A vibrant and productive society with a sustainable future is built on a foundation of healthy child development. The first six years of a child’s life—beginning with the mother’s pregnancy — is a time of great promise and rapid development. It’s a time when the child’s brain is most open to the influence of relationships and experiences. 

Our early experiences are built into our bodies and brains, providing the building blocks for educational achievement, economic productivity, responsible citizenship, lifelong health, robust communities, and supportive parenting of the next generation. 

It is important for foster caregivers to provide a culturally safe environment for the children and youth in their care. Cultural safety is important when two or more cultures interact within the same space, where there is a power imbalance in favour of the dominant culture. This is true in Canada where our colonial past and present continue to harm Indigenous communities. 

Today, over 60% of children and youth in British Columbia’s foster care system are Indigenous while only accounting for less than 10% of the total provincial population. It is the responsibility of foster caregivers to provide a culturally safe environment where a child can learn and practice their traditions, customs and language and belong to their Indigenous community. 

There are many resources available that are Indigenous-led and created. We have curated some meaningful resources to support you in providing culturally safe and respectful care. Be intentional with how you access and utilize them. This is by no means an exhaustive list but a good place to start. This resource guide will be updated on an ongoing basis.