Children and Youth with Support Needs – First Nations Engagement
Overview
Who: The Ministry of Children and Family Development
What: Engagement and co-development with First Nation Rights and Titleholders on a system of supports for children and youth with support needs
Where: Province-wide
Why: To build a better system of supports co-developed with Indigenous communities
How: Online
Engagement summary
The Province is seeking input on B.C.’s system of supports for children and youth with support needs.
In November 2022, Premier Eby and Minister of Children and Family Development, Mitzi Dean, committed to engaging in deeper consultation with parents and caregivers, First Nations, Indigenous Peoples, communities, experts and practitioners, and others with lived experience to understand how the system can be transformed and together build a better system of supports, co-developed with Indigenous communities.
B.C. recognizes the importance of CYSN services that work for every child and is committed to immediately beginning meaningful engagement with First Nations Rights and Title Holders.
The Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD or the Ministry) is guided by the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (the Declaration Act) and the commitment to co-develop legislation, policy, and programming with First Nations Rights and Titleholders. As part of this commitment, the Ministry is currently leading an engagement and co-development process with First Nations Rights and Titleholders that explores: a system of services for Indigenous children and youth with support needs that aligns with First Nations Rights and Titleholders’ vision for their children, families and communities. This engagement approach consists of two phases:
Phase 1 (Completed Summer 2023)
- A series of initial, virtual engagements with First Nations Rights and Titleholders were held Spring/Summer 2023 to better understand what is and is not working for CYSN families
- Phase 1 was an opportunity to discuss what elements make up a successful system of CYSN services for Indigenous children and youth with support needs and their families
- The Province gathered the input of First Nations Rights and Titleholders and identified which CYSN topics should be further explored and engaged on
- View the engagement summaries for these sessions
Phase 2 (October 2023 – June 2024)
- Building on phase 1, the ministry is engaging in deeper conversations with First Nations Rights and Titleholders to co-develop a new provincial service approach for children and youth with support needs and their families
- A series of 2-hour engagement sessions will be held virtually between October 2023 and June 2024. Dates for upcoming sessions are available below
Concurrently, there are further opportunities to engage to build a better system of supports for all children and youth with support needs. Reciprocal Consulting Inc. has been contracted by the Province to engage Métis, urban Indigenous, Inuit, immigrant and English-as-a-learned-language families and others with lived experience to understand how the system of supports for children and youth with support needs can support cultural safety. More information on other engagements already underway can be found here.
Principles guiding this engagement
The Ministry will take a government-to-government approach to co-development with First Nations Rights and Titleholders when fulfilling commitments under the Declaration Act. The Ministry will plan and deliver all CYSN engagements in an inclusive way, using an intersectional lens with particular focus on GBA+ and anti-racist practice. In addition, the approach is guided by the Aboriginal Policy and Practice Framework and the following principles:
- Distinctions-based.
- Direct relationship between the Provincial Government and Titleholders
- Financially supported
- Iterative and guided by interests of partners
- Multiple avenues and opportunities to engage and participate in co-development
Engagement opportunities
First Nations Rights and Titleholders sessions
These 2-hour, virtual sessions are open to all interested First Nations Rights and Titleholders to co-develop a new provincial service approach for children and youth with support needs and their families.
Engagement on these topics began in October 2023 and will continue through June 2024:
- Topic 1: Sharing your vision – Completed November 2023
- Topic 2: Creating a model/system that meets the needs of communities – Completed February 2024
- Topic 3: Supporting access to services – Completed March 2024
- Topic 4: Upholding the safety, effectiveness, and quality of services
- Topic 5: Working together to make this a reality
Upcoming sessions for Topic 4: Upholding the safety, effectiveness, and quality of services
- Upholding the safety, effectiveness, and quality of services (session #1):
- Thursday, April 4, 2024 (9am – 11am PST). Virtual meeting – via Zoom
- Upholding the safety, effectiveness, and quality of services (session #2):
- Monday, April 15, 2024 (2pm – 4pm PST). Virtual Meeting – via Zoom
- Upholding the safety, effectiveness, and quality of services (session #3):
- Wednesday, April 24, 2024 (10am – 12pm PST). Virtual Meeting – via Zoom
Materials for these sessions:
- Topic 4 Session Overview (PDF, 250KB)
- CYSN Overview presentation slides (PDF, 1MB)
Please contact MCF.CYSNengage@gov.bc.ca to register for these sessions.
Additional background materials:
- Phase 1 Engagement Summaries:
- Session 1 Summary (PDF, 200KB)
- Session 2 Summary (PDF, 200KB)
- Session 3 Summary (PDF, 200KB)
- Session 4 Summary (PDF, 200KB)
- Honouring Past Wisdom Engagement Summary (PDF, 145KB)
Written submissions
Written submissions are being accepted now through fall 2024. Please send written submissions to MCF.CYSNengage@gov.bc.ca
Online feedback form
Share your perspective and experiences through a short feedback form that asks: When thinking about what you need from a new system of services for children and youth with support needs, what is most important? Open to all British Columbians until December 1, 2024 at 4pm PST.
Take the online feedback form.
Updates
Sign up for updates by emailing MCF.CYSNengage@gov.bc.ca. MCFD will use this page to record learnings through engagement and provide more information as the shared approach to consultation unfolds.
Key initial engagement questions
- Topic 1 – Sharing your vision:
- What is your vision for an effective system of services for children and youth with support needs?
- Topic 2 – Creating a model/system that meets the needs of communities:
- How should the model/system operate? What services does the approach/model provide?
- Topic 3 – Supporting access to services:
- Who has access to services and supports, and how are these services and supports accessed?
- Topic 4 – Upholding the safety, effectiveness, and quality of services:
- How do we ensure that the services families receive are evidence-based, effective and high quality?
- Topic 5 – Working together to make this a reality:
- What do we need to make this service approach/system a reality?
For more information, please contact the project team at MCF.CYSNengage@gov.bc.ca
Engagement capacity funding available
Provincial funding is available to B.C. First Nations communities to help support their capacity to engage with the ministry and others on their unique needs in the context of supports and services for children and youth with support needs. Grant funding of $25,000 is available to all 204 First Nations communities in BC. Funding requests are open until December 1, 2024.
To express interest in accessing this funding, please email MCF.CYSNengage@gov.bc.ca. There is no need to submit a detailed plan for the funding at this time. All that is required is a brief summary of how your community intends to use the funds, along with the full name and contact information for the person who the grant letter will be addressed to.