2008-2009

Annual Report of the

Director of Child and Family Services

ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖃᕐᓇᖏᑦᑐᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓄᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓪᓗ
Munarhiliqiyikkut Inuuhiriknirmullu
Department of Health and Social Services
Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux
An Overview of Social Services Programs

Contents

Director’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

An overview of social services programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Child and family services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Adoption services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Guardianship services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Adult support services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Family violence services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Facility based residential care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Supported and transitional living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Community corrections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Recommendations to improving social services . . . . . . . . . . 13

Director’s Message
The Child and Family Services Act requires the Director
of Child and Family Services to report to the Minister
of Health and Social Services (HSS) each year on the
administration of the Act. This Annual Report is for the
2008/2009 fiscal year.
This report contains a brief description of the social
services programs provided by the Department of Health
and Social Services as well as information on the clients
we serve. In closing, the report outlines some of the
challenges HSS faces in delivering the social services
required to support children and families in Nunavut.
The Department of Health and Social Services is
committed to providing client-centered programs
and services to children and families across Nunavut.
Some of these programs are required under Nunavut
legislation, such as the Child and Family Services Act,
the Adoption Act and the Guardian and Trusteeship
Act. Others, such as adult residential care and family
violence response programs, have been developed by
the Department of Health and Social Services to address
particular needs of Nunavut residents.
2008-09 Annual Report of the Director of Child and Family Services
Social Services Workers provide the service delivery for
the Department. They are required to carry out many
different functions across the range of social services
programs for which the department is responsible.
It is important that our Social Services Workers be
generalists, as the territory is large, its population small
and Social Services staff are few in number.
An issue that has emerged and that continues to be a
source of concern is the number of children and youth
requiring specialized behavioural treatment and the
need to place them outside Nunavut, as there are no
specialized care facilities in the territory.
As always, we express our appreciation to the people
outside the department who we work closely with
and on whom we rely heavily for assistance and
expertise. Without the help of professionals and other
Nunavummiut who share our vision of wellness it would
be impossible to deliver effective and efficient programs
and services for children, youth and families. We thank
them for their dedication to protecting children and
strengthening families.
Norm Murray
Director of Child and Family Services

 An Overview of Social Services Programs
Child and Family Services
Children in Nunavut have a right to expect protection
from physical harm, neglect and other forms of abuse,
and to have their need for shelter, food and support met.
Child and Family Services is established under the Child
and Family Services Act. Authority and responsibility
for Child and Family Services flow from the Minister of
Health and Social Services to the Director of Child and
Family Services, who is appointed by the Minister. The
Director of Child and Family Services appoints Child
Protection Workers and ensures that they have received
the training required to carry out their duties.
Child and Family Services include:
• protection services for children
• investigations of abuse and neglect
• evaluation of parent and family supports
• voluntary agreements for assistance
• residential care for challenged children
• extended family and pre-approved foster homes,
group homes and specialized care facilities both
within Nunavut and in southern jurisdictions.
Child and Family Services staff have the best interest of
every child as their focus and aims to ensure the safety
and well-being of children and youth in Nunavut.

2008-09 Annual Report of the Director of Child and Family Services
On any given day during the 2008-2009 period, there
were 312 children receiving services across Nunavut.
This is an 18% increase over the previous year.
Of the 312 children:
• approximately 30% were in Baffin Region, 25%
in Iqaluit, 25% in Kitikmeot Region, and 20% in
Kivalliq Region
• 119 were on a Voluntary Support Agreement – an
agreement between the Government of Nunavut
and the parents of children who are not in need of
protection, but who require assistance to provide
appropriate care for their children
• 87 were on a Plan of Care – a plan for service to a
child who is in need of protection that is agreed on
by the client and the social services worker
• 61 were Permanent Wards – children who the
Court has ordered be placed in the custody of the
Director of Child and Family
• 13 were Temporary Wards – children who the
Court has ordered be placed in the custody of
the Director of Child and Family Services for
a specified period of time – no more than 2
consecutive years
• 32 were on a Support Services Agreement – a
voluntary agreement between the Government of
Nunavut and a youth 16 to 18 years old who cannot
reside at home for a reason that would place the
youth in need of protection under the Child and
Family Services Act
• 63 children or youth are between legal status or
court pending.
Adoption Services
Adoption provides permanent families to children whose
birth families cannot care for them for any one of a
number of reasons. Adoption is a lifelong experience
that affects adopted children and adults, and birth and
adoptive families. It is both a legal and a social process.
The purpose is to provide every child legally available
for adoption with the stability and security of new and
permanent family ties.
The Department of Health and Social Services is
committed to supporting adoptions in Nunavut that
reflect Inuit traditions. The primary concern is the child’s
best interest. In Nunavut, adoptions are governed by the:
• Aboriginal Custom Adoption Recognition Act
• Adoption Act
• Inter-Country Adoption Act (Hague Convention)
The Director of Adoptions is appointed by the Minister
of Health and Social Services. Social Services Workers
are appointed as adoption workers by the Director of
Adoptions. The Director is responsible for developing
and managing the adoption program, and for ensuring
that all legal requirements are met. The Director
deals with various federal, provincial and territorial
government divisions.
2008-09 Annual Report of the Director of Child and Family Services
Nunavut has a surprisingly high number of adoptions
each year considering the size of our population. This
may be due to the high birthrate in Nunavut and the
number of young parents.
As shown in 2006 Statistics Canada data, Nunavut’s
average birthrate – 25.2 births for every 1,000 people –
is much higher than the Canadian average birthrate –
10.5 births for every 1,000 people.
During 2008- 2009 there were:
• 176 Aboriginal Custom Adoptions
• 16 Private/Step Parent Adoptions
• 2 Departmental Adoptions
• 0 International Adoptions
Aboriginal Custom Adoption, the preferred adoption
method of Nunavummiut, accounted for 90% of all
adoptions in 2008-2009.
Of 2,290 adoptions in Nunavut since 1999, 2,068 (90%)
have been Custom Adoptions that follow
Inuit tradition.

 An Overview of Social Services Programs

There are four different types of adoption. Departmental Adoption

Aboriginal Custom Adoption
This is the historical Aboriginal adoption practice.
Custom Adoption requires the involvement of a Custom
Adoption Commissioner if the adoption is to be
registered. The Minister of Health and Social Services
appoints the commissioners, upon recommendation of
their Hamlet Council.
Currently, there are 39 Custom Adoption Commissioners
spread across 25 Nunavut communities. They are paid a
fee of $200 per completed adoption.
In Custom Adoptions, the role of the Director of
Adoptions is only to provide training and payment of the
Custom Adoption Commissioners. The Director does not
decide what the nature of customary practice should
be. This responsibility rests with each Custom Adoption
Commissioner. HSS provides training for Custom
Adoption Commissioners.
This is the adoption of children who are in the
permanent care of the Director of Child and Family
Services.
A Departmental Adoption can happen only after the child
has been made a permanent ward of the Director of
Child and Family Services and the rights of the parents
have been removed by order of the court.
International Adoption
This is the adoption of a child from another country and
is carried out in accordance with the Hague Convention.
International adoptions are facilitated by agreements
between Canadian jurisdictions and other countries.

Private/Step-Parent Adoption
Private/Step Parent Adoption occurs after an adoption
plan is created and is made through the Court in
accordance with the Adoption Act, between a child’s
birth family and adopting parents.

Private/Step-Parent Adoptions involve the adoption of

children by any resident of Nunavut or Canada.


2008-09 Annual Report of the Director of Child and Family Services
Guardianship Services

Nunavut’s Guardianship and Trusteeship Act allows

the Court to appoint a person to have limited decision
making authority over a dependent adult after a capacity
assessment is completed. The terms of the Court Order
vary depending on the needs and abilities of the person
who has been assessed.

The person named as the Guardian can be either the

Public Guardian for Nunavut, or a close friend or family
member of the dependent adult. The Public Guardian is
appointed by and acts under the authority of the Minister
of Health and Social Services.

The Guardian can direct where the person who needs

assistance will live and with whom he or she may
associate. The Guardian may also make other decisions
for the dependent person as outlined in the Court Order.

Guardianship clients most often reside in a residential

care facility where their needs can best be met.

As of March 31, 2008:

• 55 adults were receiving services under
Guardianship Orders, a significant increase over
the previous year
• 24 additional Guardianship applications
were pending


2008-09 Annual Report of the Director of Child and Family Services
 An Overview of Social Services Programs

Adult Support Services

Adult Support Services is a program that responds to
the needs of people who are severely physically disabled
and people who have developmental disabilities. Clients/
patients with psychiatric disorders who are deemed unfit
to stand trial also fall under this program.

The program serves disabled adults and/or families

requiring assistance to care for an infirm family
member. It provides supports for independent living as
well as various forms of residential care. Residential
care in Nunavut includes adult group homes, long-term
care facilities and elders’ facilities. For those requiring
more extensive care, referrals to hospital wards or
southern caregivers is common.

Adult Support Services assistance ensures that people

who are disabled receive appropriate care, including
required medical care.

As of March 31, 2009:

• 126 Nunavummiut were receiving Adult Support
Services –30 from Baffin Region, 24 from Iqaluit,
38 from Kivalliq and 34 from Kitikmeot
• 87 of the adults were placed outside of Nunavut
because their level of need exceeded Nunavut’s
ability to serve them – 40 in Alberta, 17 in the
Northwest Territories, 16 in Ontario, 5 in Manitoba,
5 in Quebec and 2 in each of Saskatchewan and
Nova Scotia


2008-09 Annual Report of the Director of Child and Family Services
 Family Violence Services
The Department of Health and Social Services
recognizes that family violence is a major concern in
Nunavut.

Family Violence Services have been developed to protect

and support victims of family violence, to lessen the
number of repeat occurrences of family violence and
to reduce the overall incidence of family violence in
Nunavut.

Under the Family Violence Relocation Program, Social

Services Workers assist women and children leaving
family violence by assessing each family’s situation and
helping them to relocate to a place of safety, such as a
Family Violence Centre or Safe Home.

Family Violence Shelters and Safe Homes are an

important resource for abused women and their children
and are an integral part of the Department’s services to
Nunavut families.

Currently, HSS funded Family Violence Shelters are

located in:
• Baffin Region – Iqaluit (21 bed shelter)
• Kivalliq Region – Rankin Inlet (8 bed shelter)
• Kitikmeot Region – Taloyoak (6 bed shelter),
Cambridge Bay (4 bed shelter), Kugluktuk
(4 bed shelter)
Safe Homes are located in:
• Igloolik (3)
• Pangnirtung (2)
• Pond Inlet (2)
• Arviat (2)
• Cape Dorset (1)
Costs are paid for family violence victims placed in
the Yellowknife women’s shelter when required.


2008-09 Annual Report of the Director of Child and Family Services
 An Overview of Social Services Programs

Facility Based Residential Care

Of 375 children receiving services in Nunavut under
The Facility Based Residential Care program is designed
the Child and Family Services Act as of March 31,
to provide the necessary specialized care for a client/ 2008:
patient as close to home as possible. The program • 45 children or youth were in out-of-territory
serves Nunavummiut who require care that is not placements due to medical needs or behavioural
available in their home. problems
• 330 children and youth are placed within Nunavut
Facility Based Residential Care is provided in foster Of those placed in Nunavut:
homes, extended family foster homes, disabled group • 34 are in the parental home
homes for children and adults, elders’ homes and • 248 are in foster home
residential facilities for medically fragile children and • 9 are in alternate medical care group home
• 4 are in specialized foster home
medically dependent adults.
• 4 are in medical institution
• 16 are in group home
Currently, there are 203 approved foster homes in
• 15 are in community supports
Nunavut. Daily rates paid to foster parents in Nunavut
Of 45 children placed outside Nunavut:
are the highest in Canada. Foster Parent Associations
• 2 are in foster care in Quebec
are in various stages of development in Cambridge Bay, • 1 is in medical care Northwest Territories
Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet and Baker Lake. • 29 are in treatment group homes in various
locations
There are three residential care facilities specifically • 8 are in alternative care medical homes in various
designed for children in Rankin Inlet, Iqaluit and locations
Cambridge Bay. There are group homes for adults in • 5 are in specialized foster care in Nova Scotia
Rankin Inlet and in Iqaluit, and Elders’ Homes in Arviat, Currently, 87 adults are placed in out of territory
Iqaluit, and Baker Lake and one in Chesterfield Inlet residential care:
serves both children and adults. • 40 are in Alberta
• 17 are in Northwest Territories
If the care required is not available in a Nunavut facility, • 16 are in Ontario
• 5 are in Manitoba
referrals to other jurisdictions will be made. These
• 5 are in Quebec
would include residential care for a child who requires • 2 are in Saskatchewan
tube feedings, intensive physiotherapy, or who is at risk • 2 are in Nova Scotia
of hurting themselves. These high needs children have
to be cared for in out-of-territory residential facilities
that can provide services to match their needs. Such
facilities include behavioural treatment group homes,
alternative medical care homes and special needs foster
homes.

In all cases, the client’s needs are carefully assessed

to ensure that out-of-territory placement is necessary
and that the child or adult will be placed in a residential
facility with the skills, training and specialized services
required. Every effort is made to find a facility that is as
close to the client’s home as possible.

10
2008-09 Annual Report of the Director of Child and Family Services
Supported and Transitional Living
Assistance through supported and transitional living
services can provide an opportunity for vulnerable youth
and adults to study, to work and to make a meaningful
contribution to society, while being protected.

Currently the Child and Family Services Act allows for

a voluntary agreement to be entered into between the
youth who cannot live at home and the Department of
Health and Social Services. The agreement makes it
possible for HSS to supply services and support until
the age of majority (19 years) for the youth. Financial
support provided for housing, food, clothing, school
supplies etc. is based on an assessment of the
youth’s need.

A 2006 Nunavut Court of Justice decision concluded

that Section 6 of the Act discriminates against youth
between the ages of 16 and 18 who require child
welfare services.

The Government of Nunavut will be making the

necessary changes to the Child and Family Services
Act to ensure that youth between 16 and 18 have the
services they require to thrive.

11
2008-09 Annual Report of the Director of Child and Family Services
 An Overview of Social Services Programs

Community Corrections
Social Services Workers serve as Probation
Community Corrections falls under the authority of
Officers in:
the Department of Justice, which is responsible for • Arctic Bay
administration of the Young Offenders Act, the Youth • Chesterfield Inlet
Criminal Justice Act, and the Adult Corrections Act. • Clyde River
• Coral Harbour
Due to lack of funded Community Corrections positions • Grise Fiord
in the Department of Justice, social service workers • Hall Beach
provide corrections services in 14 communities • Kimmirut
• Kugaaruk
on behalf of the Department of Justice. This is in
• Qikiqtarjuaq
accordance with a long-standing Memorandum of • Resolute Bay
Understanding between the Department of Justice and • Repulse Bay
the Department of Health and Social Services. • Sanikiluaq
• Taloyoak
Social Services Workers carry out the community • Whale Cove
corrections role in addition to their regular Department
of Health and Social Services responsibilities.

12
2008-09 Annual Report of the Director of Child and Family Services
Recommendations for Improving Social Services

It is recommended that the Department of Health

and Social Services:
1. Review, in consultation with community members,
the current state of residential care and develop
a residential care strategy that provides guidance
and direction on how residential care can best
be delivered to ensure safety, quality and cost
effectiveness, while focusing on Inuit societal values.

2. Update the Child and Family Services Act to reflect

changes directed by the court to ensure that youth
up to 19 years old have access to the services they
require to thrive.

3. Review of the family violence shelter program to

ensure that departmentally funded shelter services
are accountable, of consistent high–quality, cost–
effective, culturally appropriate and responsive to the
needs of clients.

4. Develop culturally appropriate options for delivering

behavioural modification treatment programs in
Nunavut.

5. Implement new recruitment and retention measures

for social services staff in consultation with the
Department of Human Resources.

6. Purchase, install and train staff to use an electronic

case management data and tracking systems for
Social Services.

13
2008-09 Annual Report of the Director of Child and Family Services
 ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖃᕐᓇᖏᑦᑐᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓄᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓪᓗ
Munarhiliqiyikkut Inuuhiriknirmullu
Department of Health and Social Services
Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux

Department of Health and Social Services

Government of Nunavut
P.O. Box 1000, Station 1000
Iqaluit, Nunavut X0A 0H0
(867) 975-5700