Parity in Child Welfare. Truth, Reconciliation, and the Future of Social Work - Jennifer Hedges;Peter W. Choate;Marlyn Bennett;Don Fuchs;Jason Albert

Confronting structural inequities in child welfare that have long harmed Indigenous children and families


A decade after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action—five of which focused directly on the protection of children—and in the wake of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, systemic failures in Canada’s child welfare system persist. The passing of Bill C-92, which affirms Indigenous communities’ inherent right to self-governance in child and family services, marks a critical shift away from colonial frameworks that mandated the residential school system and the Sixties Scoop. Yet, despite this progress, Indigenous children remain vastly overrepresented in foster care and Indigenous communities face ongoing oversurveillance. With contributions from social work practitioners, researchers, program planners, and curriculum developers, Parity in Child Welfare shows how this crisis can be addressed head on by foregrounding Indigenous traditional knowledge and leadership practices.


Beyond its contribution to the movement for equity in Indigenous child welfare, this collection also engages with the frontline challenges practitioners face every day. Contributors address widespread stress and burnout, gaps in professional training, the often-overlooked topic of death and grief in child welfare practice, and more. The eighth volume in the Voices of the Prairies series, Parity in Child Welfare offers a comprehensive and timely exploration of the most urgent issues in child welfare.