Matawa Chiefs council warns federal delays are putting Indigenous children at risk as key prevention services face shutdown in 2026

By James Murray

THUNDER BAY – NATIONAL NEWS – The Matawa First Nations Chiefs Council has declared a State of Emergency for Indigenous children, youth, and families, warning that federal inaction and unstable funding are pushing families in Northern Ontario into crisis.

In a formal open letter addressed to the Honourable Mandy Gull-Masty and shared publicly with Canadians, Matawa leaders say the current situation is “the predictable outcome of systemic failures” within Indigenous Services Canada, including chronic funding delays, denials, and restrictive interpretations of Jordan’s Principle and First Nation Representative Services.

“The solutions are known. The tools exist. What is missing is the political will to act quickly and honour commitments to First Nations children,” the Chiefs state in the letter.

The declaration has significant implications for Thunder Bay and communities across Northwestern Ontario, where Matawa-delivered prevention services have become a critical lifeline for families navigating the child welfare system.

Years of Work to Prevent a Crisis Now at Risk

Matawa First Nations – whose member communities have strong ties to Thunder Bay for health, education, and child welfare services – say they have spent years trying to prevent the very crisis they are now facing.

Since 2019, the council notes, Matawa communities have been working to address:

• The overrepresentation of Indigenous children in care

• The lasting impacts of residential schools and the Sixties Scoop

• Ongoing failures by provincial and federal governments to uphold responsibilities to First Nations children

In direct response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (especially Calls 1–5 on child welfare), Matawa developed Awashishewiigiihiwaywiin, a community-led social services framework designed to keep children safely connected to their families, cultures, and communities.

The Chiefs argue that Canada’s failure to fully meet its obligations under these Calls to Action amounts to a continuation of colonial harms, rather than a break from them.

Awashishewiigiihiwaywiin: Community-Led Programs at Risk

Awashishewiigiihiwaywiin is built around four pillars of service:

• Family Transition Unit (FTU):
  Provides safe, stable housing and 24/7 support for families involved with child welfare.

• Family Support (FNRS):
  Offers off-reserve case management, safety planning, prevention services, and cultural reconnection for families under stress.

• Post-Majority Care (Next Steps):
  Supports youth aging out of care with housing, life skills, mental health supports, and wrap-around services.

• Service Coordination:
  Ensures children with unmet needs receive timely and equitable support across systems.

These programs directly serve families in Thunder Bay and across Northern Ontario, often acting as a bridge between remote Matawa communities and urban services.

According to the letter, Awashishewiigiihiwaywiin has:

• Stabilized hundreds of families

• Prevented unnecessary removals of children

• Helped close thousands of child welfare files

Matawa leadership describes this work as exactly the kind of prevention-focused, culturally grounded service that Canada has publicly committed to support.

Yet the Chiefs warn that “because of federal indecision and delay, these services are collapsing.”

Staff Layoffs, Files at Risk as 2026 Deadline Looms

Without immediate federal intervention, Matawa reports that:

• 30 of 38 staff positions will be terminated as of March 31, 2026, with additional layoffs possible.

• 82 active family support cases, 53 youth in Post-Majority Care, and four families housed in FTU units face disruption or loss of support on that date.

• Service providers elsewhere in Ontario have indicated they cannot absorb Matawa’s clients, leaving families with nowhere to turn.

The letter notes that families and youth have already entered crisis, including at least one serious self-harm incident linked to the news that services could end.

“These are not abstractions,” the Chiefs write. “Behind each number is a child, a caregiver, a community, and a story of trust that is now at risk of being broken.”

Part of a Wider Pattern Across Ontario

Matawa leaders stress that their situation is part of a larger pattern facing First Nations across Ontario.

They point to Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI), where a community-led Family Law and Service model was recently told it would receive only two more years of funding – a decision KI leadership says undermines their efforts to repair harms caused by residential schools and the Sixties Scoop.

The letter also highlights ongoing concerns around the Ontario Final Settlement Agreement, a multi-billion-dollar child welfare agreement that was expected to:

• Support First Nations-run child welfare programs

• Provide nine years of funding for culturally based prevention

• Extend supports to youth up to age 26

• Help fund housing that keeps families together

Despite being signed months ago, the Chiefs note that many communities are still waiting for funds to reach families. The agreement is currently stalled before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, following concerns raised by the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society about long-term adequacy and stability of funding.

Citing positions shared publicly by advocates, the letter warns that:

• A nine-year funding window creates uncertainty for future generations

• Annual approvals allow the federal government to reduce or cut funding

• Tying funding to Tribunal processes risks leaving children in limbo

Matawa points to communities like Wunnumin Lake and Temagami First Nation as examples of First Nations ready to expand prevention programs but unable to move forward fully while funding remains delayed.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs warn, the “Millennial Scoop” continues, with Indigenous children in Canada still taken into care at far higher rates than non-Indigenous children.

“Canada cannot claim to support reconciliation while allowing this pattern to continue,” the letter states.

Matawa’s Calls for Immediate Federal Action

In their State of Emergency declaration, the Matawa First Nations Chiefs Council sets out several specific demands aimed at preventing the collapse of Awashishewiigiihiwaywiin and similar programs. They call on the federal government to:

1. Guarantee Immediate Bridge Funding

Ensure that no services end on March 31, 2026, and extend and stabilize funding for the:

• Family Transition Unit

• Family Support (FNRS)

• Post-Majority Care

• Service Coordination

so that families, children, and youth do not experience interruptions in care.

2. End One-Year, Conditional Funding

Move away from short-term extensions that create ongoing uncertainty for families and staff, and instead develop long-term, enforceable funding agreements that reflect the multi-generational nature of the harms being addressed.

3. Honour Jordan’s Principle and FNRS in Practice

Remove chronic delays, denials, and narrow interpretations that limit children’s access to supports. Apply a child-first approach consistent with the spirit of Jordan’s Principle and Canadian Human Rights Tribunal decisions.

4. Stop Using Funding as a Legal Tactic

Uncouple child welfare reform funding from ongoing legal processes. While Tribunal matters continue, ensure immediate, interim funding flows to communities, including those under the Ontario Final Settlement Agreement.

5. Work in Genuine Partnership with First Nations

Recognize and support community-designed solutions from Matawa, KI, Wunnumin Lake, Temagami First Nation and others, rather than imposing one-size-fits-all frameworks or rigid time limits.

“This Is About the Next Generation”

For Matawa, the issue goes beyond budgets and programs. The Chiefs frame the State of Emergency as a fundamental question about what kind of country Canada chooses to be.

“Our children and youth carry the weight of generations of loss. Yet they are also the carriers of language, law, culture, and future leadership,” the letter reads. “Every time a service like Awashishewiigiihiwaywiin is allowed to falter, we send them a message that their safety is negotiable.”

Matawa leadership is calling for an urgent meeting between federal officials, Matawa Chiefs, and Awashishewiigiihiwaywiin representatives to co-create an emergency plan that:

• Prevents any interruption of services

• Protects existing staff and relationships

• Stabilizes and expands prevention programs

• Ensures no child is left without support because of funding delays

“Our children should not have to live through yet another cycle in which supports are built, trust is established, and then everything is put at risk because a funding deadline arrives,” the Chiefs write.

They conclude by emphasizing that the State of Emergency is not symbolic, but a reflection of what families are living through right now in Thunder Bay, across Matawa communities, and throughout Northern Ontario.