Resources
ALIGN Well-Being in Child and Family Services Initiative
The way we define and understand child and youth well-being matters.
ALIGN's Indigenous Cultural Understanding Framework (ICUF)
A Digital Interactive Journey to increase cultural understanding within Alberta agencies so that all Indigenous children living in Alberta can live in dignity and respect, supported by people with a deeper understanding of Indigenous worldviews, history and current reality.
Report - Indigenous Land-Based Research Gathering: Summary of Learnings from Talking Circles
A Way Home Canada and the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness’s Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Social Innovation Lab, in partnership with Waakebiness Institute for Indigenous Health, hosted a two-day, summative knowledge-sharing gathering held on the land and in ceremony.
An Introduction to Decolonizing Indigenous Research
A Way Home Canada, Canadian Observatory on Homelessness & Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Social Innovation Lab
Spirit Bear Award Nominations Open - Deadline April 30, 2025
Created in 2019, the Spirit Bear Award is named in honour of Spirit Bear, who is a symbol of reconciliation and equity for kids.
ALIGN CONNECTIONS For Indigenous Children/Youth & Caregivers February 2025
CONNECTIONS is monthly newsletter designed to support Foster and Kinship Caregivers to ensure First Nations, Metis & Inuit children in their care have access to cultural resources, activities and events that broaden their cultural awareness.
First Claims Period for First Nations Child and Family Services and Jordan’s Principle Settlement to Open on March 10, 2025
Class Members of the First Nations Child and Family Services and Jordan’s Principle Settlement will be able to submit their Claims for compensation starting on March 10, 2025.
New Puzzles! ALIGN's Indigenous Online Jigsaw Puzzles For All Ages and Skill Levels
The best thing about jigsaw puzzles is that they require you to slow down and look at all the details as you piece the whole picture together. In a fast moving world filled with photos and graphics this is an opportunity for children, youth and adults to relax and appreciate the details of the traditional regalia, food, animals, teepees, totem poles and more!
The Role of Mentoring for Foster Parents & Why It Matters
Mentoring children and youth offers significant value, both for the individuals involved and for society as a whole. Below are some of the key benefits of mentoring:
‘We Need to Take Care of Our Own Children’ (The Tyee)
Inside the fight for Indigenous jurisdiction over child services in Canada. First in an occasional series.
Caring society files motion to force Canada back to negotiating table on child welfare reform (APTN)
Chiefs in Ontario decided last week to continue negotiating and refining the existing FSA. Then Patty Hajdu, minister of Indigenous Services wrote to the AFN national chief saying the government’s mandate “does not permit further negotiations at a national level.” That seemed to cut First Nations outside Ontario out of future negotiations.
"Year in Reconciliation: Reflecting on 2024 and Looking Ahead" (ALIGN “Reconciliation Talks” Blog)
As 2024 draws to a close, ALIGN Association of Community Services reflects on an impactful year dedicated to advancing Truth and Reconciliation. Through collaboration, learning, and action, we’ve deepened our relationships with Indigenous communities, expanded our resources, and championed culturally relevant practices in child and family services. Whether you’ve been part of this journey or are just joining us, we warmly invite you to reflect with us and look forward to an exciting 2025.
Well-Being EBlast December 2024 The Village: Supporting Staff in Seeing the Impact
This month we feature Val Crosby, Executive Director of The High Level Toy Lending Library, which currently provides Mackenzie Family Resource Network (MFRN) services
Caring for Foster Kids During the Holidays: Bringing Joy and Stability to Their Lives
As a caregiver, fostering a sense of joy, comfort, and security during the holidays can make a world of difference.
Community-driven Collective Empowers Indigenous Caregivers of Children, Youth with Autism (U of A)
U of A researcher receives funding to foster a network of support, resources and advocacy for caregivers of children, youth and adults with autism. November 2024
This December, Be Part of a Provincial Story of Well-Being Impact! (Well-Being Eblast Nov 2024)
This December, we invite you to share your organization’s work of supporting Well-Being and create a Provincial Story of Impact with the ALIGN Well-Being Impact Portal and Dashboard. .
Online Indigenous Advent Calendar
Updated annually, this online advent calendar is great fun for kids and anyone wanting to learn more about First Nations, Metis or Inuit culture
ALIGN CONNECTIONS For Indigenous Children/Youth & Caregivers November 2024
CONNECTIONS is monthly newsletter designed to support Foster and Kinship Caregivers to ensure First Nations, Metis & Inuit children in their care have access to cultural resources, activities and events that broaden their cultural awareness.
Inuit-Specific Child Welfare Data Discussion Paper Nov. 2024
An Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Metis children, youth and families has created national standards, the commitment to resources and the ability to exercise jurisdiction over child and family services by Inuit Treaty Organizations. It has the potential to change outcomes for Inuit children and families across the country.
Celebrating Success at the "Our Children, Our Way" Conference
We were honored to present at the Our Children, Our Way conference this year, hosted by the incredible Mary Teegee and her team. Mary, a recent presenter at ALIGN’s own Walking the Children Home event, graciously invited us to share our work, and we were thrilled to connect with so many passionate professionals and community members dedicated to Indigenous child and family well-being.
ALIGN’s Ongoing Engagement Executive Director’s Update: Assembly of First Nations Special Chiefs Assembly
We are pleased to share that ALIGN recently attended the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Special Chiefs Assembly (SCA) on Long-Term Reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) Program, held from October 16-18, 2024, on Treaty 7 Territory, in Calgary, Alberta.
MCHB: Centering Stories in an Ecological Framework (ALIGN's Well-Being Eblast Oct. 2024)
This month we feature Hannah Goa’s experience of piloting the toolkit at the Multicultural Health Broker Cooperative (MCHB) in Edmonton. Hannah has been supporting the Intercultural FRN work for the past 4 years and is responsible for reporting to funders. She became interested in joining the toolkit pilot group to inspire her work on their Evaluation Framework that uniquely reflects the values and principles of cultural brokering.
ALIGN CONNECTIONS For Indigenous Children/Youth & Caregivers October 2024
CONNECTIONS is monthly newsletter designed to support Foster and Kinship Caregivers to ensure First Nations, Metis & Inuit children in their care have access to cultural resources, activities and events that broaden their cultural awareness.
Updated Statistics Overrepresentation of Indigenous Children in Care (Indigenous Watchdog)
The number one issue in Child Welfare is the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in care. The majority of Indigenous children-in-care are First Nations (69.1%)
Listen to Tanya Tourangeau ALIGN's Reconciliation Consultant on CFWE Radio
ALIGN’s Reconciliation Strategist Consultant Tanya Tourangeau, recently did an interview with CFWE and you don’t want to miss this! Learn more about ALIGN’s Empowering Futures: A Gathering for Indigenous Child Welfare Sovereignty
Updated Reformed Approach to First Nations Child and Family Services
The Caring Society's positions on the long-term reform of the First Nations Child & Family Services Program to stop the discrimination against First Nations children, youth, and families, and prevent it from happening again
Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society: Growing Organizational Well-Being (ALIGN’s Well-Being eBlast Sept 2024)
This month we feature Jill Robinson's experiencing of piloting the toolkit with managers using components of the tool-kit to better understand how to promote staff well-being.
ALIGN CONNECTIONS For Indigenous Children/Youth & Caregivers September 2024
CONNECTIONS is monthly newsletter designed to support Foster and Kinship Caregivers to ensure First Nations, Metis & Inuit children in their care have access to cultural resources, activities and events that broaden their cultural awareness.
Equitable Standards for Transitions to Adulthood for Youth in Care Key Supports Checklist (CWLC)
This checklist can help organizations who want to use the Equitable Standards to guide local advocacy efforts and supports for youth in and from care.
Alberta.ca Open Data Child Intervention Permanency Outcomes Achieved by Indigenous/non-Indigenous Status Sept 2024
Intervention services are provided when there are concerns that a child or youth is being neglected or abused by their parent or guardian, with the goal of keeping families together
The National Child Welfare Outcome Matrix 2024 (CWLC)
The National Child Welfare Outcome Matrix (NOMi ) was developed in consultation with provincial, territorial and First Nations service providers as an initiative of the Provincial/Territorial Directors of Child Welfare (DCW) and Human Resources Development Canada to provide a common framework for reporting on outcomes for children and families receiving child welfare services.
WJS: Using Well-Being Domains to Share Stories & Build Community (ALIGN's Well-Being eBlast August 2024)
This month we feature Aaron Hachkowski’s experience of piloting the toolkit at WJS. Aaron is a Program Director and oversees sites across Alberta and Ontario. He found that gathering stories for each of the toolkit’s seven well-being domains was a way to support learning and community between very diverse sites
ALIGN Association’s Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation
ALIGN Association of Community Services is dedicated to upholding the principles of Truth and Reconciliation and are committed to supporting the well-being of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children, youth, families, and communities
Loving Our Children: Finding What Works for First Nations Families (FNCFS)
Canada Research Chair in First Nations Child and Family Services Implementation 2023-2030
Alberta Treaty & Land Acknowledgement Resource Directory
Learn more about treaties, regions and land acknowledgements; an important part of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s calls to action
