Government of Nunavut still has substantial work to do to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and youth

Press Release

Iqaluit, 5 March 2025—A follow-up report from Auditor General of Canada Karen Hogan tabled today in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut concludes that while the Department of Family Services had undertaken initial actions in some areas, substantial work remains to be done to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and youth who are entitled to protection under Nunavut’s Child and Family Services Act.

In 2023, the Auditor General released an audit of Nunavut’s child and family services that described a system in crisis, plagued by multiple failures in every area examined. The Office had raised similar concerns in audits released in 2011 and 2014.

This follow-up notes the Department of Family Services has undertaken some initial actions to address the failures affecting family services flagged in the 2023 audit. The Department has taken actions aimed at improving staffing, training, and supervision of its workforce. The Department has also developed a Strategic Action Plan with 80 items aimed at improving protection and support services for children, youth and families.

However, while actions taken to date begin to address the failures reported in previous audits, substantial work remains to be done to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and youth. Although the Strategic Action Plan is far-reaching, it lacks targets and baselines, clear accountabilities, and specific timelines to measure progress.

“The overall protection and support of children is a critical responsibility of any government,” stated Mr. Hayes. “The bottom line is that while initial actions have been taken, they have yet to produce appreciable changes to the outcomes for vulnerable children, youth and their families. Given the substantial amount of work that remains to be done to improve outcomes for vulnerable children, youth and their families, the Office of the Auditor General of Canada will regularly report on developments in this area.”

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The report, 2025 Follow-up on Child and Family Services in Nunavut, is available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada Web site.

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