Child welfare reconciliation with Indigenous peoples stems from the belief that North American child welfare systems can, and must, do better for Indigenous children, youth, and families.
Read the Touchstones Document to find out how you can make a difference for Indigenous families and communities.
Taking Action Reconciliation in Child Welfare: Touchstones of Hope for Indigenous Children, Youth, and Families
Réconciliation en matière de protection de l'enfance : pierres de touche d'un avenir meilleur pour les enfants, les jeunes et les familles autochtones
Endorse the Touchstones
Show your support for the guiding values and four phases of reconciliation in Touchstones of Hope for Indigenous Children, Youth, and Families and promote reconciliation in child welfare with Indigenous people.
A Touchstone is a high standard against which we measure other things. Applied to reconciliation in child welfare, touchstones are the high standards and values that guide action in each of the four phases of reconciliation.
In many Indigenous cultures, stones are referred to as ‘grandfathers’, as they are the silent witnesses to the lives of generations of peoples who pass before them.
They are the silent witnesses to the lives of generations of peoples before them. They are symbolic of the strength and persistence of Indigenous cultures in North America.
Our Touchstones are exemplary guidelines for reconciliation. We use the term Touchstones of Hope because of these guidelines.
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Resources
Child poverty in perspective: An overview of child well-being in rich countries
UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre
Reconciliation After Violent Conflict: Policy Summary
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2003