6. Dedicated Services for First Nations and Other Aboriginal Children and Families

The Government of Canada has a direct role in providing a range of social and health programs and services to improve the quality of life for on-reserve First Nations and Inuit children and their families. In addition, the Government of Canada provides a range of programs to other Aboriginal children and families (i.e. First Nations children living off reserve and Métis children). These programs and services are administered both through direct community-based programming and through agreements with provincial and territorial governments and Aboriginal organizations. The Government of Canada also delivers a number of innovative programs for children and families at risk, including some for at-risk Aboriginal children. Early childhood development for Aboriginal children is recognized as a priority in Canada. Providing Aboriginal children with a good start in life is essential for their health and successful development.¹⁵,¹⁶

This chapter focuses on dedicated services for First Nations, Inuit and Métis children. Two programs not included in this chapter, the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP) and the Fetal Alcohol Disorder Spectrum (FASD) Initiative, also have specific components for children and families living on reserve. As well, the CPNP and the FASD Initiative provide services to First Nations, Métis and Inuit children and families off reserve. The CPNP and the FASD Initiative are discussed in Chapter 2 of the report. Special consideration is also given to Métis, Inuit and off-reserve First Nations children in the Community Action Program for Children, which is discussed in Chapter 3 of the report.

Additional information on regulated programs and services offered by the Government of Canada which provide direct care and early learning opportunities to Aboriginal children can be found in Chapter 8.

Federal Strategy on Early Childhood Development for First Nations and Other Aboriginal Children

As a complement to the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Early Childhood Development Agreement announced in September 2000, a Federal Strategy on Early Childhood Development for First Nations and Other Aboriginal Children was announced in October 2002. It provides $320 million over five years to enhance existing early childhood development programs (Aboriginal Head Start and First Nations and Inuit Child Care), intensify efforts to address fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effects in First Nations communities, and support new measures to monitor the well-being of Aboriginal children by enhancing research and knowledge.

The federal strategy includes a capacity-building component which involves both the creation of an early childhood development Aboriginal Service Providers' Network (ASPN) to support early childhood development, and funding for six national Aboriginal organizations to actively participate, where appropriate, in Federal/Provincial/Territorial work on early childhood development. The existence of an ASPN will serve to support the information and training needs of Aboriginal early childhood development service providers.

The three federal departments involved in the strategy (Health Canada, Human Resources Development Canada, and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada) are working together and involving Aboriginal stakeholders in the development of a more coordinated and integrated approach to federal programming for children and their families on reserve and in Inuit communities. An environmental scan involving Aboriginal stakeholders, a series of community-planning pilot projects in Aboriginal communities and a national dialogue (to be conducted in the fall of 2003) are the three components that will inform the development of the federal integrated approach to early childhood development programming. A range of Aboriginal and other stakeholders, including provincial and territorial governments, will also be involved in the national dialogue activities. In addition, evaluation tools are being tested to provide information on the feasibility of establishing common measurable outcomes across a spectrum of early childhood development activities at the community level.

Health Canada – Highlights

Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities

Prior to the inception of Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities (AHSUNC), comprehensive preschool programs for Aboriginal children were not available in most of the 100 communities served, particularly in remote or isolated areas. AHSUNC was proactive in promoting programs in communities where need was demonstrated. The Federal Strategy on Early Childhood Development for First Nations and Other Aboriginal Children, newly announced in 2002, brought increased funding and wider accessibility to this program.

In 2002-2003, there was a particular focus on enhanced training for community representation. Training and certification in the High/Scope approach to early childhood care and education was provided. The High/Scope preschool approach was originally developed for use with at-risk children, but now has proven to be effective with a full range of children. For AHSUNC, High/Scope training was adapted to the needs, circumstances and cultural approaches of Aboriginal communities. An Aboriginal elder was present at every training session to ensure that the methodology was consistent with Aboriginal values. In addition to High/Scope, training in the Work Sampling System — a child observation tool — has taken place in approximately 20 sites. Over 100 sites sent delegates to the National Training Workshop in Ottawa in 2002.

AHSUNC conducts a National Process and Administrative Evaluation annually which describes demographic, statistical and operational features of participants. An Impact Evaluation of the AHSUNC program began in the fall of 2002. It will describe the changes in children, parents and communities as a result of their participation in the program. The evaluation examines the impacts of all program components. A sample of 10 AHSUNC sites is taking part in this study which will be based on information gathered by community evaluators through child assessment and observation, and structured interviews with community members. The impact evaluation will report interim findings in the winter of 2004.

Aboriginal Head Start On-Reserve

To monitor Aboriginal Head Start On-Reserve, a Process and Baseline Evaluation was completed in 2002-2003. The final results will be available in the spring of 2004. Preliminary analysis indicated the program is off to a very good start and is being well-received by parents and community members. Parents reported that the program is helping them learn about early childhood development, health and nutrition, and the social services that are available to them. Children in the community participated in community activities and events in increasing numbers — indicating an increase in community awareness. Kindergarten teachers reported that children from the Head Start program have demonstrated an increase in school readiness.

Human Resources Development Canada – Highlights

First Nations and Inuit Child Care Initiative

In 2002, the First Nations and Inuit Child Care Initiative (FNICCI) received additional funding through the Federal Strategy on Early Childhood Development for First Nations and Other Aboriginal Children. This funding has been used to enhance the quality of existing spaces and 500 new spaces will be created in 2003-2004. Until last year, FNICCI allocations had been in the range of $6,000 annually per child care space. The increased funding under the Federal Strategy on Early Childhood Development for First Nations and Other Aboriginal Children increased the average per-space subsidy amount to $6,500.

As one element of quality child care, staff training continues to be a priority for FNICCI. In 2002, Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) collaborated with Health Canada's Aboriginal Head Start (both On-Reserve and Urban and Northern Communities components) to hold joint service provider workshops for staff of child care centres and Head Start centres.

In addition to these initiatives, capital investments have been made in 2002-2003 with increased FNICCI funding made available through the Federal Strategy on Early Childhood Development for First Nations and Other Aboriginal Children.

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada – Highlights

Elementary Education (Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten)

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) is currently conducting a national evaluation of the band-operated and federal schools elementary education program. The evaluation will establish baseline information for monitoring and will help inform future changes to program design and delivery. The evaluation will be publicly available in 2004. In addition, every five years, First Nations schools are required to complete evaluations. School evaluations can be obtained from INAC regional offices. A report card on INAC education programs will be available later in 2003.

A Special Education Results Indicators Pilot Project was undertaken in 2002-2003 which will provide data to policy makers on program effectiveness and management. INAC has been working in collaboration with First Nations and the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan to examine summative-level measures of results for special education students that can be systematically collected, analyzed and reported. In 2002-2003, the pilot included at least six First Nations schools in Saskatchewan to test the validity of the aggregated measurement framework. In 2003-2004, 59 schools will participate in the pilot — 15 of these are First Nations schools. An important goal during the first three years of the project has been to develop a set of indicators that enables aggregate reporting of results based on individual student achievements against their own individual goals.

First Nations National Child Benefit Reinvestment

In 2002-2003, the Interim Evaluation of the First Nations National Child Benefit Reinvestment was released. This evaluation was an important tool to monitor the quality of the initiative. Data for this evaluation were collected from various sources, including site visits to eight First Nations communities in four regions, a dialogue circle in each community, interviews with chiefs and council members, interviews with 28 key respondents and two case studies of communities that exemplify best practices in data collection and reporting. The evaluation highlighted three key themes: flexibility for First Nations in programming, First Nations ownership of the programs, and the importance of reporting. The report found that short-term, concrete effects are evident among the children and families who have participated in activities funded by the NCB reinvestments. Low-income families in general derive benefits from NCB projects, and some anecdotal reports indicate broader community benefits. A key challenge for First Nations and INAC in the future is to create a reporting process that will identify outcomes and best practices.

Dedicated Services for First Nations and Other Aboriginal Children and Families Activities and Expenditures Tables
Programs Providing Direct Support							What is the expenditure on children under 6 and their families?
	Who does the activity reach?
	Number of:
	Sites			Children under 6 and families
	2000-2001	2001-2002	2002-2003	2000-2001	2001-2002	2002-2003	2000-2001	2001-2002	2002-2003
Health Canada
Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities	114	114	114	3,200 children	3,536 children	3,536 children	$22,500,000	$22,500,000	$22,500,000x
Brighter Futures	650	650	650	45,000 children	N/A	N/A	$20,000,000	$18,300,000	$17,600,000i
Aboriginal Head Start On-Reserve	N/A	N/A	N/A	7,700 children	7,000 children	7,000 children	$25,000,000	$25,000,000	$34,727,000ii
Human Resources Development Canada
First Nations and Inuit Child Care Initiative	389	389	389	>7,000 children	7,000 children	7,000 children	$41,000,000iii	$41,000,000iii	$50,000,000iv
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
Child/Day-care Program – Alberta	17	17	17	1,046 children	1,113 children	1,006v children	$2,665,000	$2,665,000	$2,665,000
Child/Day-care Program – Ontario	67 programs	51 First Nations with 57 programs	51 First Nations with 57 programs	2,097 funded spaces	3,243 children	3,018 children	$12,177,000	$13,407,000	$14,291,000vi
Elementary Education (Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten)	384	387	387	13,793 children	13,409 children	13,846 children	$33,055,000	$32,388,000	$34,615,000vii
First Nation Child and Family Services Head Start – New Brunswick	15	15	15	N/A	381	N/A	$1,544,000	$1,466,000	$1,408,000
Total expenditures							$157,941,000	$156,726,000	$177,806,000

Other Supporting Programs
	Who mediates the activity?		Who does the activity reach?			What is the expenditure on children under 6 and their families?
	Intermediaries	Number of intermediaries	Children under 6	Families	Other
	2002-2003	2002-2003	2002-2003	2002-2003	2002-2003	2000-2001	2001-2002	2002-2003
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
First Nations National Child Benefit Reinvestment	--	--		X		$4,080,000viii	$1,943,000ix	N/A
Total expenditures						$4,080,000	$1,943,000	N/A

Note: N/A refers to "not available" at the time of publication; -- refers to "not applicable."

i. Decrease a result of transfer of funds to First Nations communities.
ii. Due to the late announcement (October 2002), full annual funding of $46.5 million could not be allocated in fiscal year 2002-2003. All available funding was allocated to meet regional health program needs including support to those services which First Nations have made a priority.
iii. Includes expenditures for children under 12, but most expenditures are for children under 6.
iv. Includes expenditures for children under 12, but most expenditures are for children under 6. Funding for FNICCI was increased by $9 million under the Federal Strategy on Early Childhood Development Strategy for First Nations and Other Aboriginal Children.
v. Estimate.
vi. Expenditures for 2001-2002 did not include provincial share of expenditures.
vii. Increase due to an increase in student population.
viii. Includes NCB reinvestments made by First Nations in child/day-care ($617,000) and ECD programs ($3,463,000) in 2000-2001.
ix. Includes NCB reinvestments made by First Nations in child/day-care ($697,000) and ECD programs ($1,246,000) in 2001-2002.
x. Due to the late announcement (October 2002), full annual funding of $35 million could not be allocated in fiscal year 2002-2003. Increase in funding and changes in number of children served will be documented in next year's activities and expenditures report.