About Us
Native Child and Family Services of Toronto (NCFST) is a multi-service urban Aboriginal agency providing holistic, culture-based programs and services for Aboriginal children and families. NCFST strives to provide a life of quality, well-being, healing, and self-determination for children and families in the Toronto urban Aboriginal community. We do this by implementing a service model that is culture-based and respects the values of Aboriginal people, the extended family and the right to self-determination.
Established in 1986, by Elders, knowledge keepers, grassroots leaders, and community members, NCFST has been supporting Aboriginal children and families in Toronto for more than three decades. In 2004 NCFST was directed by the Aboriginal community to accept a child welfare mandate to decolonize Aboriginal child welfare in the City of Toronto. NCFST continues to do this work through the integration of holistic, culturally-based prevention services that are child centered, family focused, and community driven.
Guided by the vision of providing holistic, culture-based integrated services with the guidance of the Aboriginal community, NCFST offers a full range of prevention programs, treatment and healing services, early years programs, youth programs, and cultural and recreational programs to all members of Toronto’s urban Aboriginal community.
Mission Statement
Native Child and Family Services of Toronto strives to provide a life of quality, well-being, caring and healing for our children and families in the Toronto Native Community.
We do this by creating a service model that is culture-based and respects the values of Native people, the extended family and the right to self-determination.
Service Model
Founded in 1986, our service model was developed through four days of ceremony by Aboriginal Elders, knowledge keepers and community leaders. It directs us to develop a holistic and sustainable multi-service organization to support the quality of life of Aboriginal children and their families in Toronto. The community that came together to create NCFST was responding to the impacts of residential schooling and a European model of child welfare on Aboriginal children and families. Our service model directs us to develop and deliver integrated services for healing, wellness, and family supports sufficient to provide Aboriginal children and their families with multiple pathways to a quality life. We do this by developing programs and services that are grounded in Aboriginal values, knowledge, best practice and worldview.
Our Shared Values
The Seven Grandfather Teachings
Zaag'idwin (Love)
The Eagle flies closest to the Creator, carrying all the teachings upon its wings. From its high vantage point, the Eagle reminds us that love connects us to all teachings and all of creation. It teaches us to see the world with peace and understanding, and to approach every interaction with unconditional love for ourselves and others.
We approach conversations, each other, and community from a place of compassionate inquiry, kindness and care.
Aakdewin (Bravery)
The Bear calls us to honour all of creation. The Bear gives its entire being to sustain human life. It teaches us that respect is mutual and reciprocal. To receive respect, we must also give it. The Bear's selflessness shows us how to live in harmony with all of creation.
With the Bear, we hold space for a diversity of experiences and perspectives. We honour the teachings of this territory shared with us through Elders, Knowledge Carriers, animals and the Land. We practice them in all aspects of who we are.
Minaadendamowin (Respect)
The Buffalo guides us to live with courage and integrity, facing ourselves and making difficult but necessary decisions. It reminds us to trust our inner guidance and ancestral wisdom, stand up for our beliefs, and act rightly, even against colonial pressures.
In doing so, we honour shared decision-making and Indigenous governance, even when it is not recognized by colonial systems.
Debwewin (Truth)
The Turtle teaches us to live with care and intention, showing that truth is in how we move through life. Its deliberate pace reminds us to value the journey, fostering patience, humility, and thoughtful action.
By walking in relationship with our communities, we honour kinship, acknowledge the harms of inherited systems, and commit to restoring Indigenous ways in our words and deeds.
Gwayakwaadiziwin (Honesty)
Honesty is living our values with integrity—speaking truth, listening with humility, and taking accountability for our place in the world. The Sabe reminds us to walk tall in truth; integrity flows from honesty, guiding us with respect, humility, and care for all of creation.
We tell the truth, even if it is uncomfortable. We listen to those telling us their truths with open and humble hearts. We are accountable for how the systems we have inherited work today.
Dabaadendiziwin (Humility)
The wolf lives for the pack rather than for the individual. Its wisdom reminds us that every being is a sacred and integral part of creation. It teaches us to understand our place in the world while honouring our inter-dependence with all things. Its devotion to the pack shows how balance and cooperation strengthen both ourselves and the communities we are part of.
Guided by the Wolf, we honour our roles in the lives of others, act with care, and speak thoughtfully. We acknowledge what we know, and what we don't, and face mistakes with humility, kindness, and respect.
Nibwaakaawin (Wisdom)
The Beaver teaches us to use our gifts wisely for the benefit of all. Like the beaver building lodges in harmony with the land, we act with foresight and care for future generations. Wisdom is applied knowledge, shared and strengthened in the circle through humility and collaboration.
The Beaver reminds us to live sustainably, nurture the world, and honour the gifts each brings, walking in balance with responsibility to all of creation.