Tell CAS if your child is First Nations, Inuk, or Métis
Question & Answer
What can CAS do if they think my child is being abused or neglected?The law says First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children have special rights that consider their culture, heritage, traditions, and who they see as family.
Tell your (CAS) worker if you or your child is or identifies as First Nations, Inuk, or Métis. And ask CAS for services that consider your identity.
It doesn’t matter whether you or your child is an official member of the band or community.
You or your child can also be a member of, or identify with more than one band or community.
For example, a child may be a member of their father’s Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek Band. But they may also identify with their mother’s band, the Animbiigoo Zaagi’igan Anishinaabek. In this case, CAS must consider the culture, heritage, and traditions of both bands or communities.
Support from your child’s band or community
Your CAS worker must give you information about services or resources that your child’s band or community offers. For example, your CAS worker might refer you to a local Indigenous or First Nations family services agency, community Elders, or other cultural groups.
If your child identifies with more than one band or community, CAS must give information about each community.
The CAS worker must give you this information even if your child lives off-reserve or in an urban area that’s far from your child’s community.
Tell your child’s community
CAS must tell a person who represents each of your child’s bands or communities about your child, and contact them at certain times. This person may be the chief or leader of the community, or another person chosen by the community.
CAS must regularly discuss your child’s situation with each band or community when providing services, even if they don’t start a court case.
If CAS starts a court case, they must the person who represents each of your child’s band or communities with the court documents. The band or community has the right to take part in the court case and suggest a plan for your child. For example, a plan could say your child will stay with extended family or the community.
