Cultural continuity and mental health among Indigenous people formerly in foster care, 2022

Press Release

November 18, 2025

Indigenous children in Canada have long been overrepresented in foster care, often placed in non-Indigenous foster homes, reflecting the legacy of colonial policies and ongoing child welfare practices that separate them from their families and cultures. In 2022, among Indigenous people aged 15 and older with a history of foster care during childhood, 78% of First Nations people living off reserve, 89% of Métis and 43% of Inuit reported having been placed in non-Indigenous, rather than Indigenous, foster homes. While placements in Indigenous foster homes appear to have increased over time, the majority of Indigenous foster children continue to be placed in non-Indigenous foster homes.

There is increasing emphasis on supporting foster care placements for Indigenous children that align with the values and traditions of their communities, as these placements can enhance their well-being by reducing feelings of isolation and identity loss. A new study, entitled “The importance of cultural continuity in foster care for the long-term mental health of Indigenous people in Canada,” uses data from the 2022 Indigenous Peoples Survey to examine the association between childhood placement in Indigenous versus non-Indigenous foster homes—used as a proxy for cultural continuity—and mental health outcomes later in life, potentially explained by a sense of belonging.

Placement in Indigenous foster care as children is associated with better self-rated mental health later in life

Based on cross-sectional data collected in 2022, 36% of off-reserve First Nations people aged 15 and older who indicated having been placed in Indigenous foster homes reported excellent or very good self-rated mental health, compared with 25% of those placed in non-Indigenous foster homes. Among Inuit, 38% of those placed in Indigenous foster homes during childhood reported excellent or very good mental health, compared with 18% in non-Indigenous homes. Estimates for Métis with a history of Indigenous foster care placement are not reported because of the small sample size.

Placement in Indigenous foster care is associated with a stronger sense of belonging

In 2022, Indigenous people placed in Indigenous foster homes during childhood were more likely to report a strong sense of belonging than those placed in non-Indigenous foster homes. Specifically, Indigenous people placed in Indigenous foster homes were more likely to report strong family ties (68% versus 58% of those placed in non-Indigenous foster homes), a strong sense of community belonging (65% vs. 54%) and a strong sense of belonging to a shared Indigenous identity (73% vs. 54%).

Chart 1 

Differences in three sense of belonging indicators among Indigenous people aged 15 and older, by childhood placement in Indigenous versus non-Indigenous foster homes, 2022

The differences in sense of belonging indicators were most pronounced among Inuit. Among those placed in Indigenous foster homes during childhood, 74% reported strong family ties, 77% reported strong community belonging and 75% reported a strong sense of belonging to a shared Indigenous identity. In comparison, 55% of Inuit placed in non-Indigenous foster homes during childhood reported strong family ties, 56% reported strong community belonging and 48% reported a strong sense of belonging to a shared Indigenous identity (data should be used with caution).

Sense of belonging partially accounts for the association between Indigenous foster homes and mental health

This study further explored whether sense of belonging helps explain why childhood placement in Indigenous, rather than non-Indigenous foster homes, was associated with better mental health outcomes later in life. Findings suggest that sense of belonging partially explain this association. Specifically, for both First Nations people living off reserve and Inuit, childhood experiences in Indigenous foster homes, rather than in non-Indigenous foster homes, may have contributed to a stronger sense of belonging, which in turn was associated with a greater likelihood of reporting excellent or very good mental health later in life.

Note to readers

This study was a collaboration with the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, conducted as part of the Transformational Approach to Indigenous Data, aimed at enhancing Indigenous data capacity and increasing the visibility of Indigenous Peoples in Canada’s National Statistics.

The analysis in this study explores the association between childhood placement in Indigenous foster homes and mental health outcomes later in life, potentially mediated by a strengthened sense of belonging. However, it does not establish a causal relationship. The analysis is limited by the lack of information on key contextual factors, such as the reasons for foster care placement and the timing of the onset of mental health conditions or disabilities. Furthermore, the cross-sectional nature of the data limits causal inference, as it precludes establishing temporal order and is subject to potential recall and reporting bias.

Data source

This study uses data from the 2022 Indigenous Peoples Survey , a national, voluntary post-censal survey of First Nations people living off reserve, Métis and Inuit, aged one year and older, living in private dwellings excluding those on Indian reserves and Indian settlements and in certain First Nations communities in Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

Definitions

Foster care experience: A person is defined as having foster care experience if they responded “yes” to the question regarding whether they had ever been placed in a foster home or in foster care at any time under the age of 18.

Indigenous versus non-Indigenous foster care placement: A person is defined as having been placed in Indigenous foster care if one of their foster parents was Indigenous, that is, First Nations, Métis or Inuit. If the person had multiple foster placements, they were asked to consider the foster home where they stayed the longest. No information was collected regarding the alignment of the specific Indigenous identity between the foster parent(s) and the person.

Family ties: A person is defined as having strong family ties if they answered 4 or 5 to either of the following two questions: (1) the strength of ties between members of their family (e.g., siblings, parents, aunts and uncles, and cousins) living in their city or community but in another household, and (2) the strength of ties between family members living outside their city or community. Both questions used a response scale from 1 to 5, where 1 represents very weak ties and 5 represents very strong ties. If a respondent answered, “not applicable,” they were considered to have weak family ties, as this indicates an absence of family connections.

Sense of belonging to the local community: A person is defined as having a strong sense of belonging to the local community if they answered “very strong” or “somewhat strong” to the question asking them to describe their sense of belonging to their local community, which refers to the immediate surroundings where they currently live their everyday life. This definition of the local community was provided in the question to account for the fact that the concept of “community” may vary among Indigenous people.

Sense of belonging to a shared Indigenous identity: A person is defined as having a strong sense of belonging to a shared Indigenous identity if they answered “very strong” or “somewhat strong” to the question asking them to describe their sense of belonging to people with the same Indigenous background as themselves.

Products

The study entitled “The importance of cultural continuity in foster care for the long-term mental health of Indigenous people in Canada” is now available as part of the Indigenous Peoples Thematic Series (Catalogue number41200002).

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).

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