continuing Care (LTCC) for First Nations in Saskatchewan. The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) also had a contract with ISC for LTCC engagement; FSIN focused on the people and LTCC leadership in First Nations communities and the feasibility of Long-Term Care Facilities and SFNFCI focused on systems and structures. SFNFCI created a Project Advisory Committee and began the project in May 2022.
Long Term and Continuing Care (LTCC) is an ever growing and boundless continuum that requires attention on multiple levels. Most importantly awareness to develop a comprehensive plan to serve a rapidly increasing number of our First Nations members. At one time the scope of long term and continuing care was limited to Elder care and care homes, however the scope and continuum is rapidly expanding and includes all ages and disabling conditions of community members who can no longer live independently and require care for an extended period.
Our work, guided by the advisory committee, focused on strength-based approaches to engage long term care and continuing care experts and community services to share promising practices and visions for a continuum that better meets the needs of members. The project documented two case studies and developed an LTCC resource directory. Please read the Executive Summary for more details on the project case studies and the development of the resource directory.
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Disability Research Project 2020-21
The Disability Research Project is a year-long proposal-driven research project funded through the Disabilities Initiative of the Department of Indigenous Services Canada (ISC). To address the gaps in knowledge, practices, and services on/for FN children with disabilities in care and on reserves, SFNFCI has been actively conducting a disabilities project since 2016 through a partnership with various Saskatchewan FNFCFS. The 2020-21 project explored the types of database systems the agencies are currently using for case management and understanding what and how the data is recorded, managed, and reported in the system. The goals of the project were to:
Engage First Nations Child and Family Services in the research project
Utilize culturally relevant practices and resources to engage stakeholders
Explore FNCFS agency case management systems and practices
Learn more about how disability data is collected, managed, and reported in the case management system
Create a better understanding of strengths and gaps of case management systems used by various FNCFS agencies
Information on the Case Management Systems (CMS) was collected through surveys and virtual interviews. COVID-19 impacted our data collection capacity because we were still learning to navigate the virtual systems with our partners. The findings of the project highlighted the need for ongoing communication with the CMS developers or service providers to help agencies understand more about the system, data, and information. This includes communicating the changing priorities of agencies, consulting with agencies to schedule training times, and clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the agency and the service providers.
The Summary Report can be accessed by clicking the image below:
Disability Research Project 2018-19
The Disability Research Partnership is a yearlong community-based research project funded through the Disabilities Initiative of the Department of Indigenous Services Canada (DISC) and undertaken as partnerships between Saskatchewan First Nations Family and Community Institute (SFNFCI) and self-selected First Nations child and family service (FNCFS) agencies. The 2018-19 project involved two agencies: QBOW Child and Family Services and Nechapanuk Centre Child and Family Services.
The goals of the project are to:
Information was collected through multiple methods informed by SFNFCI’s Indigenous Research Paradigm and Disability Concept Model: a Disability Information Tool (DIT), focus groups, and one-on-one interviews. Statistical and thematic analyses are presented along with information on the actions resulting from stakeholder engagement.
The conclusions of the project highlight the need for building a stronger continuum of care for families and children/youth with special needs. The core recommendation is that agencies focus on programming, partnerships, and capacity building before, during, and after a child comes into care.
The full project Final Report can be accessed by clicking the image below:
Children and youth in care, living on-reserve with disabilities represent an underserved group whose characteristics, needs, and experiences are not well understood. This year’s Disability Research Project was therefore motivated by a desire to document service-related experiences and to collect systematic data on children and youth in care and on reserve with disabilities.
This project was a partnership between SFNFCI and two Saskatchewan First Nations CFS Agencies (Meadow Lake Tribal Council CFS and Agency Chiefs CFS) who collectively serve 13 distinct Cree and Dene communities.
Together, the project partners developed and implemented a data collection tool and conducted interviews with local stakeholders to document:
(1) the nature and incidence of disabilities among children/youth in care within their communities;
(2) the impacts of disability;
(3) service gaps and needs.
The full project Final Report and a Summary Report may be accessed by clicking the images below:
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The purpose of the First Nations Community Research Engagement project to help inform Child Welfare Reform in Saskatchewan.
First Nations Community Research Purpose Video (view time ~1 min) click the image below:
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Culture and 4 Functions of Child Welfare Reseach Video (view time ~3 min) click the image below:
SFNFCI's First Nations Community Research focused on collecting the voices from First Nations Elders, Youth, Community Members, Child and Family Service Workers, Board of Directors for Child and Family Service Workers, Group Home Workers and Caregivers, other Service Providers, and First Nations people who have had, or currently have family members in care.
First Nations Voices for Reform 2017 Findings Video (view time ~6 min) click the image below:
The report was completed in August 2017.
To read the 5 themes, associated 16 priority areas & recommended actions click:
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Through a Disabilities Initiative grant from INAC, SFNFCI was able to partner with Athabasca Denesuline Child and Family Services on a project looking at the experiences of children and youth with disabilities living on reserve in the far North. The project was completed in March 2017 and this Summary Report provides an overview of the key findings and recommendations. To view the Summary Report click ~Athabasca Community Research Partnership Summary Report~
The Saskatchewan First Nations Family and Community Institute contracted Dr. Raven Sinclair Consulting to conduct a member survey to validate its vision and seek additional direction. For a summary of the survey objectives and key findings click here.
The Saskatchewan First Nations Family & Community Institute published a report on Custom Adoption in Sasktchewan. SFNFCI contracted the University of Sasktchewan College of Law: Professor Marilyn Poitras and Professor Norman Zlotkin to conduct the research and write the report. The report focuses on a literature review and research with First Nations about their views and experiences of custom adoption. The report gives recomendations on the direction of custom adoption for First Nations in Saskatchewan. The report was used as a resource for the legislative review in Saskatchewan 2013.
