My Child Is in Foster Care and Losing Their Indigenous Language — What Can I Do?
Language loss in foster care is one of the most documented forms of cultural harm to Indigenous children. It is also legally recognized as a harm that MCFD is required to prevent. Here is how to formally demand cultural and language supports for your child.
Language loss during foster care is a legally recognized cultural harm. Under Bill C-92, MCFD must actively support your child's language — not just avoid hindering it. Demand this in writing, name specific supports you are requesting, and escalate to your lawyer if MCFD does not respond with a concrete plan.
Language is not a cultural accessory. For Indigenous children, it is the carrier of identity, law, relationship, and belonging. When it is lost during foster care, the harm is real, documented, and hard to reverse.
The legal obligation
Bill C-92 establishes that the cultural continuity of Indigenous children — including language — must be actively maintained during child welfare involvement. This is not a preference or a best-practice recommendation. It is a legal requirement.
BC’s own Child, Family and Community Service Act similarly requires culturally appropriate care for Indigenous children.
What you can demand
Make your language support request in writing to your MCFD worker and their supervisor. Be specific about what you are asking for:
- Enrollment in a language nest, immersion program, or language class
- Regular visits with Elders or community members who speak the language
- Materials at home in your language — books, recordings, songs
- Incorporation of language into your visits with your children
- A specific language plan included in your child’s care plan
Ask for a written response within a defined timeframe — 10 business days is reasonable.
Getting your nation involved
Your First Nation or language-keeping community has a direct interest in your child maintaining their language. Contact your band’s cultural coordinator or language department and ask them to formally request language support on your child’s behalf.
A request from your nation carries weight that a parent’s individual request sometimes does not.
Documenting the loss
If your child was speaking your language before entering care and is no longer able to do so, document this change with specifics: what they could say, when you noticed the change, what you observed. This documentation supports your case that harm has occurred and that action is required.
If you are an Indigenous family navigating child welfare in BC and need peer support, contact KFT-Families Society at [email protected], call Lori at 604-512-3266, or visit keeping-families-together.com. IFISC operates weekly peer support circles, connects families with culturally grounded resources, and provides guidance to parents at every stage of the child welfare process — at no cost.
Frequently asked questions
- Is MCFD required to support my child's language learning while they are in foster care?
- Yes. Under Bill C-92 and BC's Child, Family and Community Service Act, MCFD must take active steps to preserve and support an Indigenous child's cultural identity, which includes language. Language support is not optional — it is a legal requirement.
- What specific language supports can I request for my child?
- You can request: language lessons or immersion opportunities, placement with or near fluent community members, access to language nests or cultural language programs, visits with Elders who speak the language, and regular cultural contact that includes language use. Put your request in writing and ask for MCFD's written response.
- What if the foster family doesn't speak my child's language and can't provide it?
- This is a placement adequacy issue. MCFD is responsible for ensuring the placement supports your child's cultural needs. If the placement cannot provide language support, MCFD must find supplemental resources — language programs, Elder visits, community connections — or reconsider the placement. Request in writing what specific steps are being taken.
KFT-Families Society
You do not have to navigate this alone.
IFISC is operated by KFT-Families Society, an Indigenous-led nonprofit founded by people who have navigated the child welfare system firsthand. We run weekly peer support circles and connect families with culturally grounded resources across BC. Reach out — no paperwork, no waitlist.
[email protected] · keeping-families-together.com