Evaluation of the Inuit Child First Initiative

List of abbreviations and acronyms

AFN: Assembly of First Nations
CHRT: Canadian Human Rights Tribunal
CLSC: Local Community Services Centre
COVID-19: Coronavirus Disease
CFSR: Child and Family Services
CFRDO: Chief Finances, and the Results and Delivery Officer
ESDPP: Education and Social Development Programs and Partnerships
FAA: Financial Administration Act
FADS: Fetal Alcohol Development Syndrome
FTE: Full-Time Equivalent
FNIHB: First Nation and Inuit Health Branch
ICPC: Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee
Inuit CFI: Inuit Child First Initiative
ISC: Indigenous Services Canada
ITK: Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
ITO: Inuit Treaty Organization
IRC: Inuvialuit Regional Corporation
JBNQA: James Bay Northern Quebec Agreement
KFS: Kitikmeot Friendship Society
KRG: Kativik Regional Government
KSIB: Kativik Ilisarniliriniq School Board
NICE: National Inuit Committee on Education
NICoH: National Inuit Committee on Health
NIHB: Non-insured Health Benefits Program
NTI: Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated
NRBHSS: Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services
MSSS: Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services
OCDSB: Ottawa Carleton District School Board
RO: Regional Operations
2SLGBTQQIA+: Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual Plus
TBS: Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
TI: Tungasuvvingat Inuit

Acknowledgements

The contribution and collaboration of many people made this evaluation possible. We would like to thank all those who participated in interviews and data collection, provided information and responded to various data requests.

Executive Summary

During the timeframe of this evaluation (2019-2024), the mandate of the Inuit Child First Initiative (Inuit CFI) was to ensure that Inuit children had the health, education and social products, services and supports they need. The Inuit CFI is not classified as a program, but is a request-driven Initiative modelled after Jordan's Principle^{Footnote 1}. Although Inuit children were not initially included under Jordan's Principle, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) urged the Government of Canada to make changes to the existing policies to ensure Inuit children and youth have access to funding similar to First Nations children under Jordan's Principle. The federal government began working with Inuit Treaty Organizations (ITOs) and ITK to develop, on an interim basis, an Inuit-specific request-driven federal model which mirrors Jordan's Principle until an Inuit-specific long-term approach is co-developed by Inuit partners and ISC. Launched in September 2018, initial funding of $220 million over five years (2019-2020 to 2023-2024) was secured through Budget 2019 for the Inuit CFI interim approach.

An Evaluation of the Inuit CFI was required to be completed in fiscal year 2023-2024, as per the Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) Five-Year Departmental Evaluation Plan 2024-2025 to 2028-2029, and further to Section 42.1 of the Financial Administration Act (FAA)^{Footnote 2} and to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) Policy on Results. The overall purpose of the evaluation was to examine the Inuit CFI over the span of 2018-2019 to 2022-2023. The evaluation examined relevancy, effectiveness, efficiency, as well as cross-cutting evaluation questions related to needs arising from COVID-19 and climate change, which are applied to all ISC evaluations. The evaluation findings and resulting recommendations are intended to inform ISC and Indigenous partners on improvements to support future decisions regarding the Inuit CFI.

This evaluation has a narrow scope, focusing on performance and lessons learned for future implementation. This evaluation seeks to avoid duplicating past assessments, and acknowledges several methodological limitations, including the lack of performance measurement information, a greater reliance on primary qualitative data from key informant interviews, and difficulty in attributing impacts solely to the Inuit CFI (see section 3.3 for details on methodology).

The evaluation used a mix of qualitative methods, including interviews and case studies, and involved consultations with program representatives and partners. The evaluation strategy mainly focussed on 10 case studies related to 10 group requests in the various Inuit Nunangat regions with the aim of documenting some of the outcomes of the Inuit CFI. External interviewees were all related to these case studies (except two^{Footnote 3}) and were asked to provide their views on specific group requests. Since most of the interviewees (25 out of 46) were service coordinators in their region, many spoke about the Inuit CFI in general. From January to May 2024, 46 key informant interviews were conducted, some of them undertaken in-person through trips to northern Inuit communities and southern Inuit organizations. The evaluation also included an internal review of performance data and internal activity reports related to group requests to document activities, outputs, and short-term outcomes.

The evaluation highlights key needs identified by Inuit, particularly concerning children, that are reflected in the strategic priorities for Inuit Nunangat, and can be found in ITK's studies and documentation. This evaluation highlights critical issues, related to the Inuit CFI like food insecurity and limited access to education and healthcare. In addition, the Evaluation team chose to highlight some critical issues which are outside the scope and mandate of the Inuit CFI but reflect broader social determinants of health, such as poor housing conditions and inadequate infrastructure as they allow a better understanding of the context in which the Inuit CFI is being delivered and offer a holistic view of the needs of Inuit children. Many of these critical issues are exacerbated by the region's remote location and the complex interplay of health, climate change, and social determinants of health. Interviewees also emphasized the importance of access to culturally relevant programs, improved mental health services, and more support to meet basic needs, including traditional foods.

This evaluation also outlines how the Inuit CFI has responded to the needs of Inuit children. Inuit CFI has been flexible in addressing a wide range of issues linked to these needs, from food security to support for children with disabilities, by providing timely assistance and funding, although there have been delays to receiving determinations on requests in the recent years in some regions. The Inuit CFI has shown adaptability in focusing on the evolving needs of Inuit children, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, which intensified pre-existing issues such as access to mental health supports, education, and food insecurity. The flexibility highlighted by the interviewees refers to the large spectrum of products, services and supports funded through the Inuit CFI, as well as the delivery model that allows for both group and individual requests. Additionally, adaptability was mentioned in relation to the need for virtual supports during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact of climate change on food security – though not a primary driver - was raised by many interviewees and in the literature review.

There are several significant key findings regarding the Inuit CFI that relate specifically to how it operates in relation to other interventions and programs. For example, the intent of the Inuit CFI is to fill discriminatory gaps in services faced by Inuit children caused by underfunded federal, provincial and territorial programs such as income assistance or health and education services^{Footnote 4}. This means the Inuit CFI is compensating for shortfalls in existing services with a huge portion of funding going towards income supports such as food, rent, and utilities.

Another concern that was expressed by interviewees (10 external interviews and 4 internal interviews) is the lack of coordination with programs including through ISC or provincial and territorial services, particularly those responsible for medical travel. Families face logistical challenges, such as flight delays, costly transportation, and inadequate accommodations, which complicates medical trips. The Inuit CFI has provided essential funding for children and guardians to travel for medical appointments. However, the process of coordinating travel and accommodation remains complex, with multiple communications between various stakeholders (ISC regional offices, service coordinators, parents and guardians, health agencies, airlines and lodging) leading to missed appointments and long delays. While not ISC's responsibility, the coordination of travel requires service coordinators to navigate between many players to book flights and accommodations for the recipients funded through the Inuit CFI.

The Inuit CFI has demonstrated significant growth in the number of requests (from 3,380 approved products and services in 2019-2020 to 55,373 approved products and service in 2022-2023) and positive outcomes since its inception, addressing the critical needs of Inuit children across various domains including: health, education and, social. Expenditures increased rapidly to meet growing demands, with 54% of the $220M budget utilized between 2019 and March 2023. Outcomes of these investments include enhanced access to essential products, services and supports, such as cultural preservation (i.e. Inuit art workshops, hiring of local Inuit speaking daycare workers), and education support, for a total of 227,126 products, services and support from April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2024.

Internal data on time taken to receive a determination on a request (calculated from the time all necessary information is collected until the requestor is informed of the decision) reveals a growing trend of delays since the Inuit CFI's inception, primarily driven by the increasing volume of applications (see section 4.2 for details). Regions such as Nunavut and Inuvialuit experience significant backlogs. Interviews emphasized associated, systemic challenges, including staff shortages, inconsistent processing times, and communication gaps, which exacerbate delays and frustrate service coordinators and requestors. Despite these challenges, relationships between service coordinators and ISC regional offices remain positive.

This evaluation concludes that, according to the interviewees, the Inuit CFI has had positive impacts on Inuit children, families, and communities in addressing immediate needs. Case studies reveal diverse benefits of the Inuit CFI, including increased access to basic necessities, education supports, and mental health services; specialized healthcare; cultural preservation (i.e. cultural activities and Inuktut learning); and parental supports. This evaluation also finds that the Inuit CFI promotes inclusivity by supporting 2SLGBTQQIA+ children, and children with disabilities. The targeted outcomes of the Inuit CFI aligns with ITK's strategic objectives, contributing to poverty reduction, improved health and social policies, and the revitalization of Inuktut. The Inuit CFI has proven vital in breaking cycles of adversity, strengthening community resilience, and ensuring holistic support for Inuit children, their families and communities.

Some unintended outcomes were reported by interviewees, such as increased administrative burdens on health specialists who have to produce letters of support, a rise in medical travelers using lodging facilities in the South, and complex logistics challenges such as flight bookings. However, cultural integration, providing holistic support, and developing collaborations and partnerships were identified as good practices applied by funded partners when implementing Inuit CFI projects.

Proposed Recommendations

The evaluation proposed these recommendations based on the current interim model. Recognizing that the delivery model of the Inuit CFI will be transformed, the recommendations may need to be revised or reconsidered once the shared responsibility model is co-developed and implemented:

1. ISC should explore operational processes and efficiencies specific to Inuit CFI in order to improve backlogs and delays to determination of requests.

2. ISC should review and update the performance measurement strategy for the Inuit CFI to improve reporting on the Initiative's outcomes. This update should articulate the expected outcomes and include performance indicators that appropriately measure the Inuit CFI's impacts.

Management Response and Action Plan

This Management Response and Action Plan was developed by Indigenous Services Canada's First Nations and Inuit Health Branch^{Footnote 5} (ISC-FNIHB) to address recommendations presented in the Evaluation of the Inuit Child First Initiative (Inuit CFI). ISC-FNIHB acknowledges and concurs with the recommendations outlined in this Final Report of the Inuit CFI Evaluation conducted by ISC's Evaluation Branch.

In the timeframe of this evaluation the mandate of the Inuit Child First Initiative (Inuit CFI) was to ensure Inuit children have the health, education and social products, services and supports they need. The Inuit CFI is not classified as a program, but a request-driven Initiative initially modelled after Jordan's Principle. Although Inuit children were not initially included under Jordan's Principle, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) urged the Government of Canada to make changes to the existing policies to ensure Inuit children and youth receive funding similar to First Nations children under Jordan's Principle. The current federally administered model of the Inuit CFI was always intended to be an interim approach, with the expectation that a long-term Inuit-specific approach to meet the needs of Inuit children would be co-developed with Inuit partners.

ISC-FNIHB is committed to taking action on the two recommendations and has already begun some of this work. The initiative will use the results that emerge from this work to make further improvements to the Inuit CFI. In the time since the evaluation period, ISC-FNIHB has worked with partners to make changes which begin to address two the recommendations proposed in this report.

Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) is currently working with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) and the four Inuit Treaty Organizations (ITO) to co-develop the long-term Inuit-specific approach. As a result, we will be transitioning from the current interim approach into the co-developed long-term Inuit-specific approach once it is finalized and approved by Inuit government and Canada. The Inuit Child First Initiative will continue to ensure that Inuit children can access the products, services and supports they need, as we continue to work towards the long-term Inuit-specific approach.

The evaluation report includes meaningful findings on the relevance and effectiveness of the Inuit Child First Initiative from the period of 2018-2019 to 2023-2024. While the direction of the Initiative continues to evolve and move towards an Inuit-led long-term approach, the findings from this evaluation will continue to inform useful policy considerations and Initiative design and implementation.

An annual review of the Management Response and Action Plan will be conducted by ISC Evaluation Branch and shared with the ISC Performance Measurement and Evaluation Committee to monitor progress and activities.

Management Response and Action Plan Matrix

Recommendation 1

ISC should explore operational processes and efficiencies specific to Inuit CFI in order to improve backlogs and delays to determination of requests

Actions

We do concur.
ISC is committed to improving efficiencies to the processing of Inuit CFI requests and reduce delays and backlogs to determinations.
1.1 ISC has been reviewing operational processes and efficiencies related to the Inuit CFI in order to improve backlogs and delays to determination of requests. As per the Operational Bulletin released on February 10, 2025, ISC is implementing new ways to process requests to expedite decision making and address the increased demand and is expanding the decision making to regional offices to limit duplication in processes and extending decision making powers to regional staff to speed up the processing of requests.
1.2 Through the Inuit CFI co-development process, ISC and Inuit partners will explore operational processes and efficiencies specific to Inuit CFI, with the goal of developing more effective processes for determining and responding to requests.

Responsible Manager

Lead:

DG, Service Delivery & Operations, Jordan’s Principle & Inuit CFI

Planned Start and Completion Date

Start Date: Q1 2025-2026

Completion Date: Q1 2026-2027

Recommendation 2

ISC should review and update the performance measurement strategy for the Inuit CFI to improve reporting on the Initiative’s outcomes. This update should articulate the expected outcomes and include performance indicators that appropriately measure the Inuit CFI's impacts.

Actions

We do concur.
The Inuit CFI performance measurement strategy will be developed to support the longer term shared responsibility model which will be Inuit-led. The strategies will also consider the unique mandate of Inuit CFI which is not a universal program, but provides funding on a request basis to address equal access to essential government funded health, social and educational products, services and supports.
2.1 ISC will review the current logic model of the Inuit Child First Initiative with the lens of accurately describing the scope and outcomes of the long-term approach of the Initiative, and make revisions to better articulate the Initiative’s immediate, intermediate and ultimate expected outcomes.
2.2 ISC will review the Performance Information Profile (PIP) of the Inuit Child First Initiative and the current set of performance indicators and make adjustments or include additional indicators to improve the initiative’s capacity to measure its expected outcomes and clearly demonstrate its results.
2.3 ISC will ensure that cultural competency training is provided.

Responsible Manager

Lead:

DG, Policy, Jordan’s Principle & Inuit CFI

Planned Start and Completion Date

Start Date: Q1 2025-2026

Completion Date: Q1 2026-2027

1. Introduction

An Evaluation of the Inuit Child First Initiative (Inuit CFI) was required to be completed in fiscal year 2023-2024, as per the Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) Five-Year Departmental Evaluation Plan 2024-2025 to 2028-2029, and further to Section 42.1 of the Financial Administration Act (FAA) and to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) Policy on Results. The overall purpose of the evaluation was to examine the Inuit Child First Initiative over the span of 2018-2019 to 2022-2023. The evaluation examined relevancy, effectiveness, efficiency, including the needs arising from COVID-19 and climate change, which are cross-cutting evaluation questions for all ISC evaluations. The evaluation findings and resulting recommendations are intended to inform ISC and Indigenous partners on improvements to support future decisions regarding the Inuit CFI.

2. Program description

2.1 Background

The vast majority of services available in Inuit Nunangat are funded and delivered by provincial and territorial governments or by Inuit organizations. Nonetheless, the federal government has progressively entered in the space of health and social programming for Inuit in recent years, consistent with federal commitments to a renewed Inuit-Crown relationship, distinction-based approaches, and the Inuit Nunangat Policy, as well as in recognition of persistent gaps in service access. Indeed, lack of access to services in remote areas and other limitations to availability of services has proven to be challenging to Inuit families and communities in Inuit Nunangat and elsewhere in Canada. This is due to several reasons, including the involvement of multiple jurisdictions in the child's circle of care, limited resources and capacity, geographical location, high delivery costs, and lack of service providers. In recent years, new and direct support to Inuit governments have been provided, including public health (COVID response and tuberculosis), programs related to the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care^{Footnote 6}, the National School Food Policy and Programming, the Indigenous Health Equity Fund, and funding to support Inuit in assuming jurisdiction over Child and Family Services.

The current approach to Inuit CFI was approved by Cabinet and implemented in June 2018, following criticism of the federal government's exclusion of Inuit children in its implementation of Jordan's Principle. During this time the President of ITK wrote to the Prime Minister in March 2018 seeking Inuit inclusion by March 31, 2018.The Minister of Indigenous Services sought authorities to implement an interim approach to address the immediate needs of Inuit children, with the understanding that Canada and Inuit partners would co-develop an Inuit-specific long-term approach to close gaps and improve services for Inuit children.

The Inuit CFI seeks to ensure that all Inuit children, regardless of where they live in Canada, have equal access to the essential health, social and educational products, services and supports they need, when they need them. Initial funding of $220 million over five years (2019-2020 to 2023-2024) was secured through Budget 2019. Inuit CFI, like Jordan's Principle, is not a program but rather is an initiative. Unlike Jordan's Principle, the Inuit CFI is not subject to oversight by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. Inuit CFI has followed a similar model to Jordan's Principle, including the current federal administration model, however, Canada and Inuit partners are currently working through co-development on a long-term approach for the Inuit CFI.

2.2 Governance and Delivery Model

Governance

ISC leads the implementation of Inuit CFI to ensure that Inuit children have equal access to essential health, social and educational products, services and supports they need, when they need them, like First Nations children under Jordan's Principle. The Inuit CFI does not deliver services; it approves funding requests for services, supports and products for Inuit children. ISC maintains a working level relationship with ITK and ITOs on the management and implementation of Inuit CFI.

ITK is the national representational organization, protecting and advancing the rights and interests of Inuit across Canada. The ITK Board of Directors is comprised of the four Inuit Treaty Organizations, namely, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, Makivvik Corporation, and the Nunatsiavut Government. In addition to voting members, the Board also has non-voting representatives including the Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada, Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, and the National Inuit Youth Council. In addition to this Board ITK also coordinates the National Inuit Committee on Health (NICoH), which is a high-level table that focuses on national Inuit health priorities, the National Inuit Committee on Education (NICE) which is a high-level table focused on priorities around Inuit education, and the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee (ICPC) which is a bilateral mechanism for advancing work on shared priority areas between Inuit and the federal government, which includes an annual meeting co-chaired by the Prime Minister of Canada and the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. ITK has an Inuit Ad-Hoc Advisory Committee focused on Inuit CFI priorities which reports to NICoH.

As per the Canada endorsed Inuit Nunangat Policy, Canada will continue to respect ITOs and support them towards self-determination. ISC will continue to engage with ITK and the four ITOs on the current implementation of Inuit CFI and will continue to co-develop with Inuit partners the long-term approach for this initiative.

Inuit CFI is managed by ISC's First Nations and Inuit Health Branch^{Footnote 7} (FNIHB), though it has implications across the department: FNIHB-Regional Operations (RO), Regional Operations (RO), Education and Social Development Programs and Partnerships (ESDPP), Child and Family Services (CFSR), the Chief Finances, and the Results and Delivery Officer (CFRDO) sectors. The Inuit CFI is primarily managed by national headquarters, with regional offices working with Inuit partners, including ITOs, and working with requesters including organizations and families. Regional offices adjudicating requests and escalate requests to national headquarters where necessary. ITOs or designate organisations are consulted on recommendations of Inuit CFI requests in their regions and some have taken on delivery elements of the Inuit CFI.

FNIHB staff at the National Office lead strategic policy development and planning, collaborating with FNIHB regional offices and Inuit partners. The FNIHB regional offices play a lead role in supporting communities with the delivery of the Inuit CFI by working with Inuit partners at the regional and local levels. The regional offices are also responsible for the management of funding arrangements, performance monitoring, and information roll-ups. There is a wide variation in how each region operates.

Inuit community organizations are funded through contribution agreements to support the implementation and delivery of approved requests for funding received through Inuit CFI. This may include funding for building their internal capacity through the hiring and management of community staff, providing office space and resources to staff, and working with regional offices to provide training for local and provincial/territorial staff.

FNIHB's Senior Management Committee is the main decision-making forum for the Branch on issues related to policy development and priority setting. It includes representation from senior management from the headquarters and regional offices and representatives from the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and the ITK.

Delivery Model

The Inuit CFI is a demand-driven initiative. ISC receives individual or group requests that are urgent or non-urgent. While individual requests may be submitted by a parent or authorized representative for a single child or multiple children in the same family, group requests may be submitted by a community member or organization that sees a collective need for a group of children. There are service standards (see section 4.2 Effectiveness for the details on these service standards) associated to timely response depending on the level of urgency of the requests for both individual and group requests. Individual or group requests for services, products and supports are submitted through either a service coordinator/navigator or by contacting ISC directly. Here are the summary steps of request process:

Requestor submits a request by email, phone, or fax.
ISC or the local agency in charge of implementing the Inuit CFI reviews the request and level of urgency. If the request is urgent, the ISC Intake Team is contacted to begin processing immediately. If the request is non-urgent, the reviewer checks for duplication with existing cases and determines if enough information has been provided.
ISC/local agency determines the eligibility of the child (children). If confirmation cannot be done, an intake officer contacts the relevant ITO to determine the child's eligibility (or in some regions the parent) is recognized by the ITO (for eligibility).
Request is assessed by the ISC region to ensure all vital information is included.
ITO's are typically consulted on the request through the region. These consultations are primarily for group requests, but they may also be used to verify a child's eligibility for individual requests.
Request is either approved by ISC region or escalated to ISC National Office.
If escalated the request is assessed by the Designated Decision Maker^{Footnote 8}, an ISC employee, where the request is either approved or denied.
If the request is approved, the payee submits invoice for approved product, service or support. Payment is issued with funding from Operations and Maintenance (O&M) for individual requests and Contribution Agreements for group requests. This process may vary depending on the region where some regions are involved in issuing payments to clients.
If the request is not approved, requestor then has one year to appeal.

During the time of this evaluation, the determination of requests was guided by the Back-to-Basics Approach^{Footnote 9},^{Footnote 10}, an operational guideline intended to ensure that requests were assessed in a fair and efficient manner. This replaced the previously developed Jordan's Principle and Inuit CFI Standard Operating Procedures, which were perceived as being overly complex and not in line with the intent of Jordan's Principle and Inuit CFI nor the principle of Indigenous self-determination. However, Inuit partners involved in supporting the administration of the Inuit CFI had encouraged the application of parameters targeting access which were not implemented.

Beneficiaries:

All eligible Inuit children, no matter where they live in Canada, can request funding through the Inuit Child First Initiative. They must be: 1) recognized by an ITO, and; 2) under the age of majority in their province/territory of residence^{Footnote 11}. Funding also supports the unique needs of children who are 2SLGBTQQIA+ and those living with disabilities.

While the Inuit CFI is designed primarily for children, in some cases it may also have positive secondary benefits to caregivers, including parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents. Access to funding for supports like respite care can reduce pressures derived from caring for children with complex needs and promote overall familial health.

2.3 Resources

Funding of $220 million over five years (2019-2020 to 2023-2024), was secured through Budget 2019. The below Table 1 shows that since 2019-2020, there has been rapid year-over-year growth in expenditures.

Even though the Inuit CFI began in 2018-19, ISC staff (full-time equivalent employees or "FTEs") and related salary costs were not coded to Inuit CFI until 2020-21, as they did not have separate coding from Jordan's Principle prior to that year (previous years expenditures were captured with an internal order). Budget 2019 provided funding for 4.5 FTEs in 2019-2020, and 9 FTEs in each of the remaining years (2020-2021 to 2023-2024). In 2019-2020, service coordination expenditures funding was provided to ITK for program development.

Table 1. Inuit Child-First Initiative Expenditures and ISC Full-Time Employee FY2018-2019 to 2022-2023
Funding Type	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	Grand Total
Salary		749,670.33	867,879.80	831,581.22	2,449,131.35
Program O&M		22.90	217,510.30	221,698.54	439,231.74
Individual & Group Requests	5,938,167.11	24,743,015.54	28,673,519.24	51,518,997.74	110,873,699.63
Service Coordination	1,320,000.00	1,111,075.00	2,396,945.00	5,260,199.00	10,088,219.00
Annual Total	7,258,167.11	26,603,783.77	32,155,854.34	57,832,476.50	123,850,281.72
FTEs		8.72	10.01	8.63	NA
Source: ISC Financial data system Salary: salaries for ISC staff working on Inuit CFI. Program O&M: Other costs that are required to operate the program at ISC: advertising, training, other things required for ISC to run the initiative. Individual and group requests: Funding that goes for products, services and supports. Service coordination: Funding of salaries for service coordinators. Service coordinators provide families of Inuit children with a knowledgeable resource to help them access health, education and social supports through Inuit CFI; contact Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) on behalf of such children and their families, and navigate existing federal and provincial/territorial health, social, and educational programs and services to address a child's needs.

In January 2024, ISC received funding to address a shortfall in 2023-2024 ($45.8 million) and renewal funding for 2024-2025 ($121.7 million) to continue implementing Inuit CFI. Nine existing FTEs were also funded.

2.4 Expected Outputs and Outcomes

The Inuit CFI falls under ISC's 2019-2020 Departmental Results Framework's "Health and Social Services Core Responsibility."^{Footnote 12} The Inuit CFI supports the following Departmental Results: "Indigenous people and communities are healthier" and "Indigenous People receive social services that respond to community needs'' and falls under the "Child First Initiative – Jordan's Principle" in the Program Inventory. As such, outcomes and indicators were incorporated into the Performance Information Profile for both Jordan's Principle and Inuit CFI.

The expected outcomes are that Inuit children will have improved access to health, education, and social products, services and supports. The performance strategy includes these expected outcomes:

Inuit children have improved access to products, services and supports (immediate);
Inuit children have access to products, services and supports in a timely manner (immediate);
Inuit children's health, social and/or education needs are met (intermediate); and,
Indigenous Peoples are physically well (ultimate).

Section 4.2 Effectiveness provides details on the achievement of Initiative results over the evaluation period.

2.5 Shared Responsibility Model

At the time of this evaluation, ISC and ITK, with the four Inuit Treaty Organizations (ITO) partners, are working towards a co-developed long-term model to replace the current interim approach for the Inuit CFI.

The co-development of this comprehensive model was launched in January 2023. It is led by a joint Canada-Inuit Co-Development Steering Committee which includes members from ITK, all four ITOs, and ISC. In the Fall of 2023, ITK and the ITOs, supported by work undertaken by KPMG, put forward an Inuit vision for the Inuit CFI which focused primarily on improving the Inuit CFI with the aim of reducing barriers and ensuring better and easier access to services by children and families. The vision also sought to increase Inuit control over the Inuit CFI by sharing with Canada the responsibilities for decision making and implementation through a "Shared Responsibility Model". The Inuit vision aligned with ISC's priorities and mandate to improve access to high quality services and to increasingly empower Indigenous Peoples to independently deliver services and address the socio-economic conditions in their communities. In the spring of 2024, Deputy Minister Wilson communicated that the Government of Canada supported the principle of a Shared Responsibility Model (as pursued by Inuit partners) as the approach forward for the Inuit CFI, one that better reflects Inuit voices and aligns with the objectives of self-determination. This evaluation has not considered the Inuit led or share-responsibility model as part of its analysis or findings, but has considered that the current federal model is interim pending a long-term approach.

3. Evaluation methodology

3.1 Considerations

This evaluation takes place in the context of the on-going co-development of a new Shared Responsibility Model between partners. Much work has been done already to support the co-development exercise, including:

Work by Inuit partners supported to engage with ITOs and other stakeholders to assess various potential models;
Ongoing work of the Co-Development Steering Committee, made up of members from ITK, the four ITOs and ISC; and
ISC Inuit CFI Data team produce an annual Deep-Dive to provide a high-level overview of the quantitative data for the Inuit CFI.

In light of this ongoing co-development, there was a desire on the part of the evaluation team not to overburden Inuit partners in terms of consultation and instead to leverage work already completed. The FNIHB policy team offered to share the results of the ITOs engagement, regional process maps and the needs/gaps analysis with the ISC Evaluation team for integration into evaluation findings. The evaluation and key findings represented in this report pertain to the current implementation of the interim federal model of Inuit CFI. These findings and recommendations may or may not be applicable or relevant to the long-term approach of Inuit CFI which foresees an Inuit-led shared responsibility model.

Moreover, because Inuit CFI is not a program but rather an initiative that is modeled after Jordan's Principle, the business processes, definition, and scope of operational implementation have been continuously adapted since the Inuit CFI was launched.

3.2 Collaboration and Engagement

Throughout the evaluation process, the Evaluation Team endeavoured to engage in meaningful collaboration in the spirit of co-development. With the support of the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch's (FNIHB) Performance Measurement Unit and Inuit CFI staff, the evaluation team identified two other groups that provided insight into the evaluation process:

The Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK): Engagement with the ITK was done at various points in time: planning, preliminary findings and reporting.
The Inuit Child First Initiative policy team provided key insights and information during the required time of this evaluation.

ThePerformance Measurement Unit at FNIHBacted as the liaison between the Evaluation team at ISC and the policy team. In addition, it supported the evaluation team in accessing key programmatic information.

3.3 Evaluation Approach and Limitations

This evaluation has a relatively narrow scope and focuses on reporting on performance to-date and identifying lessons learned for future implementation. The 2021 Mid-Term Review of the Inuit CFI along with other studies conducted by ITK have looked at the needs of Inuit children and their communities. This evaluation intends to avoid duplication or overlap with other past or current exercises and as a result, documentation of the needs and the future delivery is limited. The evaluation questions can be found in Annex E.

In addition, the following limitations were identified:

Programmatic performance measurement data is limited to data collected on requests to Inuit CFI and focused on the immediate outcome^{Footnote 13}. To supplement this, qualitative data has been collected through interviews with internal and external partners and case studies help illustrate the impact of the Inuit CFI.
The findings are mostly based on information from key informant interviews, which limits generalization and conclusions. However, a large number of interviews were conducted with a range of internal and external staff/organizations involved in the implementation of Inuit CFI and the findings presented consider those most frequently mentioned during the interviews.
There are challenges in determining the direct impact of Inuit CFI funding as there are many factors influencing Inuit children's health, social and education needs. It is difficult to specifically distinguish the impacts of the Inuit CFI. Nevertheless, qualitative information provides insight into some of these results and partially inform the evaluation.

During the methodological development phase, consultations were undertaken with program representatives and partners to discuss the proposed data collection approach and instruments.

A mix of qualitative methods (see Figure 1) was used to answer the evaluation questions listed in the next section.

A limited literature review has allowed the evaluation team to document the needs of Inuit children related to educational, social and health services and to establish the link between the Inuit CFI's goals and the Government of Canada, ITK and the Inuit Treaty Organization's priorities regarding Inuit children.

Literature and Documents review, Key Informant Interviews, Data Review, Case Studies — Figure 1: Evaluation Lines of Evidence

From January to May 2024, the evaluation team carried out 46 key informant interviews with 62 interviewees in total: 33 interviews (both individual and group) with 46 external stakeholders and 16 key informant internal interviews with ISC staff^{Footnote 14}. Of the internal key informant interviews, there were 4 interviews with employees at National Office and 9 interviews with the Regions. All the external interviewees were related to case studies with the exception of two; one being a service coordinator and the other one a representative of an Inuit Treaty Organization in one of the group interviews. The case studies presented in section 4.2 documenting the outcomes of the Inuit CFI informed other evaluation issues related to relevance, design, and delivery.

Table 2. Interviews and Interviewees Distribution
Type of Interviewees	Number of Interviews	Number of Interviewees	Number of Service Coordinators Interviews	Number of Services Coordinators Interviewees
Internal ISC Regional Office	9	16
Internal ISC Head Quarter (HQ)	4
External Interviewees	33	46	15	25
TOTAL	46	62	15	25

Interviews with external stakeholder groups included Inuit regional and community associations and service coordinators who have been involved in the Inuit CFI implementation. The majority of these interviews with external interviewees were done in the context of the 10 case studies. In order to conduct the interviews, the evaluation team conducted three field trips between March and April 2024 to northern Inuit communities in Nunatsiavut, Nunavik and Nunavut respectively, carrying out interviews with Inuit CFI delivery agencies, and requestors of group initiatives including Inuit CFI local service coordinators. In addition, similar groups of interviewees were visited at two southern-based Inuit organizations—one in the Ottawa region and the other operating in Manitoba.

Cases were selected to reflect regional variation – with 3 cases in Nunavik region; 2 cases in Nunavut region; 1 case in Inuvialuit region; 2 cases in Nunatsiavut region and 2 cases in urban areas in the South. A total of 33 interviews were conducted with 47 people to complete these case studies; many of whom (N=15) were also service coordinators, working in communities and helping with individual requests. Details on each of the case studies are provided in Annex C. In addition, since many of the external interviews for the case studies were also responsible for the service coordination of the Inuit CFI in their regions, they expressed opinions on the Inuit CFI service delivery for both individual and group requests, in addition to their views on their case study.

Finally, an internal data review including performance data was used to assess activities and outputs, and measure progress against short term expected outcomes. More precisely, this data allowed the evaluation team to document the products, supports and services approved during the evaluation period, the processing time and the reach of the Inuit CFI.

4. Key Findings

4.1 Key Findings: Relevance

This section considers the general need for and importance of Inuit CFI. The evaluation considered whether the current model of Inuit CFI is addressing the needs of Inuit children and if the Inuit CFI is aligned with the objectives of Inuit partners and the federal government.

Finding: There is a need to improve timely access to educational, social and health products, services and supports for Inuit children in Canada. The Inuit CFI model is flexible to addressing a wide-ranging set of needs based on the unique needs and circumstances of Inuit children.

To establish the relevance of the Inuit CFI, the evaluation team asked interviewees to share what were their most pressing needs in terms of access to educational, social and health services products, services and supports for the benefit of Inuit children's well-being. Interviewees were also asked about the impacts of climate change and COVID-19 on these needs. This information was complemented with findings from internal data and literature review.

Poverty and basic needs of Inuit children

"The cost of living is very high and junk food is cheaper than nutritious food"

External interviewee

Interviewees identified needs in a variety of areas that are connected to the well-being of Inuit children. For example, many interviewees identified the rising cost of living associated with basic needs such as heating, food and baby essentials. Access to nutritious foods was highlighted as a key challenge, especially in the context of climate change. The need for increased access to many types of products, supports and services, including in education; mental health; and other specialized services was identified as a pressing issue.

In addition to interviews, the literature review confirms what was heard in relation to the needs. Poverty rates are exceptionally high amongst Inuit children. 19.4% of Inuit children fall below the poverty line in contrast to 10.8% of non-Indigenous children (StatCan, 2021). 70% of households in Inuit Nunangat with small children suffer from food insecurity and in some Inuit communities, the prevalence of moderate to severe food insecurity falls between 68% and 75% (StatCan, 2021). The proportion of youth experiencing food insecurity in communities reaches 57% in contrast to 12% for their non-Indigenous peers (StatCan, 2021).

Need for culturally safe services for Inuit children

Interviewees emphasized the importance of access to culturally competent/safe and trauma informed products, services and supports, both inside and outside of Inuit Nunangat. A key concern raised was the experience of Inuit children in care, many of whom are placed with non-Indigenous foster families—over 50% of Inuit children in the south live with non-Indigenous parents. This disconnect underscores the importance of programs that help children maintain connections to their culture. For example, interviewees from the Inuuqatigiit Centre for Inuit Children, Youth, and Families' Educational Hubs in Ottawa emphasized that the lack of Inuit representation and culturally relevant support in mainstream schools contributes to the difficulties these children face. Interviewees from the Arctic Rose Foundation^{Footnote 15}, described how creating safe spaces for youth and incorporating traditional elements into community programs are essential for supporting cultural continuity and addressing the unique needs of Inuit communities.

Impact of climate change and COVID-19

According to interviewees, climate change and COVID-19 has increased Inuit families' needs and exacerbated pre-existing challenges in accessing essential products, services and supports. Regarding climate change, a key concern raised was the diminished ability to access traditional country foods, leading to food insecurity for Inuit families. Hunters face significant challenges as ice conditions worsen, limiting the ability to gather or fish, and forcing communities to adjust their diet and practices, impacting the wellbeing of children. Participants mentioned that climate change also takes a toll on mental health, particularly for youth. The loss of connection to land, a source of cultural identity and wellness, has contributed to anxiety and a sense of grief over environmental changes.

Regarding COVID-19, participants mentioned that many service disruptions occurred, including mental health support services, speech therapy, and school programs, creating a gap in essential care for children. School closures and lack of internet access limited children's ability to continue their education during the pandemic. While some services adapted creatively through, for example, use of technology for virtual services and supports for families to isolate, the pandemic deepened mental health struggles and highlighted long-standing issues like food insecurity.

Inuit experience inequality in comparison to the rest of the Canadian population regarding access to services and in indicators of well-being.

These areas of need align with findings from relevant reports and literature regarding the needs and well-being of Inuit children, families, and communities. For example, some available literature highlights discrepancies in accessibility of services and supports in Inuit Nunangat relative to the rest of Canada. In the area of health for example, while 14.6% of non-Indigenous peoples across Canada report being without a regular health care provider; 56.5% of Inuit living across Canada and 84.5% of Inuit living in Inuit Nunangat (excluding Nunavik) report being without a regular health care provider (Statistics Canada, 2023).^{Footnote 16} Most doctors do not reside in Inuit communities, but instead rotate in and out of Inuit regions from southern Canada and in all the Inuit Nunangat territory, there are only four hospitals for 51 communities.

Funding for infrastructure, although being outside the scope of the Inuit CFI, was mentioned by many interviewees who considered that the lack of infrastructure in Inuit Nunangat was a major issue. Indeed, it highlights the profound nature of the infrastructure gap between Inuit Nunangat and most other areas of Canada; ITK's 2020-23 Strategic Plan states that "closing the Inuit Nunangat infrastructure gap is a necessary condition for many Inuit families to be able to meet their basic needs and achieve prosperity". The ITK 2020-23 Strategic Plan also mentions that this gap contributes to lasting inequities between Inuit populations and the rest of Canada, including in the areas of health and education. In relation to infrastructures, interviewees spoke to a wide range of infrastructure needs that they considered to be connected to the wellbeing of Inuit children. These included the need for physical structures from which to offer a variety of education, health, and social services such as daycare and youth centres, shelters; transitional housing; specialized facilities such as addiction rehabilitation centres, and office spaces. The challenge of adequate housing was also mentioned as intricately connected to the well-being of Inuit children. Indeed, according to Statistics Canada (2017), 51.7% of the Inuit population in Inuit Nunangat lived in crowded housing in 2016.

Significant disparities exist between Inuit and non-Indigenous peoples when it comes to common indicators of well-being. These disparities are the result of historical and systemic barriers in areas such as income, employment, education, housing, and foster care^{Footnote 17} that have limited and continue to limit access to basic services, resources, and opportunities for Inuit populations. While not designed to capture Inuit understandings of well-being, and while they do not capture the richness and wholeness of Inuit culture and realities, select indicators are presented here because they point to severe inequities and reflect elevated needs for supports and services for Inuit children, families and communities.

According to ITK's Statistical Profile (2018)^{Footnote 18}:

While 9% of all Canadians live in crowded homes; 52% of people in Inuit Nunangat live in crowded homes;
While 86% of all Canadians aged 25 to 64 years have earned a high school diploma; 34% of Inuit aged 25-64 in Inuit Nunangat have earned a high school diploma;
While 8% of all households in Canada are food insecure; 70% of Inuit households in Nunavut are food insecure;
In Inuit Nunangat, while the median before tax individual income for non-Indigenous people is $92,011; it is $23,485 for Inuit;
While the infant mortality rate is 4.4/1000 for all of Canada; it is 12.3/1000 for Inuit infants in Canada; and,
While the tuberculosis rate for non-Indigenous people in Canada is 0.6/100,000; it is 181/100,000 for Inuit in Inuit Nunangat.

Higher need for services for younger Inuit population in comparison to the rest of the Canadian population

The Inuit population is young and growing – with 33% of Inuit in Canada under the age of 15, compared to 17% of the total population of Canada. This points to an elevated need for "adequate resources and appropriate programs to ensure that the unique health, education and general well-being needs of young Inuit are met" (ITK, Inuit Statistical Profile, 2018).

Need for Inuit CFI

"Our phones are always ringing. People are asking for basic needs. (…) They call because they don't have food for their kids, they are really worried about making it until child tax, because they don't have beds for their kids to sleep on. They pile up their clothes for their kids to sleep on. They are calling us because they don't have money for clothes, and they are worried their kids will get frostbite due to the cold weather"

(Service coordinator)

The Inuit CFI plays a role in addressing some of the pressing needs identified above. High and increasing demand for Inuit CFI funding, as demonstrated in section 4.2 of this report, is an indication of the need for the types of supports made possible by the Inuit CFI. Interviewees indicated how critical Inuit CFI supports have become to meeting basic and other needs.

Interviewees considered the Inuit CFI's flexibility and demand-driven funding model to be an appropriate approach to address the needs.

"If the funding for grocery would stop, it would be catastrophic for us, the same for the other funding: travel, assessments, etc."

(Service coordinator)

Gaps for children aging out of Inuit CFI

Some interviewees spoke of the need to expand the period of eligibility for supports under the Inuit CFI beyond the age of majority, for children with special needs. According to these interviewees, the current provincial and territorial system also experience gaps in services for youth once they reach the age of majority, leaving them without culturally appropriate health, social, and educational services

Additionally, although some specific aspects of support for parents are Inuit CFI funded (for example, respite for caregivers of children with special needs), other types of support are not eligible, such as activities for developing parenting skills. Because of the important connection between the well-being of children and that of their parents, and to break the cycle of intergenerational trauma, many interviewees felt that Inuit CFI should fund parental supports. Examples provided by interviewees include parenting programs to equip parents with skills to support healthy child development, offering tools to strengthen parent-child attachment and guide parents in their roles. In addition, respite services and additional supports funding on a case-by-case basis by Inuit CFI were considered essential for parents, particularly for parents of children with special needs.

Finding: Inuit CFI objectives are aligned with the priorities of ITK, of ITOs, and of the Government of Canada.

By seeking to improve timely access to educational, health and social supports for Inuit, the Inuit CFI is in line with Objectives 1 and 3 of the ITK Strategy and Action Plan 2020-2023^{Footnote 19}, which are to: Take action to reduce poverty among Inuit and to Advance Inuit-specific health and social development policies, programs, and Initiatives. These objectives aim, among other things, to reduce food insecurity and advance solutions for longstanding health and social challenges faced by Inuit. The Inuit CFI is also in line with Objective 2 of the ITK Strategic Plan 2024-2028, which is to: Improve access to education, health, and disabilities services and also in line with Objective 6: Help improve the safety and security of vulnerable Inuit populations. This objective acknowledges that the health and well-being of Inuit peoples is intricately connected to levels of quality of and access to education and health services. The Inuit CFI is mentioned in both strategic plans.

The Inuit CFI is also in line with the priorities of the four ITOs, including:

the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation's new first law formally taking on more responsibility for children, youth, and families' wellbeing)^{Footnote 20};
the Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI)'s 2022 Mandate statement^{Footnote 21} key priorities areas on health and education;
the Makivik Corporation through the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services (NRBHSS) that is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the populations of the 14 communities on its territory^{Footnote 22};
the Nunatsiavut Government's priorities of improving food security,^{Footnote 23} and offering a variety of programs and services, including Inuit CFI and Non-Insured Health Benefits^{Footnote 24}.

The work of ITK and ITOs to co-develop, with ISC, a shared responsibility model for the future governance and implementation of the Inuit CFI, speaks to its relevance to ITK and ITO priorities.

What the Inuit CFI seeks to achieve also aligns with priorities mentioned in Government of Canada Budgets, Speeches from the Throne and Mandate Letters for ISC Ministers that were released during the evaluation period. Specifically, improved services and supports for health, social, education and prevention for Inuit children, families and communities was included in four Budget Speeches (2018, 2019, 2020, 2022); in two Speeches from the Throne (2020, 2021) and in the 2021 Mandate Letter for the Minister of ISC. Improving the well-being and quality of life of Inuit children, families and communities was referred to in five Budget Speeches (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023); in two Speeches from the Throne (2020, 2021) and in the 2021 Mandate Letter for the Minister of ISC.

4.2 Key Findings: Effectiveness

This section presents evaluation findings regarding the extent to which the Inuit CFI progressed towards intended outcomes during the evaluation period.

The intended outcomes of the Inuit CFI are as follows:

Immediate Outcome 1: Inuit children have improved access to products, services and supports
Immediate Outcome 2: Inuit children have access to products, services and supports in a timely manner
Intermediate Outcome: Inuit children's health, social and/or education needs are met
Ultimate Outcome: Indigenous Peoples are physically well

Finding: Since the implementation of Inuit CFI, there has been significant growth in the number of approved products, services and supports to meet the needs of Inuit children. The funding approved and provided through Inuit CFI is considered as a proxy measure for improved access to products, services and supports for Inuit children.

According to ISC internal data from December 2024, the number of approved requests for Inuit CFI supports increased 27-fold between 2019-20 and 2023-24.

Table 3 below presents the total approved products, services and supports of individual and group requests through the Inuit CFI by Inuit Treaty Region between April 1 2019 and March 31 2024. This table shows that the total number of approved products, services and supports went from 3,380 in 2019-2020, to 93,996 in 2023-2024. During this period, a total of 227,126 products, services and supports were approved across the four Inuit Treaty Regions. The total number of approved products increased between 2019-2020 and 2020-2021; decreased from 2020-2021 to 2021-2022; and increased for the two subsequent years; from 2021-2022 to 2022-2023 and from 2022-2023 to 2023-2024.

In terms of approved supports by Inuit Treaty Region, Nunavut is the region that benefitted from the most products, services and supports during the evaluation coverage period (N=108,375 or 48% of the total), followed by Nunavik (N=85,873 or 38% of the total), Inuvialuit (N=21,144 or 9% of the total), and Nunatsiavut (N=8,588 or 4% of the total).

Caution in Interpretation:

The number of approved products, services, and supports for group requests is not directly comparable to the number of children reached. Counts are based on the estimated number of individuals a request is intended to benefit, and a single child may receive multiple products, services, or supports. In cases where a submission includes multiple requests for a set number of individuals, the total is calculated by multiplying the number of requests by the number of individuals. This approach may inflate the overall count. For example, a submission with five requests intended for three children would be counted as 15 products, services, and supports.

Table 3. Total Approved Products, Services, and Supports of Individual and Group requests through the Inuit Child First Initiative by Inuit Treaty Region, April 1, 2019 March 31, 2024^{Footnote 25}
Inuit Treaty Region	Fiscal Year
	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24 (April 1-March 31, 2024)			Total (April 1, 2019 – March 31, 2024)
	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	Individual	Group	Total	Total (April 1, 2019 – March 31, 2024)
Inuvialuit (population 3,145)	1,176	3,625	4,393	6,014	2,837	3,099	5,936	21,144
Nunatsiavut (population 2,095)	53	3,158	765	2,035	2,477	100	2,577	8,588
Nunavik (population 12,590)	276	25,309	17,044	21,987	848	20,409	21,257	85,873
Nunavut (population 30,865)	731	9,738	10,258	23,895	18,396	45,357	63,753	108,375
Unknown	1,144	46	41	1,442	239	234	473	3,146
Total	3,380	41,876	32,501	55,373	24,797	69,199	93,996	227,126
Source: Jordan's Principle Case Management System, extracted on December 11, 2024 Note: Population numbers from the 2021 StatCan Census are indicated in parentheses beside each Inuit treaty region.

The Inuit CFI supports various types of products, supports and services that are grouped into the following top categories: Economic Supports, Education, Travel, and Other. Detailed lists of sub-categories of supports are provided in Annex D^{Footnote 26}. As shown in Figure 2 below, which presents the trends in categories of approved supports during the evaluation coverage period, there have been important increases in economic supports in particular, and also in travel supports, between 2021-2022 and 2023-2024. Requests for economic supports can include: financial supports (e.g. identification fees); rent; utilities; groceries and personal care (e.g. clothing/shoes/accessories); as well as household items and accessories (e.g. furniture, small appliances). Requests for travel supports are limited to requests for non-medical purposes, including such expenses as: air, ground and water travel; meals and accommodation.

Graphic on the Approved Requests by Category — Figure 2: Approved Requests by Category

Outreach and Communication Strategy

One of the Inuit CFI's outputs is "Outreach and communication to raise awareness of the Inuit CFI and associated supports." This output is intended to contribute to improvements in access to products, services and supports for Inuit children through Inuit CFI.

Regarding this output, during the evaluation coverage period, ISC developed a variety of tools to promote the Inuit CFI, including a webpage (developed in collaboration with ITK and offered in both official languages and Inuktut)^{Footnote 27}, posters, wallet cards, and pull-up banners. These materials were distributed in northern locations such as schools, health departments, and non-profit organizations. ISC's communication team regularly published content about the Inuit CFI on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn as part of broader social media plans aimed at increasing awareness. From 2020-2021, ISC ran 6-8-week advertising campaigns annually to promote the Inuit CFI. An internal ISC study found that a 2023-2024 advertising campaign resulted in a 60% increase in website traffic compared to regular levels. Other outreach efforts included unpaid social media posts and external partners' websites (e.g., ITK, Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, Nunatsiavut Government). Additionally, a 1-800 O Canada info line is provided for public inquiries, along with a direct number to reach Inuit CFI ( -800 number available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week). ITK also produced, posted and disseminated the ATUAGAQ, a Guide for Families Navigating the Inuit Child First Initiative, in English and French and both Inuktut alphabets.

When evaluators asked interviewees if they were aware of the tools developed by ISC for communication and outreach activities, interviewees did not express an opinion. Some external interviewees indicated a lack of awareness and usage of ISC's website or other social media tools developed by ISC. Many interviewees mentioned that awareness of the Inuit CFI was primarily spread through word of mouth, social media (particularly Facebook), and local organizations.

A few interviewees noted that even if there was an increase in awareness, barriers remained in remote areas where families lack access to accurate information on the Inuit CFI. Evaluators found that in a few instances, individuals being interviewed as part of on-site case study visits were not always aware of what was eligible through the Inuit CFI. For example, a school assistance director was not aware that individual educational support could be offered; and a health specialist was not aware that the Inuit CFI could support groceries.

Finding (Immediate Outcome 2): The evaluation found that determination through Inuit CFI did not meet the timeline targets. This is a proxy for timeliness of access to products, services and supports.

The Inuit CFI aims to ensure that Inuit children receive services within timeframes that mirror Jordan's Principle and CHRT ordered timelines. During the evaluation coverage period, service standards were in place to guide what represented timeliness in making a determination on requests^{Footnote 28}. These are presented in Table 4 below.

Table 4. Service Standards for Inuit CFI Determinations
Type of concern	For one child or multiple children in the same family or with the same guardian	For a group of children from multiple families or guardians
Urgent (health or safety is at risk)	12 hours from receiving all necessary information	48 hours from receiving all necessary information
Non-urgent	48 hours from receiving all necessary information	1 week from receiving all necessary information

According to the Inuit CFI Program Information Profile, the program was aiming for a target of 70% compliance to service standards for urgent requests and a target of 85% compliance to service standards for non-urgent requests.

Note that service standards are measured as the time between a request being considered complete (i.e., a request with complete documentation), and a decision being rendered and communicated to a requester. Prior to a request being completed, an initial request needs to be submitted; reviewed by ISC; and, if needed, communication with requesters may be needed to complete the required documentation. This full intake period is not captured in calculations regarding service standard compliance and is not captured in the below quantitative data. This is a limitation of the evaluation. It is likely that additional time is taken by the steps in this intake period, and could be due to a number of factors, for example: the time between a requester sending a request and ISC reviewing the request; the time required for requesters to respond with additional documentation.

Throughout the evaluation coverage period, ISC has largely fallen short in meeting its targets to achieve service standards for both urgent and non-urgent requests.

Service Standard Targets

Regarding urgent requests, Figure 3 below shows that between 2021-22 and 2023-24 the target service standard rate of 70% was only met in Q1 of 2022-23. Overall, there is a declining trend with service standards, and rates fluctuated between 16% and 26% in 2023-24.

Graphic on the Rate of urgent requests determined within service standard for the Inuit CFI by fiscal year and quarter, FY 2021-2022 to FY 2023-2024 — Figure 3: Rate of urgent requests determined within service standard for the Inuit CFI by fiscal year and quarter, FY 2021-2022 to FY 2023-2024

Regarding non-urgent requests, Figure 4 below shows that the target service standard rate of 85% was not met in any quarter between 2021-2022 and 2023-2024. The highest rate was 64% in Q4 of 2021-2022, and overall, there is a declining trend with service standards, and rates fluctuated between 37% and 43% in 2023-2024.

Graphic on the Rate of non-urgent requests determined within service standard for the Inuit CFI by fiscal year and quarter, FY 2021-2022 to FY 2023-2024 — Figure 4: Rate of non-urgent requests determined within service standard for the Inuit CFI by fiscal year and quarter, FY 2021-2022 to FY 2023-2024

This information is also corroborated by qualitative data gathered through the evaluation. Of note, when it comes to qualitative data presented below, it was not possible to discern whether participant perspectives pertained to concerns with the time taken to complete the 'intake' period, or to the time taken for a determination to be made once a request was considered for determination. It is likely that qualitative perspectives gathered pertained to concerns with the time taken to complete both of these steps.

Throughout the evaluation, increasing delays to the determination of requests emerged as a persistent issue in interviews with both ISC staff and external stakeholders. This issue was mentioned in 22 interviews and referenced approximately 67 times, highlighting significant concerns regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of current processes. Of those 22 interviews, 22.7% (5) were with interviewees from ISC, and 77.3% (17) were with external interviewees. Of those 17 external interviewees, 76.5% (13) were service coordinators.

Service Standards vary by Inuit Treaty Region

While the evaluation does not have quantitative service standard information provided by Inuit Treaty Region, qualitative data brought to light that these issues seem to mainly affect Nunavut and Inuvialuit regions. Indeed, it appears as though the delay in the determination of requests is very little in Nunavik and Nunatsiavut, and that it is an important issue in Nunavut and Inuvialuit regions, with some interviewees describing having to wait several months for determination to be made. Note that these latter two regions also have a significantly higher caseload.

During interviews, interviewees mentioned that processing times were particularly high in Nunavut. Internal data show that the overall delays to approval of requests indeed increased overall in Nunavut region between 2021-2022 and 2023-2024. As shown by Figure 5 below, above the 50th percentile of requests received, delays to approval increased dramatically for between 2021-2022 and 2023-2024. For example, while 50% of determined requests were determined within 5 days in 2023-2024, this took 1 day in 2021-2022. In 2023-2024, 75% of determined requests were determined within 42 days; whereas this took 4 days in 2021-2022. Finally, while 90% of determined requests were determined within 17 days in 2021-2022, this took 162 days in 2023-2024.

Graphic on the Distribution of Time to Determination, Nunavut Land Claim Region, FY 2021-2022 to FY 2023-2024 — Figure 5: Distribution of Time to Determination, Nunavut Land Claim Region, FY 2021-2022 to FY 2023-2024

Inconsistency in Processing Time

Interviews carried out for the evaluation brought to light that delays to determination of requests can vary greatly from one request to another, generating challenges for service coordinators.

"For some requests, it has been a year and now we see a non-emergency request being approved in a day or two. We are asking ourselves: Why? What is going on? (…) sometimes it gets really frustrating (…) We currently have a request from December 2023 for which we do not have any reply yet."

(Service coordinator)

"The length of time in responses are always bizarre to me. Some stuff comes back same day and this other one - a lady asking why her baby supports 5 months in aren't approved yet. Inconsistency in timing."

(Service coordinator)

"We get a lot of angry calls from people asking what happened to the application and when is it going to be approved."

(Service coordinator)

Some service coordinators mentioned that they would like to be informed of the status of their requests and to have an approximate time to share with requestors to manage expectations.

Impact of Delays on Inuit Children

Delays in the determination of requests beyond service standard periods have an impact on Inuit children and on the achievement of the Inuit CFI's higher level outcomes. For example, one service coordinator shared an example whereby an urgent request for baby formula was not approved for six months and a request for a crib was still not approved four months after a baby's birth. Service coordinators mentioned that delays are detrimental to beneficiaries: essential needs such as groceries, rent, and baby formula are delayed, leading to financial strain and hardship for families. They also mentioned that some individuals incur additional costs (e.g., interest on credit cards, out-of-pocket medical travel expenses) while waiting for request determinations.

Access to timely critical supports

Evaluation participants provided examples where limited access to supports for Inuit children, youth and families is critical. Evaluation participants mentioned that access to mental health supports and services, including diagnosis and counselling, is challenging; that wait times for mental health services can be exceptionally long; and that Inuit children and youth at times need to travel south to access these and other services. According to one participant:

"One of my clients were waiting a couple of months for counselling sessions to start, which is hard especially with the needs of some of our clients. It [long wait times] could be suicidal, it could be just a lot of traumas or a lot of diagnosed with different things, and they are not getting the supports and services."

(External Interviewee)

Finding: Inuit CFI funding disbursed during the evaluation coverage period has generated multiple, varied benefits for Inuit children, families and communities, including 2SLGBTQQIA+ youth.

Case studies brought to light various diverse and positive results for Inuit children as a result of the Inuit CFI, and are summarized below. Note that in the process of completing case studies, good practices implemented by Inuit CFI recipient organizations also were brought to light.

"It's [the Inuit CFI] definitely had an impact in a really good way on a lot of families."

Case study participant

Higher level outcomes, or how funding and services impact overall or downstream wellbeing, cannot be directly measured through Inuit CFI data indicators. As such, there are no performance data that allows for measuring the Inuit CFI contribution to higher-level outcomes. Therefore, it was not possible for the evaluation to provide a comprehensive picture in this regard. In the absence of this, the evaluation sought to provide examples of the difference the Inuit CFI is making in the lives of Inuit children. This was done through 10 qualitative case studies centered around group proposal requestors and other external stakeholders involved in these projects.

"I do think it's a phenomenal program and has reached a lot of people of Nunavut."

Case study participant

Overall, the Inuit CFI has proven to be a critical support, meeting both urgent and immediate needs related to the well-being of Inuit children. Case studies brought to light various diverse and positive results for Inuit children as a result of the Inuit CFI, which are summarized below. Note that in the process of completing case studies, good practices implemented by Inuit CFI recipient organizations also were brought to light.

"There's some families who kids didn't have breakfast, right. They couldn't afford it. For those families, it's even a bigger impact because now their children are being fed when they go to school."

Case study participant

Basic Necessities and Food Security (Case Studies 3, 8, 9): The Inuit CFI has provided funding for children and families to access essential items like heating oil, groceries, winter clothing, electricity arrears, basic infant necessities such as formula and diapers, and furniture. (Case Studies 3 and 9). A school food program implemented by the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation has been providing breakfast to students in schools, which interviewees considered to contribute to improved school attendance; improved child nutrition; and reduced financial stress on parents (Case study 8).
Education and Daycare Support (Case Studies 1, 6, 7, 10): Initiative funding has supported various education supports such as education services for children whose parents are in therapy, artistic after school workshop and educational hubs in a southern urban setting (Case studies 6, 7 and 10). Emergency daycare services improved children's access to education and care and also helped working parents, especially single mothers, to maintain employment by providing a care option for their children (Case study 1).
Mental Health and Wellness (Case Studies 4, 5, 9): The Inuit CFI has improved access to mental health assessments and treatments. Collaborations with mental health professionals have helped children avoid long wait times for hospital services, enabling quicker diagnoses and interventions. As a result, children struggling with mental health issues are receiving support earlier, preventing further complications (Case studies 4, 5 and 9).
Specialized Health Services (Case Studies 2, 9): Case study 2 provided an example whereby pediatric audiologists based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba used Inuit CFI funding to travel North to provide audiology assessment and care services for Inuit children. This project sought to increase access to this specialized health service for children who did not previously have access and will help provide diagnosis of hearing loss at an early age, to avoid misdiagnosis, that will enhance overall well-being of children who have hearing problems (Case study 2). A Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) resource center has also allowed to provide services to families living with the FASD (Case Study 9).
Cultural Preservation and Identity (Case Studies 1, 5, 6, 7, 10): Many case studies demonstrate significant contributions to preserving the cultural identity and well-being of Inuit children by embedding Inuit-specific practices. For example, emergency childcare has enabled children to access daycare services led by Inuit educators through a framework that puts forward Inuit knowledge and values, thus strengthening cultural preservation and identity (Case study 5). Family unity is at the center of the Isuarsivik Recovery Center intervention through its inclusive services that integrate cultural practices (on the land activities for families) (Case study 6). The Messy Book Program connects Inuit youth with their cultural roots through art and storytelling while building leadership skills of the local students hired to lead afterschool activities (Case study 7). The Ottawa Educational school hubs are also targeting cultural preservation by having a school for Inuit children with cultural support and various cultural activities (Case study 10).
Funding support for basic needs of children (Case Study 3): The Inuit CFI has played a crucial role in supporting parents through various projects. In some cases, the support provided for basic needs by giving families the minimum they need to pay for food, rent or electricity (Case study 3). These interventions contribute to keeping families together and are helpful to children receiving proper care in their homes. The following quote demonstrates an example of the connection between income supports for basic needs and family preservation, as supported through the Inuit CFI:

"We have these families living in these houses with no furniture, no stove, no nothing and no means of purchasing it. So that's sad, it's really sad, but now [due to support from Inuit CFI] a lot of people now have all the things that they need and our support alone is improving the children's lives too because they're not stressed out. They're not worried, they're not trying to cope with having the basic necessities for their children of the worry and the fear that because they can't provide these necessities their children are going to be taken away."

(Service coordinator)

Capacity Building and Program Expansion (Case Studies 3, 4, 9): The Inuit CFI has allowed for the expansion of services to reach more children and families. For instance, group applications, such as those for cultural or educational programs, broaden the scope of support, benefiting not just individuals but entire communities (Case studies 3,4,9).
Support for 2SLGBTQIA+ Youth (interviewees from Case Studies 4, 7, 9): Interviews also highlighted examples whereby the Inuit CFI supported diverse Inuit children and youth with supports to allow them to address their specific needs, including Inuit children and youth in care; Inuit children and youth living outside of Inuit Nunangat; Inuit children and youth who identify as 2SLGBTQQIA+; and Inuit children and youth with disabilities. Some examples of activities supported by the Inuit CFI are targeting these needs, including: education and awareness on inclusivity, mental health and counselling services for gender affirmation, material for 2SLGBTQQIA+ youth and those questioning their identity, and role modeling through conferences and activities led by members of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community.
Children with Disabilities (many external interviewees): For children with disabilities, the Inuit CFI provides support by offering assessments for conditions like autism and behavioral or mental health issues, which often require costly services not available locally. It also helps with hearing issues and learning disabilities by ensuring that children with disabilities can access the necessary educational and health resources and supports, filling gaps when education and health systems are not adequately supporting needs.

These outcomes not only contribute to the Inuit CFI's intended outcomes, but they also align with and contribute to ITK's strategic objectives, fostering poverty reduction, advancing health and social development policies, and supporting the protection and revitalization of Inuktitut (see Annex F for a description of the ways in which observable outcomes under Inuit CFI connect with ITK strategic objectives).

"As an overarching explanation, you can say that what we are doing is we are breaking the cycle of addictions, of mental health issues, with these children. Their parents, their grandparents were failed at different points along their journey, we are no longer failing the children."

Case study participant

Finally, many interviewees emphasized how essential the Inuit CFI has become in their communities given the many needs and gaps in services that exist. Some interviewees even considered that the Inuit CFI was contributing to breaking intergenerational cycles of addiction and mental health issues.

Good Practices in Implementing Inuit CFI Projects

Over the course of the evaluation, interviewees provided many examples of good practices in delivering and coordinating Inuit CFI. Most of these have to do with navigating the existing challenges in broader health, education and social systems to meet the needs of and achieve outcomes for Inuit children. While Inuit CFI is addressing particular gaps, it has also shed light on existing barriers and challenges and has led to insights on how to best tackle them.

Cultural Integration
A key lesson learned is that cultural integration is critical for the Inuit CFI success. Engaging local staff, like Turaartaviits (local workers), ensures services are culturally relevant, maintain traditional practices, and create a stronger sense of community.Ensuring sustainability through capacity building allows maintaining knowledge within communities, fostering long-term support.Having culturally adapted tools and communication methods has proven to increase outreach and service uptake, emphasizing the value of adapting resources to local cultural and linguistic contexts. "The [local service coordination] has appropriated the Inuit CFI, developed tools in their language with logos in their colours, and they go after their clients according to their own culture, their own values, and these are definitely good practices to have. It's more Inuit than ISC." [Free translation] (Internal interviewee) One interviewee highlighted the involvement of Elders in early childhood centres to reinforce traditional practices, while the Arctic Rose Foundation focuses on promoting culture through Inuit artists addressing cultural needs.
Holistic Approach to Support
Projects and organisations that address the full spectrum of a child's needs—educational, social, cultural, and nutritional—have seen the most success. Integrating various forms of support, such as family-based interventions, with culturally adapted services, has demonstrated improved outcomes for children in challenging environments. "If you want a kid to graduate, you need to provide services to meet all their needs (holistic)." Ottawa School hubs case study, Kitikmeot Friendship Society and Nunatsiavut Health Services case studies (Case studies 3,4,9 and 10) are positive examples of having a variety of services for families under the same umbrella.
Collaboration and Coordination
Some service coordinators and group requestors explained having benefitted from strong coordination between stakeholders, including government agencies, local organizations, and health and education authorities. Open discussion of challenges and regular meetings with formalized committees in place are strategies mentioned for collaborative solution findings. Also, streamlined group proposals, regular communication, and collaborative approaches have been particularly effective in addressing systemic issues like food insecurity. For example, setting up grocery store accounts has helped families access essential supplies more efficiently without upfront costs. "We do logistics and procurement for the products and services as well, which makes us a little different than some of the service coordination hubs in our region. We do purchase on behalf of families because we recognized that finances are a significant barrier to being able to access Inuit CFI." "We have had many questions on the hubs. A lot of us are on a healing journey—so helping other organizations with tools etc. so that they don't have to reinvent the wheels."

4.3 Key Findings: Efficiency

Finding:The Inuit CFI model is complex to deliver and there are inherent challenges to its implementation

The following section highlights key areas of concern regarding service delivery of Inuit CFI. These relate to workload challenges to deliver Inuit CFI reported by staff internal to ISC as well as service coordinators based in communities, improving awareness of Inuit cultural and needs, and added complexity of coordinating requests to Inuit CFI with other federal or provincial programs and where Inuit travel to other jurisdictions to receive services.

In the current landscape of available supports for Inuit children, the Inuit CFI is greatly needed and essential. However, in the absence of efforts beyond the Inuit CFI to fill the many gaps in existing programs, supports and services, the Inuit CFI model involves inefficiencies, as can be seen in the above example pertaining to coordination of medical travel between programs and between jurisdictions. Broader challenges, such as infrastructure and poverty, extend beyond the scope of the Inuit CFI and require coordinated efforts across provincial, territorial, and federal programs to address underlying needs and support lasting outcomes for Inuit children.

Surge in requests and impact on ISC staff

The current Inuit CFI service delivery model requires that both individual and group requests are assessed and determined on a case-by-case basis. According to interviewees, the surge in volume of individual requests requiring review has greatly increased the workload for existing staff and has led to increased pressure on staff contributing to feelings of being overwhelmed, stressed, fatigued, and potentially burnt-out.

ISC data presented in Figure 6 below shows that between 2021-2022 and 2023-2024, the number of requests determined by ISC nearly tripled, from around 407 in early 2021-2022 to over 1,100 in the last quarter of fiscal year 2023-2024. According to ISC data, the Inuit CFI did not have a proportional increase of full-time equivalent (FTEs) employees (9 FTEs per year) since 2019. However, Inuit CFI human resources are shared and supported by those of the Jordan Principle, which has seen a rise in human resources. Regardless of the shared human resources with Jordan Principle staff, regional offices often rely on overtime to manage workloads and some regions report being understaffed and having a high turn-over rate. According to an interviewee, this is not sustainable in the long term : "in a given day, in our region, we're lucky if we get through a quarter of the requests that come in in a day and the backlog just keeps building and building and building".

Graphic on the Number of Requests Processed by ISC within Service Standard Timelines By Fiscal Year and Quarter FY 2021-22 to FY 2023-24 (blue bars) — Figure 6: Number of Requests Processed by ISC within Service Standard Timelines By Fiscal Year and Quarter FY 2021-22 to FY 2023-24 (blue bars)

Interviewees also spoke to the complexity of processing requests under the Inuit CFI model which adds to the workload and time required to undertake tasks. For example, ISC staff interviewed mentioned that follow-up with the requestors is often needed to obtain necessary documentation. The same ISC staff are also responsible for administrative tasks such as data entry of requests into the case management and payment systems, and undertaking accounting-related steps. In complex requests, it may be necessary to escalate the request to the national level to obtain a centralized review. In general, complex cases or denials in particular involve additional iterations of correspondence, which can cause delays and potential inefficiencies.

"There is still a significant lag time … There is back and forth that we don't believe should be there. This is on individual cases and particularly with new [ISC] staff."

(Service coordinator)

Recruitment, retention and growing workload of service coordinators based in remote, rural and isolated locations.

The shortage of staff was also reported as a significant concern for service coordinators, particularly those based in smaller communities. High turnover rates in staff, partly due to housing challenges, coupled with uncompetitive salaries for certain positions, contribute to workforce instability and have affected the consistency and speed of service delivery. This issue is compounded by the difficulty in attracting qualified professionals to remote areas. If there is nowhere to live, staff cannot stay in the area. Some have resorted to hiring remote personnel for telework, which, according to some, is not the most effective way to support Inuit children and families. A few interviewees put forward some proposed solutions such as creating incentives to retain local staff through supportive working conditions and training opportunities.

Engagement with and Cultural Competency of ISC Staff

Overall, service coordinators were satisfied with the quality of their relationships with ISC staff. The main challenge raised is the difficulty in reaching ISC staff although some external interviewees reported satisfaction with their interactions with ISC, praising the ease of communication and flexibility, especially regarding urgent needs. Several noted that ISC staff are responsive, collaborative, supportive, and committed to resolving challenges, despite a high workload.

"Our relationship is extremely good, and we have a great working relationship. There's a couple of senior managers that we can reach out to if we are having serious issues with a worker or a file. They are always willing to speak to any delay. We then explain to people that it could take six months or longer."

(Service coordinator)

"They are trying, and the influx of applications is so high. We have a great relationship with them. When they see a trend, they reach out to us, and they try to support."

(Service coordinator)

Issues raised regarding relationships between service coordinators and ISC staff have to do mainly with challenges in reaching ISC staff.

"Miscommunication is problematic. If we could call directly ISC to have access and understand the status of the various requests: what stage they are at? We need to have some information to tell to the applicants where is their demand."

(Service coordinator)

"[ISC staff are] difficult to reach but once you reach them you get good service."

(Service coordinator)

"They are busy all the time and sometimes there are no follow-ups."

(Service coordinator)

Service coordinators interviewed also mentioned the need for ISC regional staff, especially new staff, to better understand Inuit culture and context. Improvements have been noted, such as ISC staff becoming more familiar with Inuit needs. However, some service coordinators interviewed indicated more Inuit workers on teams and better cultural understanding in decision-making processes.

ISC internal interviewees explained that it was a learning process to really be able to create relationships with service coordinators and to have a better cultural understanding to better serve the clientele. Service coordinators shared this perspective, stressing the need for stable ISC staff to avoid repeatedly educating new program officers about their realities.

Complexity of coordinating requests for Inuit children between programs and jurisdictions

As outlined in section 4.1 Key Findings: Relevance, access to services and supports in Inuit Nunangat is a challenge relative to the rest of Canada, and Inuit often have to travel to other jurisdictions to access health services. For example, existing medical travel programs do not always cover the costs for children requiring treatment or for the parent or guardian and other children accompanying them. This is funded by the Inuit CFI according to need and on a case-by-case basis.

Box 1. Inuit CFI and medical travel in a Nunavut region

In one Nunavut region that was considered as part of the evaluation, the local office of the Department of Health, Government of Nunavut administers NIHB medical travel, and Inuit CFI service coordinators submit requests for additional children and escorts to join on medical travel. These requests need to be approved and booked by southern-based ISC staff working for Inuit CFI. In practice, once medical travelers obtain their itinerary from medical travel (NIHB/Government of Nunavut), they can submit a request to Inuit CFI for children and an additional escort to accompany.

Box 1 provides an example of how medical travel is coordinated between the territorial government and Inuit CFI, for one region in Nunavut. In this example and in other jurisdictions as well, interviewees spoke of the heavy workload that is generated by the coordination of Inuit CFI supports with other jurisdictions and programs, and by the challenge of coordinating services, travel, lodging or supporting services while the children are based in another jurisdictions.

Many service coordinators interviewed indicated that while meeting an important need for Inuit children, coordination challenges in booking medical travel often lead to delays, cancelled appointments, separation of families and placing a high work load on service coordinators, ISC staff and staff from provincial and territorial governments.

Interviewees in Nunavut even considered that the current way of operating placed a burden on requesters, with one respondent saying "I've had a 9-month pregnant woman running to the health center and back" – to arrange for medical travel. The complexity and challenges that are inherent to delivering the Inuit CFI need to be considered in relation to the capacity to deliver the Initiative.

Process improvements to submitting a request to Inuit CFI

Service coordinators interviewed considered that application forms should be simplified and available in Inuit languages, and mentioned that some regions had already taking steps to translate and simplify forms and develop web platforms.

"There are Inuit organizations that have taken it upon themselves to do their own form, which is fine, but if we have an Inuit client that wants to work with us directly and says 'I'd like a form to fill out', I have to send them the First Nations form [Jordan's Principle application form] and it's so inappropriate that it's not [adapted]. That has been one of my biggest frustrations over the last five years, is that no one has taken it seriously to do it."

4.4 Considerations, conclusion and recommendations

Progress towards a shared responsibility model:

During the evaluation conduct period, ITK, ITOs, and ISC were working together in co-development. During this time, Inuit partners put forward a Shared Responsibility Model as the long-term approach for the Inuit CFI – one that better reflects Inuit choices and aligns with the objective of Inuit self-determination. This evaluation did not incorporate the ongoing co-development process. It is worth noting that through interviews, some participants raised concerns regarding varying organizational capacity to manage a large-scale Initiative such as the Inuit CFI moving forward. While most regions expressed enthusiasm about taking control of services, they also raised concerns regarding their capacity to manage the administration without adequate support. These concerns have been – and will continue to be - taken into consideration by all partners involved in the co-development process.

Feedback from Inuit partners

In the review of the evaluation report, ITK and Inuit Treaty Organizations offered additional observations and suggestions, including potential recommendations highlighting the need for flexibility in administering the Inuit CFI to reflect the realities of life in Inuit Nunangat to address the diverse needs of children and communities. While some findings pointed to the importance of flexibility in the Initiative's delivery, the Evaluation Team concluded that neither the methodology or evidence were strong enough to support further recommendations. The Evaluation Team acknowledges that this was a limitation of the evaluation, given its narrow scope, and suggests that future evaluations take this into consideration.

Conclusion

The evaluation of the Inuit CFI highlights both its significant achievements and areas requiring improvement. The Inuit CFI has positively impacted the lives of Inuit children and families by addressing essential needs across health, education, and social services. Through the increasing support provided throughout the evaluation period for a variety of products and services, it has succeeded in enhancing access to essential services and fulfill some of the basic needs of Inuit children. However, delays in processing times, resource constraints, and other contextual barriers such as lack of infrastructures and access to health services remain barriers to optimal service delivery.

Key lessons from the evaluation emphasize the importance of cultural integration, sustainable funding, and collaboration among stakeholders. By building capacity within Inuit communities and simplifying administrative processes, the Inuit CFI can better meet the growing demand for its services. Additionally, transitioning to a co-developed Shared Responsibility Model with Inuit partners presents an opportunity to create a more tailored and efficient delivery system, addressing regional disparities and fostering self-determination.

1. ISC should explore operational processes and efficiencies specific to Inuit CFI in order to improve backlogs and delays to determination of requests.

Annex A: Back-to-Basic Approach

The Back-to-Basics approach stems from the desired outcomes outlined in the Work Plan to Improve Outcomes under Jordan's Principle, annexed to a December 2021 Agreement in Principle with the Parties to the original CHRT complaint. The Back-to-Basics approach requires that assessors begin with the assumption that substantive equality will apply in all requests considering the colonial legacy that has and continues to impact First Nations and Inuit. The approach sets out parameters around identifying urgent requests, documentation requirements and the use of case conferencing in complicated situations, and reiterates that substantive equality, distinct community circumstances, and the best interests of the child, are considered when reviewing requests. Under the Back-to-Basics approach, ISC Focal Points and others decision makers will assess requests with the assumption that substantive equality applies. This means that there is a presumption that First Nations and Inuit children need services beyond the kinds or levels of services available to non-Indigenous children due to the unique disadvantage that they face. Normative standards or the types, duration and frequency of services, products and supports made available through the provinces and territories must not be relied upon to deny requests.

The term "best interests of a child" broadly describes the well-being of a child, which can be determined by a variety of individual circumstances, such as age, health status, presence, or absence of parents, as well as the child's environment and life experiences. In order to consider the best interests of the child, Inuit CFI recognizes that understanding the impact of intergenerational trauma and the role of the child in the family and community is needed to appropriately take all measures to help Inuit children have an equal chance to live up to their full potential, taking full account of their distinct culture.

A note that at the time of the evaluation, several aspects of the Back-to-Basics Approach were modified and are no longer in effect or part of the operational guidance; for example the self-identification of urgent request or approach to letters of support.

Annex B: Logic Model

Inuit Child-First Initiative - Logic Model

Annex C: Case Studies

In March 2024, the evaluation team made three trips to communities in Nunatsiavut, Nunavik and Nunavut and conducted a series of face-to-face interviews, followed by virtual interviews with a total of 46 external interviewees (33 interviews, some of which were group interviews). Most interviews were related to group applications funded by the Inuit CFI and led to the development of the following case studies. The content of the following case studies is based on internal documentation on funded group applications and the opinions of interviewees. The evaluation team shared the draft case studies with interviewees for validation and produced a summary version for each.

Case Study List

Case Study 1. Kativik Emergency Childcare Services in Nunavik
Case Study 2. Audiology services: hearing testing for Inuit Children in Nunavut
Case Study 3. Nunatsiavut: Basic Needs
Case Study 4. Nunatsiavut: Mental Wellness
Case Study 5. Agir Tôt
Case Study 6. Isuarsivik Recovery Center
Case Study 7. Arctic Rose Foundation: Messy Book project
Case Study 8. Inuvialuit Regional Corporation School Foods Program
Case Study 9. Kitikmeot Friendship Society
Case Study 10. Ottawa educational hubs

Case Study 1. Kativik Emergency Childcare Services in Nunavik

Context

Nunavik's population is growing quickly. At this rate, the daycare network in place in the region cannot accommodate all the children present in the communities of Nunavik. This is a very serious problem, because many parents of young children work in the school network and cannot attend work when they are unable to have daycare services for their children. This encourages resignations because it is a very difficult situation from the start. Even if the school administrators are flexible and adapt to the context, it is a constant stress for the parent to bring his child to school or to have to wait to see if the daycare is going to be open or not that day. Many choose not to apply to local position because they would be unable to attend the workplace specifically because they do not have access to childcare services. This situation explains many local vacancies at Kativik Ilisarniliriniq, the school board of Nunavik.

Project

An initial request was sent to the Inuit CFI in March 2023 with the goal of meeting the needs of Kativik Ilisarniliriniq staff and students with children. The initial request was for the implementation of emergency daycares in seven schools, for three years, in seven communities. The request included eight childcare educator's salaries, $40,000 for snack food, $40,000 for equipment, and the salary of a coordinator. The project was estimated to reach 70 children at an approximate cost of $2,185,434.45 over three years. Funds were provided under the Inuit CFI. By the fall of 2023, emergency daycares were implemented in some Nunavik communities. Emergency daycares functioned in schools with an available workforce, housing, and space and operated during school hours for children under five. Five additional requests followed the initial request. These requests resulted in the addition of educators to 4 more schools and some budgetary modifications. The Inuit CFI was also extended to the 2024-2025 school year.

Impacts

The Inuit CFI addresses class closures, obstacles to school perseverance, and retention and recruitment challenges by keeping classes open consistently, in turn facilitating the retention of employees and allowing students with young children to access education. In retaining employees and keeping classes consistently open, educational services accessed by Inuit children are more stable, thus enhancing the learning and pedagogical opportunities available to Inuit children. Furthermore, the emergency daycares serve as an additional source of unionized employment for (primarily female) local Inuit. Educators may be promoted within the school, demonstrating that educator jobs are a good entry point for local women to potentially obtain better paid positions, thus reducing poverty amongst Inuit families in line with ITK's strategic objectives. As of spring 2024, emergency daycare services were provided at six of the ten approved locations. Educators were in the process of being hired at the other four.

Conclusion

Two main challenges pertaining to the Inuit CFI were identified by interviewees: training for educators in remote communities (implies they have to travel) and space. Interviews suggest that infrastructure remains a key unmet need and determinant of Inuit child wellbeing that cannot be supported under the Inuit CFI. Additionally, multiple iterations of group requests suggest that compiling a group request is not a straightforward process. More positively, interviewees also indicated that the process and timeline for obtaining approval for emergency services has been positive and timely. The emergency daycare initiative fills a significant gap in Nunavik.

Case Study 2. Audiology services: hearing testing for Inuit Children in Nunavut

Context

Two Doctors of Audiology that are pediatric audiologists based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba identified a gap in access to audiology services within First Nations communities in Northern Manitoba. There are 10 communities in the province that do not have direct access to audiology services, making access a significant barrier within a population that is genetically pre-disposed to middle ear infections amongst other health outcomes. Furthermore, waiting lists and wait times significantly impede access to pediatric audiology services for First Nations children in Northern Manitoba.

The two audiologist inferred that similar barriers exist amongst the Inuit population in Canada's North. Similarly to certain First Nations communities, there are many barriers to accessing audiology services in Inuit communities. These barriers include a limited number of service providers for a geographically vast area (there is only 1 for Canada's Arctic), a gap in infrastructure which hinders the logistics of service delivery, administrative barriers and burdens associated with costs, and collaborative challenges amongst stakeholders.

Project

Considering these barriers, the two audiologists proposed to begin providing audiology services to Inuit children through the Inuit CFI starting in Churchill, Manitoba. Their goal was to travel to Churchill with their audiology equipment and have Inuit families meet them there as opposed to traveling further south to Winnipeg. Once an assessment of needs was conducted, they proposed to travel to communities to service Inuit children.

Impacts

The impacts of the funding on Inuit children mirrors the impacts the two audiologists observed while providing similar services to First Nations children in Northern Manitoba. Notably, these impacts include the diagnosis of hearing loss at an early age, the avoidance of misdiagnosis, the enhancement of overall well-being, and the education of communities.

Following the provision of audiology services to Inuit children in Churchill, further challenges were identified, e.g., a lack of equipment, culturally adapted testing mechanisms, and general lack of understanding or mis-understandings. Most providers in Canada do not have access to audiological tools in their offices, resulting in missed diagnosis of middle ear infections which can lead to cost inefficiencies. Additionally, the "word lists" used to test the hearing of Inuit children are not available in the Inuktut language. English and French words used in audiology testing programs, as well as their corresponding accents, cause confusion amongst some Inuit children who were more comfortable using the Inuktut language. This confusion results in increased challenges in the diagnostic process. Finally, there is a lack of understanding of the long-term impacts of middle ear infections. As they identified, an undiagnosed middle ear infection may result in hearing loss, causing challenges at school, leading to socio-emotional hardships and a predisposition to mental health issues. This in turn impacts employment and education further in life. Despite the severe effects of audiological problems, audiology continues to be seen as secondary to other health services, such as dental and optometry services. The two audiologists hope to shift this narrative by providing timely access to audiological services to children while educating communities and parents.

Conclusion

This case study highlights the critical need for accessible and culturally appropriate audiology services for Inuit children. The two audiologists's work has enabled earlier diagnoses, improved well-being, and increased awareness of hearing health in underserved communities. Their initiative also revealed ongoing challenges, including a lack of Inuktut testing tools. By bridging service gaps and promoting education, their work demonstrates the importance of integrating audiology into core health services for Inuit children.

Case Study 3. Nunatsiavut: Basic Needs

Context

The Nunatsiavut Government has identified various priorities related to child well-being in addition to implementing various supports in response to these needs. Despite a variety of services and supports, issues such as high suicide rates, high placement of children in foster care, and substance abuse by parents remain present. These issues are correlated with negative childhood experiences and trauma.

The Nunatsiavut Government's Department of Health and Social Development (NG-DHSD) consists of a regional office based in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador, and community offices in seven communities: Northwest River, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Rigolet, Postville, Makkovik, Hopedale, and Nain. Regional and community teams work cooperatively to implement the programs and services offered by NG-DHSD. Its mandate is implemented through a variety of partnerships, with Health Canada and other health sector partners providing funding to complement program offerings.

Project

The NG-DHSD acts as service manager for the Inuit CFI by receiving and evaluating individual applications for which they have developed some eligibility criteria. Many of the individual requests are for essential needs such as groceries, heating oil, electricity arrears, children's winter clothing, basic infant necessities (formula, diapers) and furniture (beds, appliances). A total of $5,838,337.24 in funds was approved over a three-year period. The funds cover the salaries of various resources in the communities, contracts with specialists (notably the child psychologist), staff travel costs and various operational expenses (rent, utilities, and office supplies), which covers also for Case study 4. The project covers the salaries of 8 positions of Child Service workers; one Regional Manager for the Child Service Program; one Indigenous Representative; 3 Child and Youth Mental Health Specialists; one psychologist; 3 student aids positions.

Impacts

Though needs remain high, interviewees have indicated that the impact of financing from the Inuit CFI is positive for the holistic well-being of families and community cohesion. As an example, in 2022-2023, funding enabled 143 children to have oil to heat their homes, 17 children to have heating and electricity thanks to the reimbursement of hydro arrears, 70 children to have food from the grocery store, and 107 children to have beds and bedding. The changes facilitated through Inuit CFI funding enabled some families to stay together by allowing parents to meet the needs of their children and avoid apprehension. Furthermore, the Inuit CFI initiative is seen as responsive, despite some delays, and issues regarding culturally appropriateness. Funds from the Inuit CFI to support access to essential services align with the strategic objectives set out by ITK, notably to help the reduction of poverty amongst Inuit.

Conclusion

The Inuit CFI has enabled the NG-DHSD to bring together a wide range of services and to establish collaboration and partnerships with various community actors. Looking forward, it could be helpful to adopt a model of centralized case management and care coordination between programs to provide more seamless and comprehensive support to families facing complex problems. It could also be helpful to increase access to local human resources.

Case Study 4. Nunatsiavut: Mental Wellness

Context

Project

Three proposals were developed which aimed to create local capacity to support access to mental health services for Inuit children. The proposals included the creation of eight Child Service Workers in communities supervised by a service manager, who is responsible for individual requests. Additionally, the proposals aim to fund contracts with a traveling child psychologist, the salary of a child and family mental health specialist, and the hiring of three student assistants based in community schools. A total of $5,838,337.24 in funds was approved over a three-year period. The funds cover the salaries of various resources in the communities, contracts with specialists (notably the child psychologist), staff travel costs and various operational expenses (rent, utilities, and office supplies) which covers also for Case study 3.

Impacts

Though needs remain high, interviewees have indicated that the impact of financing from the Inuit CFI is positive for the holistic well-being of families and community cohesion. Access to mental health specialists have resulted in an increase in the number of mental health assessments and diagnoses, in turn increasing the number of referrals for specialized services and treatment plans for Inuit children. Furthermore, the Inuit CFI initiative is seen as responsive, despite some delays, and some issues with cultural appropriateness. Funds from the Inuit CFI to support access to mental wellness align with various strategic objectives set out by ITK, notably the advancement of Inuit-specific health and social development policies, programs, and initiatives. Poverty is also addressed through the project as jobs are created for Child Support Workers, a mental health specialist, and three student assistants, all local Inuit hires.

Conclusion

Case Study 5. Agir Tôt

Context

Nunavik's health and social services network is comprised of the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services (NRBHSS), the Ungava Tulattavik Health Center, and the Inuulitsivik Health Center. Each village in Nunavik has at least one Local community services centre (CLSC) under the governance of one of the above health centres. Additionally, the NRBHSS manages the Inuit CFI and day-to-day operations with ISC Quebec. The NRBHSS also is responsible for initiating the request for the Agir Tôt program, known as Tasiurtigiit in Nunavik.

Project

The Tasiurtigiit program is a Nunavik adaptation of Quebec's Agir Tôt program. The program aims to promote access to a continuum of services adapted to children's needs from birth to age 6. These services make it possible to spot signs of difficulty in a child's development as early as possible, so that the child and their family can be directed to the right services as quickly as possible. In 2019, the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services (MHSS) provided funds to support the creation of positions needed for the program. Despite this initial funding, gaps between the funding granted and the funding required have grown and there is no other source of provincial funding available to offset the funding gap. Consequently, the NRBHSS turned to the Inuit CFI to close the funding gap. ISC approved the funding needed to cover the deficit in the Tasiurtigiit program.

Impacts

The Tasiuttigiit program has had many positive impacts on children, families, and communities in both the short and medium term. Federal funding has enabled the implementation of products specifically adapted to the Inuit reality, while respecting Inuit knowledge and practices. Through adapting the program to best serve children in Nunavik, approaches used in the program are culturally safe resulting in success for Inuit families as well as alignment with ITK's strategic objective of supporting Inuktitut protection, revitalization, maintenance, and promotion. Furthermore, an Attestation of Collegial Studies program for special education began in Kuujjuarapik. The paraprofessionals from this program are hired to help parents navigate the system which leads to much greater use of the program as well as community capacity building. This impact of the project contributes towards the fulfillment of ITK's strategic objective of reducing poverty through job creation as well as to advance Inuit-specific health and social development policies, programs, and initiatives through creating a college program to train Inuit specialists.

Conclusion

Despite the positive impacts of the project, some shortcomings continue to exist. For instance, local players responsible for the Inuit CFIs wonder why a program that is being generalized across the province is not receiving the appropriate funding for its implementation in Nunavik. The sustainability and reliability of funds is also identified as a concern. Furthermore, the lack of infrastructure impacts the program, and employees do not enjoy the same wages and benefits as professionals in the south. In addition, the program only funds one para-professional per village but locals suggest the need for two per village. Finally, it is recognized that the Tasiurtigiit program is an adaptation of Agir tôt, which is aimed specifically at toddlers, but some would like to see the age criteria broadened to support older children who have no alternative in terms of services.

Case Study 6. Isuarsivik Recovery Center

Context

Prior to the 1990s, the Quebec government offered Nunavik's Inuit the possibility of receiving addiction services in Montreal. Residents of Nunavik were asked to travel by air and stay away from home and their families for weeks or months. In 1998, Isuarsivik, a non-profit and charity organization based in Kuujjuaq, opened its first residential program for James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement beneficiaries struggling with substance abuse. In a 2016 development plan, Isuarsivik's Board of Directors initiated the construction of a new building to increase service capacity, especially for families and pregnant women accessing addiction services. In 2021-2022, the recovery centre was built in Kuujjuaq through the support $43.5 million in federal, provincial, and regional government funding. On April 12, 2023, the newly built centre welcomed its first guests. To date, the centre's operating budget is supported by the Community Organization Support Program (managed by the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services) and the Ungaluk Safer Communities Program (managed by the Makivvik Corporation and the Kativik Regional Government).

Project

The centre recognizes the importance of allowing infants, toddlers, and youth (aged 0 to 17) to accompany their parents and guardians through their recovery journey. As such, daycare and school rooms are integrated into the centre. Educators and tutors are available all weekdays from 9-5 to further enable children and youth to pursue their development while supporting their parents and guardians. There are 13 spaces at the daycare and 12 spaces for the school tutoring services. An estimated 40 to 70 children will come with their parents or guardians to the centre each year. In 2023-2024, two major partners were unable to meet the funding requests, resulting in insufficient funds to properly offer services to children attending the centre. An estimated $650,200 was needed. In April 2023, ISC authorized these funds through Inuit CFI.

Impacts

Since April 2023, 21 children have participated in the program. Staff suggest that the program has "saved" certain families and allowed others to reunite, thus ensuring that families will be able to better care for their children. The Inuit CFI further aims to enhance mental health screening, provide individualised, group and family counselling, facilitate land-based and parenting programming, offer early childhood education and on-site nursing services, establish academic support services, and facilitate recreational and cultural activities for kids. These objectives align with ITK's strategic goal of advancing Inuit-specific health and social development policies, programs, and initiatives. Isuarsivik states that the Inuit CFI has provided much needed support to implement the daycare and school services, which are essential to the achievement of the bigger objective of the recovery centre.

Conclusion

This case study illustrates the transformative impact of the Isuarsivik Recovery Center's family-centered approach to addiction treatment. By integrating daycare and school services into its activities, the center ensures that children can remain with their parents during recovery, supporting both healing and family unity. With critical funding from the Inuit CFI, Isuarsivik has begun delivering holistic services that promote child development, cultural connection, and mental wellness. These efforts not only strengthen individual families but also align with broader Inuit priorities for community-led, culturally grounded health and social services.

Case Study 7. Arctic Rose Foundation: Messy Book project

Context

The Messy Book Program is an Inuit-led, arts-based after school art program in Nunavut run by the Arctic Rose Foundation – a charitable foundation established in 2012 and incorporated in 2020. The Messy Book Program was launched in January 2018 in Rankin Inlet. So far, the program has been delivered in 8 Inuit communities: Rankin Inlet, Arviat, Cambridge Bay, Arctic Bay, Sanikiluaq, Igloolik, Chesterfield Inlet, and Naujaat. Other communities, including Nunavik, have asked for the program to be expanded in their area.

Project

The Messy Book Program is operated 3 to 4 times per week during the school year. In each school where the program runs, youth are provided with a safe space, consistent staff, consistent processes, and access to Inuit and Indigenous artists who provide mentorship and serve as role models. Participants are also provided with a healthy snack every day. The Messy Book Program partners with participating communities and high schools to train and hire high school students to become CALM Workers to facilitate the program in their community. In training and hiring high school students, the program contributes to ITK's strategic objective of taking action to help reduce poverty among Inuit. The Foundation further facilitates visits from Inuit and Indigenous artists to share their art and stories.

In 2022, the Foundation requested funds to support Year 4 (2022-2023) and Year 5 (2023-2024) of their program. Year 4 funds were to support training and program delivery in four communities: Arctic Bay, Rankin Inlet, Cambridge Bay, and Sanikiluaq as well as the partnership development for the implementation of the program in an additional Nunavut community in Year 5. In Year 5, the program is planned to operate in a minimum of five communities. In addition, to increase access to the program for youth in Grade 5 and 6, the program will be offered at an additional school within two communities, in Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay. Since there were carry over funds from the pandemic period, the budget requested and approved by Inuit CFI in amounted to $150,000 for Year 4 and $604,000 for year 5. The Arctic Rose Foundation also receives funds outside of the those offered by ISC.

Impacts

As of 2023/2024, the Messy Book Program has been implemented in 5 communities and plays a vital role in promoting mental health and well-being amongst Inuit youth. The program further contributes to the community through fostering cultural connections, nurturing healthy Inuit children, providing access to role models and leadership, developing job opportunities and readiness skills for CALM works, as well as offering consistency and routine to children. These impacts align with ITK's strategic objective of advancing Inuit social development.

Conclusion

The Messy Book Program offers a holistic approach to supporting Inuit youth by fostering cultural continuity, building social connections, nurturing adaptability, and providing essential mental health supports. The program's emphasis on role modeling, consistency, and addressing food insecurity further enhances its positive impact on participants. Furthermore, the Arctic Rose Foundation indicated that they are satisfied with the flexibility and timeliness of financing from ISC. Considering these positive outcomes, challenges concerning the sustainability of funding and unmet infrastructure needs remain.

Case Study 8. Inuvialuit Regional Corporation School Foods Program

Context

Soaring prices for nutritious market foods and access barriers to locally harvested, culturally preferred, country foods lead to food security challenges in Inuit Nunangat. In fact, ITK observes that 62.6% of Inuit households experience food insecurity – the highest documented prevalence of food insecurity among Indigenous Peoples in a developed country. When students go to class hungry, their energy levels, problem-solving skills, creativity, concentration, and behaviour are all negatively affected. During the COVID-19 pandemic, communities were able to support the basic needs of their children through food baskets (funded by the Inuit CFI) of approximately $500 for each child and eligible caregiver. When this funding ended, the Inuit Regional Corporation (IRC) felt that food security needed to be addressed in a more sustainable manner (ie; a school food program). An application was made to the Inuit CFI again.

Project

IRC's proposal was aimed at a coordinated, short-to-medium term intervention to mitigate food insecurity in Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC) schools with the goal to implement a region-wide, school-based program managed through the IRC later. The proposal requested the completion of planning and logistical requirements (kitchen and equipment upgrades), the hiring of staff (cooks and assistants) and the development of a menu cycle, including training. The objective for the first year was to start all breakfast programs across ISR in all 7 schools for all 195 schools' days through the support of a regional coordinator based in Inuvik. The goal was to expand to hot lunches after the first year of implementation, if feasible. Inuit CFI funding was approved for 3 years (2021-2023) and amounted to $14,623,918. The budget covered the coordination, region-wide school food program, with the goal of serving a total of 195 days of hot breakfasts across all 7 schools.

Impact

In reducing hunger and malnutrition, the program has enhanced the capacity of students to learn, in turn increasing the likelihood of academic successes. The program has also had a positive impact on attendance, with 923/1278 students in 2022-2023 accessing breakfast daily. Other positive impacts include the reduction of stress at home and grocery costs for parents, as well as the possibility for efficiencies given the broad reach of the project. These impacts support ITK's strategic objective of taking action to reduce poverty amongst Inuit.

Despite these positive impacts, a lack of human resources and inadequate infrastructure poses a barrier to the program. Due to this lack in capacity, breakfast is the only meal served. Teaching staff cannot supervise children at lunch so students must go home to eat. More lunch time staff would be essential for building the program; however, it is not easy to recruit staff for one hour a day. Additionally, the capacity of the kitchen is limited, and equipment is not always appropriate.

Conclusion

The school food program is one way of addressing food insecurity in a sustainable manner. Still, barriers such as a lack of human resources and infrastructure deficiencies will need to be improved to ensure consistent delivery. The implementation of lunches is also being considered in the future. This project illustrates how Inuit CFI funding can support the health and education of Inuit children.

Case Study 9. Kitikmeot Friendship Society

Context

Kitikmeot is an administrative region in Nunavut that consists of the southern and eastern parts of Victoria Island, King William Island, Prince of Wales Island, and adjacent mainland as far as the Boothia Peninsula. The Kitikmeot Friendship Society (KFS) is an organization in Nunavut that provides a variety of community development services, activities, and educational information to community members. The mission of the KFS is to create a healthy community where residents feel supported and have access to a variety of services, programs and skills that can enhance their lives.

Project

The KFS has received funding from the Inuit CFI to staff two service coordinator positions. The role of these positions is to receive and submit individual requests for Inuit CFI support on behalf of individuals across the region. The KFS has also received funding from Inuit CFI for group requests, including a group request totaling $1,715,416 over 3 fiscal years (2021/22 to 2023/24) to implement Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) programs and services. Most requests funded are for basic needs, such as grocery supports, clothing, and beds. Other common supports include travel expenses for children and guardians. Among the more specific assistance offered by the Inuit CFI is support for young people facing issues related to sexual and gender diversity, notably through virtual therapy services and specialized consultations offered outside the community, as well as facilitating the participation of 16 young people from Kitikmeot in a hockey tournament in Rankin Inlet. Other services provided by the KFS and funded through the Inuit CFI include a Child and Youth Advocacy Center, the Arctic Willow Child Development Center, as well as regular weekly programming that offers fun activities for youth on important topics – like sex education.

Impacts

The KFS estimates that it serves between 200-300 children and youth per month. Interviewees identified that the Inuit CFI is providing much needed support to children and families in Cambridge Bay and in the Kitikmeot Region by contributing to positive changes and addressing needs. Given the diverse ways that the KFS uses funds from the Inuit CFI, a broad range of impacts exist. Notably, the Inuit CFI funds support ITK's strategic objectives of reducing poverty amongst Inuit (by providing funding for basic needs) as well as advancing Inuit health and social development policies, programs, and initiatives (through mental wellness services and medial transportation initiatives).

Conclusion

Despite the positive impacts of funding from the Inuit CFI, challenges remain. Though the timeline for obtaining support and approval of group requests from ISC is seen as positive from the perspective of the KFS, timelines for urgent requests have become longer as well as increasingly inconsistent, as well as are unsustainable in the long term. Building on this challenge, are limitations in the efficiency of the current Inuit CFI model to address basic needs, like food security, given the constant cycle of re-applying for funding. In applying for funding, the need for support letters for all Inuit CFI requests as well as the restrictions in who can provide support letters places an undue burden on requesters, like the KFS, causing a strain on local professionals. Administrative burdens and infrastructure challenges remain unmet through Inuit CFI funded initiatives.

Case Study 10. Ottawa educational hubs

Context

The Inuuqatigiit Centre for Inuit Children, Youth and Families was established in August 2005 by parents of children enrolled in the Head Start Children's Program at Tungasuvvingat Inuit (TI). Currently, the Inuuqatigiit Centre is a multi-service organization that provides cultural, educational, recreational, and social support services to children, youth, and families of Ottawa's Inuit community and is the program sponsor of the Educational Hubs in Ottawa. Notably, Ottawa serves as an important centre for urban Inuit in the south.

Project

The Educational Hubs is a specialized educational initiative designed to provide academic support and promote cultural connection among Inuit children and youth in grades 1 through 12. The program has been supporting 35 to 40 children at a time for four years now. The first request to the Inuit CFI was in fall of 2020. Many Inuit parents were concerned with having their children return to school unvaccinated and chose to keep their children at home, exacerbating existing low literacy and numeracy scores as well as access to other educational concerns such as special needs, inadequate support for behavioural and physical challenges, and limited culturally relevant learning environments. The Inuuqatigiit Centre decided to organize educational hubs to address these concerns and unmet needs, as well as to offer academic support to students participating in the province's online learning program in a culturally safe environment. Each hub includes 6 to 8 students as well as a tutor, an educational assistant, and a cultural support worker. The small size was intended to favour one-on-one support and respect COVID-19 health guidelines. This first request was supported by the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB), the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa, TI, and ITK. A second request was made in September of 2021 to continue the Inuit CFI past COVID-19. The Inuit CFI provided $622,160 in funds over the 2020-2021 year.

Impacts

The Educational Hubs effectively re-engaged many students who had not been in mainstream schools and offered a safe and supportive place for learning and belonging. This allowed unmet academic needs to be addressed as well as allowed students to feel connected with their community and culture. The impact of the Educational Hubs is long-lasting, in that it positively influences the self-esteem, social interaction, leadership skills, positive friendships, academic performance, and behavior of students. Moreover, the Educational Hubs respond to childcare and educational concerns of families. The Educational Hubs advance strategic objectives outlined by ITK, specifically the promotion of Inuktitut as well as the advancement of Inuit-specific health and social development policies, programs, and initiatives.

Conclusion

While the funding from the Inuit CFI has been important and impactful , there are certain limitations, such as the ability to support students with special needs as well as young adults. The Inuuqatigiit Centre further indicated that the process and timeline for obtaining approval for the hubs has been relatively effective or efficient, but timelines are slow. For example, it can take up to 6 months to approve a group proposal and up to one year to approve individual requests.