My Child Is Being Raised in a Different Religion in Their Foster Home — What Are My Rights?
Indigenous children in foster care have the right to their own spiritual and cultural practices. When a foster placement imposes a different religious framework, that is a cultural rights violation. Here is how to identify it and what to do.
A foster family cannot impose their religion on your child. Your child's spiritual and cultural identity — including Indigenous spiritual practices — is legally protected during foster care. Make a formal written complaint to MCFD, ask specifically what steps will be taken to address the imposition of a different religion, and get the response in writing.
For many Indigenous families, spiritual practice and cultural identity are inseparable. When a foster placement imposes a different religious framework on your child, it does harm to both.
The legal protection for Indigenous spiritual identity
Bill C-92 recognizes cultural continuity as a core principle, which explicitly includes spiritual practices. BC’s Child, Family and Community Service Act requires culturally appropriate care — which courts have interpreted to include protection of a child’s spiritual and cultural practices.
A foster family who takes an Indigenous child to their church, teaches them their religion, or discourages Indigenous spiritual practice is violating this protection.
Identifying the harm
Signs a foster placement is imposing a different religious framework:
- Your child is attending the foster family’s church regularly
- Your child is being taught prayers or doctrines of the foster family’s religion
- Your child is discouraged from participating in Indigenous ceremony or spiritual practice
- Your child’s language around spirituality has shifted to reflect the foster family’s faith
Document specific examples: dates, what your child said or showed you, specific events they attended.
Making the formal complaint
Write to your MCFD worker and supervisor:
- Name the specific concern (regular church attendance, religious instruction, discouragement of Indigenous practice)
- State that this violates your child’s cultural rights under Bill C-92 and the CFCSA
- Request a written explanation of what steps MCFD will take to address it
- Request a placement review if the practice continues
Protecting your child’s practice
Use your visits to maintain your child’s connection to their own spiritual identity. Bring ceremony, Elder contact, and cultural connection into your visits. This maintains the thread of their identity even when the placement is not supporting it.
If the placement cannot be corrected, request a placement change on cultural grounds.
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
- Can a foster family raise my child in their religion without my consent?
- No. A foster family does not have the right to raise your child in their religious framework without your consent. MCFD is responsible for ensuring that a child's existing spiritual and cultural identity is maintained during a placement. Imposing a different religion is a cultural harm that MCFD must address.
- What if my child says they like the foster family's church or religious practice?
- Children adapt to the environments they are placed in. A child expressing positive feelings about a foster family's religious practice does not mean it is appropriate to impose that framework on them. Your child's foundational spiritual and cultural identity is determined by their heritage and by your family — not by the preferences they develop in a temporary placement.
- Is traditional Indigenous spiritual practice legally protected for children in foster care?
- Yes. Bill C-92 and BC's Child, Family and Community Service Act both recognize the importance of maintaining an Indigenous child's spiritual and cultural identity during care. Traditional spiritual practices are a protected component of that identity.
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