Core Values

• Aboriginal Children are best protected within their families, kinship systems and communities.

• To protect the aboriginal child, one must protect and preserve their families and their communities.

• Children are the primary resource of First Nations and must be given every opportunity to grow up in First Nations and must be given every opportunity to grow up in a healthy environment free from abuse and neglect.

• First Nations are unique, and are entitled to services that recognize and respect the values and traditions that comprise the culture of First Nations. The agency Board, staff, CFS committee members, foster parents, and volunteers will practice the values of respect, honesty, kindness, and caring/sharing in all of their interactions.

• Kinship is the essence of First Nations society; First Nation children have the inherent right to belong to their natural parents, their extended family or clan and community.

• First Nation members seeking support or to help in raising their children are exercising their right as extended family members and/or members of the community, because the responsibility for raising children rest with the natural parents, the clan and the community.

• First Nations have the right to self-determination and to the exclusive jurisdiction over their children regardless of where these children may reside. This includes those children previously removed from their communities, as well as their children.

• Each First Nation community is unique and services must be community specific. The needs and priorities of each community are best determined by people of that community and they have the right to be involved in making decisions that affect their community.

• First Nations have the right to full jurisdiction over child and family services. The use of provincial legislation is an interim measure only and the development of First Nations codes and standards is crucial.

• A First Nation child and family services agency must be an arm of First Nations governments and must deliver services that are unique and culturally competent. The agency is to be an extension of the support offered by the clans and communities; as such, it is to deliver services from a holistic perspective, respecting and recognizing structures.