Published 6:02 pm Tuesday, November 3, 2026 By William Koblensky Varela Local Journalism Initiative Northern News Service The Government of Nunavut’s Department of Family Services is often not checking on the welfare of foster children before or after they are placed in homes, according to an auditor general’s report released on Nov. 3. Foster homes were inspected for safety in just 52 per cent of cases before a child was placed there. “In more than 90 per cent of the files we reviewed, there was no evidence that the required monthly contact with children or foster caregivers had been maintained,” the report states. In five cases, Family Services made no contact with a child for over a year, according to the document. Foster families were often not informed of the child’s history either. “In 32 of 44 children’s files we reviewed, the department did not provide caregivers with important and required information about the child placed in their care, such as health, family or trauma history,” the report indicates. In 2023, an auditor general’s report on foster children revealed that the GN was “failing to protect vulnerable children and youth.” That report was the third warning made by the auditor general since 2011. This year’s report, covering the period of Nov. 1, 2024, to March 31, 2026, disclosed that 53 per cent of foster families had missing or late criminal record checks, which is actually a substantial improvement from 2023. Family Services contacted foster children on average every two months, when they were supposed to contact them every month, at minimum. “In more than 90 per cent of the files we reviewed, there was no evidence that the required monthly contact with children or foster caregivers had been maintained,” the report stated. Foster families were contacted every four-and-a-half months, also falling well below guidelines. Recordkeeping has been a longstanding issue for Family Services, and this year’s auditor general’s report raised that issue once again. “The department did not have a single reliable source of information on how many children were in care or where they were placed, affecting both child safety and service delivery planning,” the report said. Updating electronic records correctly has been another ongoing challenge at Family Services. There were approximately 400 children in foster care as of March 31, with 260 of them placced outside of their family home within Nunavut. The auditor general’s report did not cover foster children placed outside of Nunavut. Gwen Healey Akearok, the minister of the department, said she accepts the auditor general’s report. “Meaningful change requires accountability, consistent follow-through, and sustained action. Today, we are strengthening prevention and family supports, improving oversight, equipping frontline staff with more tools and training, and supporting kinship and foster caregivers in the important role they play,” Healey Akearok said. The minister added that her department has increased the frequency of family visits and criminal background checks. A five-year roadmap to improve the department’s treatment of foster children was initiated following the 2023 report. Correction: A previous version of this story contained an error in the headline. It was nearly half of cases where the Department of Family Services failed to inspect foster homes for safety.
Family Services did not ensure homes were safe for foster children in nearly half of cases: auditor general
