Kinship Care and Customary Care in Nunavut: What You Need to Know

You've been raising your niece for two years. Or your sister's children moved in when she went to Iqaluit for treatment and never quite moved back. Or you're an Elder who's had your grandchild since birth because that's simply how it's done in your family and community.

What you're doing is called Inuit Customary Caring, and it has deep roots in how Inuit society has always organized the raising of children. But there's a version of this arrangement that exists outside the formal system — and a version that exists within it. The difference matters enormously when it comes to financial support, the child's legal status, and what happens if DFS comes knocking.

What Inuit Customary Caring Actually Is

For generations, Inuit communities raised children collectively. A grandparent might take a grandchild to raise. An aunt and uncle without children of their own might adopt an infant through an agreement with the biological parents. Children moved between households according to the needs of the family and the community, without courts, without social workers, without paperwork.

This practice is what the Government of Nunavut calls Inuit Customary Caring. It's not a policy invention — it's a recognition of something that already existed and that the formal system had to learn to accommodate rather than override.

The Problem With Staying Informal

The challenge with informal customary care is that it exists in a grey zone. You're caring for a child, but you have no legal authority to make medical decisions. If the child needs surgery, you may not be able to consent. If a school needs to speak with a guardian, there may be confusion about who that is. And — critically — you're not receiving any financial support from DFS even though you're providing care that would otherwise require a licensed foster home.

With the cost of food in Nunavut what it is — a litre of milk can cost $15 in remote communities — the per diems available to licensed foster and kinship caregivers are not a small consideration. They exist to cover the actual costs of raising a child in the Arctic: winter clothing, food, school supplies, medical expenses.

Two Paths to Formalization

Path 1: Becoming a Licensed Kinship Foster Parent

If the Department of Family Services has identified a child as being in need of protection and is involved in the situation, you may be asked to become a formal kinship foster parent. This means going through a modified version of the standard licensing process — background checks, a home study, and training.

The home study for kinship caregivers is generally more supportive in tone than a standard home study. The worker isn't evaluating you as a stranger; they're assessing how to best support a family arrangement that's already providing care. Workers in Nunavut are generally aware that Inuit kinship networks are the backbone of child welfare here, and a good home study conversation acknowledges what you're already doing rather than treating you as a new applicant.

Once licensed, you receive foster care per diems and have access to DFS supports including the Inuit Child First Initiative for any of the child's unmet needs.

Path 2: Voluntary Services Agreements

Where DFS isn't already involved, families can enter a Voluntary Services Agreement (VSA) with the department. This is a collaborative arrangement — DFS isn't taking the child; the family and department are agreeing on supports to prevent further instability. A VSA can formalize a kinship arrangement while keeping the child out of the formal child welfare system.

VSAs reflect the Ilagiitsiarniq philosophy: moving away from "judgment and control" toward "healing and connection." They're increasingly the preferred tool where families are willing to engage voluntarily.

Inuit Customary Caring vs. Inuit Custom Adoption

These two terms are often confused, and they're meaningfully different.

Inuit Customary Caring is an arrangement for raising a child — it may be long-term, but it doesn't permanently change the child's legal family relationships. The child remains connected to both households.

Inuit Custom Adoption is a permanent transfer of parental responsibility, recognized under the Aboriginal Custom Adoption Recognition Act (ACARA). Once formalized, the adoptive family has full legal parental status. This is covered in more detail in a separate article, but the key distinction here is permanence and legal finality.

If what you're doing is raising a relative's child with an informal understanding that the child is "yours," and that understanding is durable, custom adoption may be the right path to formalize. If the situation is more fluid — a temporary arrangement, shared care, or you anticipate the child returning to their parents — kinship care or a VSA is more appropriate.

What the Formalization Process Involves

If you're caring for a child informally and want to formalize to access supports, start by contacting your community's CSSW or the DFS regional office. Explain that you're providing kinship care and want to understand your options.

Be prepared with:

• The child's basic information (name, date of birth, health status)
• The nature of your relationship to the child and the biological parents
• How long you've been providing care and what prompted the arrangement
• Whether the biological parents are aware of and consenting to the formalization

The department will typically want to speak with the biological parents as part of the process. This isn't designed to disrupt existing arrangements — it's to ensure everyone understands the legal implications and that the formalization reflects what's actually happening.

Practical Realities

Kinship caregivers in Nunavut often face the same housing constraints as any other prospective foster parent. If your home is already at capacity, this will come up in the licensing process. That said, the DFS "adequacy" standard in Nunavut acknowledges the territory's housing crisis. A home that's crowded by southern standards but safe and functional is not automatically disqualifying.

One thing worth knowing: the Nunavut Housing Corporation has an MOU with DFS that can, in some circumstances, accelerate a family's position on the housing waitlist when formal fostering or kinship care licensing is involved. If housing is your main barrier, it's worth raising this directly with your CSSW.

Formalizing a kinship arrangement unlocks real financial support and gives you the legal standing to advocate for the child you're already raising. The Nunavut Foster Care Guide covers the kinship licensing process, per diem rates, and how to apply for ICFI supports — specific to how the system works here, not based on how it works in Ontario.

Get the Nunavut Foster Care Guide

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