Child, Youth and Family Services Action Plan Progress Tracker
This page provides progress updates on actions in the Child, Youth and Family Services Action Plan.
The tracker shows the status of each action and the work completed to date. Actions are grouped by theme to make it easier to find information and understand progress across the action plan.
See overall progress
Completed: 12 actions
On track: 9 actions
Delayed: 4 actions
On hold: 1 action
Progress counts reflect the most recent update to the tracker.
View progress by priority area
The Child, Youth and Family Services Action Plan (2023-2028) organizes actions under seven priority areas. Select a priority area to view progress updates.
Work Collaboratively with Indigenous Governments and Organizations
This priority area focuses on collaboration, information sharing and Indigenous participation in child and family services delivery.
Action 1: Collaborate with Indigenous governments on service delivery
Status: On track
Work collaboratively with Indigenous governments in guiding or providing CFS delivery to their communities.
Deliverables
- Active participation alongside Indigenous governments in collaboration tables, coordination agreement tables, and/or ongoing discussions about CFS service delivery in communities.
- Pathways to invite Indigenous governments into existing service delivery processes will be identified.
Action 2: Engage Indigenous governments on child and family services delivery
Status: On track
Continue to engage with Indigenous governments to share information and discuss overall CFS service delivery in communities.
Deliverables
- Offer opportunities for continued engagement with Indigenous governments.
- Continue to share information and data on an ongoing basis with interested Indigenous governments.
Action 3: Share court notification information with Indigenous governments and organizations
Status: Completed
Provide information to applicable NWT Indigenous governments and organizations on:
- the purpose of providing notice of court documents; and
- how this information can be used to support children, youth, and families.
Deliverables
- Provide letters to applicable NWT Indigenous governments and organizations, with an invitation for further dialogue.
Care Rooted in Indigenous Practices
This priority area focuses on strengthening family, community and cultural connections and increasing the use of Indigenous systems of care
Action 1: Develop family, community and culture connection supports
Status: On track
Pending available resources, implement a family, community, and culture connection project for children/youth in the permanent custody of the Director of Child and Family Services.
- Phase 1: Develop model(s) and related standards.
- Phase 2: Pilot Family, Community, and Culture Connection Worker Position.
- Phase 3: Determine pathways to sustain project.
Deliverables
- Development and implementation of the family, community, and culture connection project.
Action 2: Review and redesign care models for families
Status: Delayed
Pending available resources, examine and re-design care model(s) for families receiving prevention and protection services. Care includes “respite” and “foster care.”
- Phase 1: Care Model(s) Scoping.
- Phase 2: Service Design and Standard Development.
- Phase 3: Implementation Plan Development.
- Phase 4: Complete business case, if required.
Deliverables
- Development and implementation of the family, community, and culture connection project.
Action 3: Review supports for custom adoption
Status: Completed
Review and examine opportunities to better support families through custom adoption.
Deliverables
- Options paper is developed that outlines how more supports could be made available to families and extended families who are caring for children and youth.
Action 4: Promote Indigenous caregiving practices and community awareness
Status: Completed
Work with Indigenous communities to communicate important Indigenous practices that contribute to keeping children and youth safe, with a focus on:
- Increasing awareness and education about the impact of custom adoption practices on child and family wellbeing; and
- Increasing the number of Indigenous caregivers.
Deliverables
Creation of public-facing mediums that showcase Indigenous systems of care.
Support to Care Providers and Caregivers
This priority area focuses on caregiver supports, funding and culturally safe training.
Action 1: Review funding for caregivers and care providers
Status: Delayed
Adapt and implement the HEART and SPIRIT Training to meet the needs of foster caregivers and First Nation, Métis, and Inuit children/youth in the NWT.
Deliverables
- Culturally safe and trauma-informed training is provided to foster caregivers.
Action 2: Deliver culturally safe caregiver training
Status: On hold
Comprehensive review of the foster care funding structure.
Deliverables
- Areas of improvement are identified and integrated into the business planning process.
Strengthen youth supports and transition to adulthood
This priority area focuses on improving supports for youth in and from care as they transition to adulthood.
Action 1: Improve transition supports for youth in and from care
Status: Completed
Participate in the Child Welfare League of Canada’s pilot project on the Equitable Standards for Transitions to Adulthood for Youth in Care
Deliverables
- A completed baseline assessment of services for youth in care using the CWLC evaluation tool.
- Establish a Youth In/From Care Steering Committee.
- Action plan is developed to support youth in care as they transition to adulthood.
Specialized services closer to home
This priority area focuses on increasing access to specialized supports in the Northwest Territories.
Action 1: Develop a specialized services framework
Status: Delayed
Develop a framework to guide the continuum of specialized services necessary to support the diverse needs of children, youth, families.
Deliverables
- A pathway is established to provide services to children, youth and families for short-term supports and longer term, specialized services to address complex needs.
Action 2: Provide a land-based healing youth program
Status: Completed
Comprehensive review of the foster care funding structure.
Deliverables
- An in-territory land-based healing program rooted in Indigenous practices is available to youth.
Strengthen human resources recruitment and retention efforts for an inclusive and representative workforce
This priority area focuses on recruitment, retention, anti-racism and workforce development.
Action 1: Review hiring practices to reduce barriers
Status: On track
Hiring managers in CFS to review and revise job descriptions and hiring tools (e.g., assignments, interview questions) to address systemic hiring barriers experienced by Indigenous candidates interested in working in CFS.
Deliverables
- All CFS job descriptions and interview questions are reviewed.
Action 2: Establish an Indigenous employee community of practice
Status: Completed
Establish a Community of Practice for Indigenous employees, to provide a supportive peer network, raise issues, and share innovations to address anti-Indigenous racism.
Deliverables
- Community of practice is established.
Action 3: Survey Indigenous employee experiences
Status: Completed
Introduce surveys to better understand the attraction, recruitment, and retention experiences of Indigenous employees.
Deliverables
- Analysis of survey results.
Action 4: Support Indigenous employee development and mobility
Status: On track
Promote the use of transfer assignments and cross training to encourage mobility and development for Indigenous employees.
Deliverables
- Number of Indigenous employees:
- On transfer assignments or secondments.
- Within middle and senior management roles.
Action 5: Complete mandatory anti-racism and cultural awareness training
Status: On track
Ensure all CFS Staff complete:
- Equitable Workplace: Cultivating Attitudes of Anti-Racism and Allyship Training; and
- Living Well Together: Indigenous Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity Training.
Deliverables
- Percentage of CFS staff who have completed the required training.
Action 6: Deliver Child and Family Services cultural safety and anti-racism training
Status: Completed
Offer the CFS-Specific HSS Cultural Safety and Anti-Racism Training.
Deliverables
- Annual delivery of training to CFS Staff.
Action 7: Strengthen anti-oppressive practice mentoring
Status: Completed
Provide training on anti-oppressive practices to be used when mentoring of frontline managers, supervisors, and staff.
Deliverables
- Development of training to guide mentorship with frontline managers, supervisors, and staff.
- Ongoing mentorship with frontline managers, supervisors, and staff.
Action 8: Pilot specialized support positions for children, youth and families
Status: On track
Pending available resources, pilot specialized positions to better support children, youth and families and optimize the scope of current positions. Types of positions being considered are, but not limited to:
- Youth Transition and Navigation Worker
- Family, Community, and Culture Connection Worker
- Legal Assistant
- Mobile/Float Positions
Deliverables
- A diversified mix of skills in the CFS workforce is available to better support children, youth, and families.
Reduce administrative demands for increased opportunities to connect with families
This priority area focuses on reducing administrative burden and improving service delivery tools and processes.
Action 1: Modernize adoption standards and procedures
Status: Delayed
Modernize the approach to standards development and accessibility of the Adoptions Standards and Procedure Manual.
Deliverables
- Standards and procedure manual is clear, concise, and accessible.
Action 2: Modernize child and family services standards and procedures
Status: On track
Phased approach to modernize standards development and accessibility of the Child and Family Services Standards and Procedure Manual.
Deliverables
- Standards and procedure manual is clear, concise, and accessible.
Action 3: Review Structured Decision Making tools
Status: Completed
Further examine the Structured Decision Making® (SDM) Model for its capacity to effectively support Indigenous individuals and families.
Deliverables
- Decision on if/how to proceed with the implementation of the remaining two SDM® tools that aid decision-making in risk assessments and family reunification assessments.
Action 4: Assess a single electronic file system
Status: Completed
Single Electronic File System:
- Building off the work completed in 2022-23, complete an analysis on the feasibility, considerations, and barriers of a Single Electronic File System.
- Depending on the outcome of the analysis, complete an implementation plan and business case.
Deliverables
- Business, human, financial, and technology requirements and considerations are outlined.
Action 5: Assess a centralized intake model
Status: On track
Centralized Intake Model for CFS
- Complete an analysis on the feasibility, considerations, and constraints of a centralized intake model.
- Depending on the outcome of the analysis, complete an implementation plan and business case.
Deliverables
- Business, human, financial, and technology requirements and considerations are outlined.