Research

First Nations mothers at higher risk of death after children removed by child welfare system, Manitoba study finds

UM researchers teamed with First Nations Family Advocate Office of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs

An adult is holding a child's hand. They are wearing ribbon skirts.
Estimated Read Time:
2 minutes
Estimated Read Time:
2 minutes

Mothers who have their children removed by Child and Family Services (CFS) have an increased risk of mortality, and this heightened risk of premature death is more pronounced in First Nations women, says a new study jointly led by the First Nations Family Advocate Office (FNFAO) of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) and University of Manitoba researchers.

The study has just been published in the journal The Lancet Public Health. The researchers analyzed de-identified (anonymous) government health and social service data stored in the Population Research Data Repository at UM’s Manitoba Centre for Health Policy.

They studied a 24-year period from April 1998 to March 2022, tracking Manitoba data for more than 16,000 First Nations mothers and nearly 78,000 non-First Nations mothers.

  • The results revealed that:
    More than one in four First Nations mothers experienced child removal by CFS, compared to one in 25 non-First Nations mothers.
  • Mortality risk following child removal was more than four times higher for First Nations mothers and almost three times higher for non-First Nations mothers, compared to non-First Nations mothers who did not experience child removal.
  • Preventable causes of death accounted for the majority of maternal deaths following child removal, with the leading causes being suicide, accidental poisoning, unintentional injury and homicide.
Child removal policies create or compound cycles of trauma, unmet needs and hardship that shorten women’s lives.

Dr. Kathleen Kenny, postdoctoral fellow, College of Community and Global Health, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

“The tragic link between having your children taken away and an increased risk of dying has previously been identified by researchers in mothers in the general population,” said study leader Dr. Kathleen Kenny, a postdoctoral fellow in the College of Community and Global Health in UM’s Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.

“Our study is the first to document this in First Nations mothers, who are disproportionately affected by child removal as a consequence of ongoing colonization and structural racism.”

Manitoba has the highest rate of child removal in Canada, Kenny added. “Child removal policies create or compound cycles of trauma, unmet needs and hardship that shorten women’s lives.”

Portrait of Dr. Kathleen Kenny.
Dr. Kathleen Kenny

Researchers developed this study in consultation with representatives from First Nations governments, First Nations-led organizations, organizations serving First Nations families, clinical and policy experts, and parents and grandparents affected by CFS.

“This study is not about numbers or statistics, it is about human lives,” said Grand Chief Kyra Wilson of the AMC. “When a child is removed from their family, it should not trigger a cascade of harm. The instability makes reunification harder and prolongs trauma for families and children alike. 

“We are calling on federal and provincial departments to work with First Nations leadership to fix legislation and policies, ensure housing and financial stability, and demonstrate that the child welfare system supports reunification and healing, not avoidable hardship.”

When a child is removed from their family, it should not trigger a cascade of harm.

Grand Chief Kyra Wilson of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs

The researchers’ joint recommendations include:

  • End the over-reliance on child removal. Invest in First Nations-led solutions and services focused on supporting and preserving First Nations families. 
  • Amend policies to ensure that if a child is removed as a last resort, the parents are given time and resources to address concerns and work toward family reunification. 
  • Keep parents meaningfully involved through placement of children in First Nations-led customary systems of care.
By

Rady Communications and Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs