The Saskatchewan First Nations Family and Community Institute Inc. has been working with five Saskatchewan First Nations Women’s Shelters since 2017 to develop their standards of practice, and recently, May 2021, to review the document.   

Initially the standards were created in several meetings with leaders from First Nations women’s shelters across Saskatchewan.  The group met for a period of ten months to discuss the important work they are doing and the standards of practice that will help them maintain and develop programs and services that are culturally relevant and reflective of the needs of their clients.

Five shelters are running shelter programs throughout Saskatchewan:

- Safe Haven Women’s Shelter, Yorkton, Sask.

- Waskoosis Safe Shelter, Meadow Lake, Sask.

- Piwapan Women’s Centre, La Ronge, Sask.

- T.F.H.Q Safe Shelter, Fort Qu’Appelle, Sask.

- Athabasca Women’s Shelter, Black Lake, Sask.

The shelter standards are dedicated to all the women and girls and their experiences that have shaped the need for shelter services.  It is the intent of these shelter standards to help foster and support the good work of Indigenous Shelters across Saskatchewan to create a culturally safe, responsible and welcoming environment; working towards fostering protection and healing for our Indigenous women, children and families.

The standards are intended for First Nations women’s shelters and reflect Indigenous worldviews shared by the group. This standards document is meant to support the improvement of services and the well-being of the Indigenous families they serve.  They convey a collective vision of professionalism that guides the daily practices of the First Nations shelter staff.

Multiple documents and Inquiry have provided support and guidance in the development of First Nations Women’s Shelter standards: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Calls to Justice, the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action.

Many thanks to Indigenous Services Canada for funding the project.

Please read the standards for more information.  Click on the front page to view the standards document

SFNFCI has continued to work with the shelters to develop local policies and procedures and customized training.

For more information about the First Nations Women's Shelter Standards, training, and local policies and procedures please contact Learning Operations Consultant Juanita Wolfe or Learning Operations Coordinator Carrie Shingoose at 306-373-2874