Foster Care in Yellowknife, Inuvik, Hay River, Fort Smith, Fort Simpson, and Behchokǫ̀

The Northwest Territories is not a monolithic jurisdiction for child welfare purposes. Across 33 communities spread over 1.3 million square kilometres, foster care is delivered through distinct regional authorities — each with its own office, its own administrative culture, and its own community context. The eligibility requirements are the same across the territory, but the experience of becoming a foster parent in Yellowknife looks meaningfully different from the experience in Inuvik, Fort Simpson, or Behchokǫ̀.

Here is what prospective caregivers in the NWT's main regional hubs need to know.

Yellowknife

Yellowknife is the territorial capital and by far the largest population centre, with roughly 20,000 of the NWT's approximately 44,000 residents. It also has the highest concentration of licensed foster homes in the territory — approximately 47 active foster homes as of recent data — but demand consistently exceeds supply.

Foster care in Yellowknife is administered through the Yellowknife Social Services office at (867) 767-9122. For prospective applicants in Yellowknife, access to services is more straightforward than in any other NWT community. Home study appointments can typically be scheduled in person. P.R.I.D.E. training is available in group sessions. RCMP Vulnerable Sector Check requests are processed at the local detachment. First Aid and CPR training is readily available through the Red Cross.

The Yellowknife buyer profile leans toward two distinct groups. Southern professionals who have relocated for government, mining, or healthcare employment — and who want to contribute to the community they now live in. And Indigenous Yellowknife residents, some of whom are providing informal care to family members and want to formalize that arrangement to access per-diem support and legal standing.

The per-diem rate for Yellowknife — including Dettah and Ndilǫ — is $33.00 per day for basic maintenance, plus age-based supplements. This is the lowest rate in the territory, reflecting Yellowknife's relatively lower cost of living compared to remote communities, though the cost of living is still significantly higher than most southern Canadian cities.

The Foster Family Coalition of the NWT (FFCNWT) is based in Yellowknife at 1-866-233-0136 and offers independent support, training access, and a peer network for current and prospective caregivers across the territory.

Inuvik and the Beaufort-Delta Region

Inuvik is the hub of the Beaufort-Delta region, serving communities including Aklavik, Tuktoyaktuk, Paulatuk, and Ulukhaktok. The Beaufort-Delta region is distinct from the rest of the NWT in one critical legal respect: many of its children are Inuvialuit, and therefore subject to the Inuvialuit Qitunrariit Inuuniarnikkun Maligaksat — the Inuvialuit Family Way of Living Law — which came into force in 2021 under the framework established by federal Bill C-92.

That law gives the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC) significant jurisdiction over the child welfare of Inuvialuit children. For prospective foster parents in the Beaufort-Delta region, this means you may be caring for a child whose case is governed not only by the NWT Child and Family Services Act but also by Inuvialuit law — with its explicit priority on keeping Inuvialuit children within Inuvialuit Settlement Region communities and maintaining cultural continuity.

The Beaufort-Delta Social Services office is in Inuvik at (867) 678-8001 ext 4. The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation can be reached at (867) 777-7000 and is a valuable contact for non-Inuvialuit caregivers who want to understand their cultural obligations when caring for Inuvialuit children.

The per-diem rate for Inuvik is $52.00 per day for basic maintenance. For Tuktoyaktuk, also $52.00. For more remote Beaufort-Delta communities like Paulatuk ($62.00) and Sachs Harbour ($65.00), rates reflect the significant isolation premium built into the NWT's community-indexed per-diem structure.

Hay River and the South Slave

Hay River is the territory's second-largest community and a regional hub for the South Slave region. Hay River hosts a diverse mix of Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents and serves as a service and transportation centre for the broader region.

Foster care in Hay River is administered through the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority (HRHSSA). The Hay River office serves Hay River itself and Enterprise. The per-diem rate for Hay River and Enterprise is $41.00 per day.

For caregivers in Hay River, the application process is broadly similar to Yellowknife's, with in-person access to social services and training available locally. The community's more diverse demographic profile means that both Indigenous and non-Indigenous applicants are common, and the social services caseload is somewhat more manageable than in the more remote regional hubs.

Fort Smith

Fort Smith is the southernmost significant community in the NWT, located on the border with Alberta. It is administered through the NTHSSA Fort Smith office and serves as a regional hub for the South Slave. The community has a relatively stable social services infrastructure given its size and road access.

The per-diem rate for Fort Smith is in the lower-middle tier of the territorial structure. Fort Smith's road connectivity — accessible by highway from Alberta — makes it more integrated into southern supply chains than communities served only by air, which moderates cost-of-living supplements.

Fort Simpson and the Dehcho Region

Fort Simpson is the administrative centre for the Dehcho region, which includes communities like Fort Liard, Fort Providence, and Wrigley. Dehcho Social Services is based in Fort Simpson at (867) 695-2293.

The Dehcho region is governed by the Dehcho First Nations, and many children in this region are subject to Dene Nation governance structures under the framework established by Bill C-92. Prospective foster parents in this region should expect their home study to include specific discussion of Dene culture, territorial treaty rights, and the region's particular community context.

The per-diem rate for Fort Simpson is $49.00 per day. More remote Dehcho communities carry higher rates reflecting increased isolation.

Behchokǫ̀ and the Tłı̨chǫ Communities

Behchokǫ̀ is the largest Dene community in the NWT and the home of the Tłı̨chǫ Community Services Agency (TCSA), which administers health and social services for the four Tłı̨chǫ communities: Behchokǫ̀, Whatì, Gamètì, and Wekweètì.

Foster care in the Tłı̨chǫ communities operates under the TCSA, not directly through HSS. The TCSA integrates the Tłı̨chǫ "Strong Like Two People" model into its child welfare approach — a philosophy that values the combination of traditional Tłı̨chǫ knowledge with contemporary professional skills. Tłı̨chǫ Social Services can be reached at (867) 392-3005.

The per-diem rate for Behchokǫ̀ is $47.00 per day. For the more remote Tłı̨chǫ communities — Whatì, Gamètì, and Wekweètì — rates are higher, reflecting the fly-in accessibility of those communities.

Common Threads Across All Regions

Regardless of where you live in the NWT, the eligibility requirements are consistent: minimum age of 19, NWT residency, RCMP Vulnerable Sector Check, HSS Child Protection Records Check, medical clearance, three references, and a home that meets safety standards. P.R.I.D.E. training and First Aid/CPR are required everywhere.

What varies is the administrative experience, the specific cultural governance structures applicable to children in your area, and the per-diem rates reflecting your community's cost of living.

The Northwest Territories Foster Care Guide includes region-specific guidance on navigating the process from any NWT community — including what remote applicants can expect around training delivery, home study scheduling, and the cultural governance frameworks relevant to each regional authority.

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