A KFT-Families Society Program · Est. 2026
The standard for keeping
Indigenous families
together.
IFISC is a certification framework for Indigenous family integrity, developed in collaboration with Indigenous knowledge holders, advocates, and families. Seven pillars define what integrity, safety, and reunification look like in practice.
Why IFISC exists
The systems built to protect Indigenous children were not built by them.
Indigenous children in Canada continue to be removed from their families at rates dramatically disproportionate to any other population in the country. The frameworks measuring whether they are safe were designed without Indigenous law, ceremony, language, or kinship at their centre.
IFISC names a different reference point. The question is no longer is this safe enough, but does this meet the standard. That standard is set by Indigenous knowledge holders, legal practitioners, advocates, and families.
Read the full standardThe scale of the problem
The numbers have not changed.
Decades after the Sixties Scoop and Indian Residential Schools, Indigenous children remain dramatically overrepresented in care. The numbers below are current, not historic.
53.8%
of children in foster care in Canada are Indigenous.
Indigenous children represent only 7.7% of children in Canada.
Statistics Canada · 2021 Census
14×
more likely to be placed in foster care than non-Indigenous children.
3.2% of Indigenous children versus 0.2% of non-Indigenous children.
Vanier Institute · Families Count 2024
52.2% → 53.8%
overrepresentation rose between 2016 and 2021.
Federal child welfare legislation took effect in 2020. The number has not yet moved in the right direction.
Statistics Canada · 2016, 2021 Census
The 7 Pillars
A complete framework for family integrity.
Each pillar is a measurable domain. Together they define what certified safety looks like across health, law, culture, family structure, and crisis response.
Health and Wellness
Physical, mental, and spiritual health frameworks rooted in Indigenous knowledge.
Read about Health and WellnessRights and Legal Accountability
Recognition of family rights, due process, and legal recourse within and beyond colonial systems.
Read about Rights and Legal AccountabilityIndigenous Law and Tradition
Customary law, ceremony, and nation-specific governance integrated into family safety planning.
Read about Indigenous Law and TraditionFamily and Reunification
Concrete pathways to keep families together and to bring them home.
Read about Family and ReunificationCulture and Identity
Continuity of language, ceremony, kinship, and cultural belonging across generations.
Read about Culture and IdentityCommunity and Accountability
Transparent oversight and shared responsibility within and across nations.
Read about Community and AccountabilityCrisis Intervention
Protocols for immediate response that protect children without severing family.
Read about Crisis InterventionFamily preservation is not a service. It is a standard. Where the state has measured the threshold for severance, IFISC names the threshold for keeping families whole.
Become certified
Show your community what the standard looks like in practice.
Certification is open to nations, organizations, agencies, and family service providers committed to the seven pillars. The process is rigorous, supported, and built to honour the work you are already doing.
Frequently asked
What people ask first.
What is IFISC?
IFISC stands for the Indigenous Family Integrity Safety Certificate. It is a certification framework developed by KFT-Families Society to define what family safety looks like when Indigenous knowledge, law, and accountability lead. Certification measures organizational practice across seven pillars with documented evidence and community accountability.
Who can be certified?
Certification is open to nations, family service providers, government agencies, and organizations whose practice touches Indigenous families. Certification is granted to the entity, not to individuals. The standard is built to be applied across diverse organizational types and nation contexts.
Who developed the IFISC standard?
IFISC is a program of KFT-Families Society, an Indigenous-led, registered Canadian charity. The standard was developed in collaboration with Indigenous families, advocates, elders, legal practitioners, and community members across multiple nations.
How is IFISC different from existing child welfare frameworks?
Existing frameworks measure compliance with state-defined safety. IFISC measures alignment with Indigenous family integrity. Where current systems often sever family to protect children, IFISC sets a standard for protecting children within family.
How long does certification take?
The process runs in six stages from inquiry to renewable standing. Total timelines vary based on organizational size and starting alignment, but most pathways take six to twelve months from inquiry to a certification decision.
What does certification cost?
Certification fees are scaled to organizational size and capacity. KFT-Families Society maintains a subsidy pathway for nations and community-led organizations. Fee details are shared during the inquiry conversation.
Support the work
Family preservation is funded by people who believe in it.
IFISC is funded through KFT-Families Society, a registered Canadian charity. CanadaHelps issues a tax receipt for every donation. Every gift funds the development of the standard and the AI Navigation Assistant.
Donate to KFT