Disproportionate representation and First Nations child welfare in Canada

Summary: Disproportionality in child welfare is disturbing for many reasons, not least of which is that it reveals major structural fractures in the social contract of our country. When any identifiable group has disproportionate numbers of children coming into state care, the underlying issues that may give rise to problems in family functioning warrant examination. Alas these underlying problems are not typically addressed in conventional approaches to service in behalf of families at risk of disruption. Indeed it is quite common for interventions to focus on the 'problem' family while ignoring significant contributors to the family problems. This paper seeks to identify some of the patterns that may illuminate structural concomitants of disproportionality and to review some approaches that go beyond the limits of traditional responses within residual social welfare systems.