Northwest Territories’ child and family services falling short in protecting and supporting vulnerable children

Press Release

Yellowknife, May 28, 2026—A report from the Office of the Auditor General of Canada concludes that the Northwest Territories’ Department of Health and Social Services, together with the 3 health and social services authorities, left significant gaps in the protection and support of at-risk children and their families.

The audit found serious shortcomings in the territory’s child protection services. One third of the reports involving allegations of child abuse or neglect were not assessed within the required 24 hours to determine what course of action was needed. When a report was flagged for further investigation, the health and social services authorities did not complete the investigation within the required 30 days in 71% of the reports examined, delaying action to keep children safe.

The health and social services authorities did not maintain the required monthly contact with children receiving protective services 91% of the time. There were also concerning shortcomings in the screening and oversight of foster homes. For example, criminal record checks were either not completed or not updated for all adults and caregivers in 12% of foster homes.

Almost all children receiving protection services in the Northwest Territories identified as Indigenous, despite representing 58% of the territory’s child population. While the department and the 3 authorities have committed to providing culturally safe services, the audit found that they did not consistently meet the standards in place to support this commitment.

The audit highlights persistent human and financial resource challenges. Vacancy rates for front-line child protection workers ranged from 14% to 34% across the 3 health and social services authorities. Caseloads were high, with workers sometimes responsible for more than triple the goal of 11 active cases per worker.

“Issues identified more than a decade ago, in our 2014 and 2018 audits of child and family services, remain unresolved,” said Audit Principal Jo Ann Schwartz, presenting the report on behalf of the Auditor General of Canada. “Staffing shortages and high caseloads continue to strain the system, limiting the Department of Health and Social Services’ and the health and social services authorities’ ability to enable better outcomes for vulnerable children and families.”

The 2026 Report of the Auditor General of Canada, Child and Family Services in the Northwest Territories, is available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada website.

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