Quebec Ombudsman's Second Viens Follow-Up on Indigenous Youth Protection: What the Six New Recommendations Mean for Families, Communities, and Front-Line Workers

What This Means for You

If you are a First Nations or Inuit parent in Quebec, a foster carer, an extended family member acting as a kinship caregiver, a front-line worker at a friendship centre or band council, or a non-Indigenous DPJ (Directeur de la protection de la jeunesse) social worker, the June 4, 2026 follow-up report from Quebec Ombudsman Marc-André Dowd matters in three specific ways. It documents what has changed in youth protection since the 2019 Viens Commission, what has not, and it directs six new recommendations to the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Santé Québec, and the national director of youth protection — recommendations that will shape how DPJ files are opened, transferred, and closed for Indigenous children over the next 18 to 24 months.

Based on our analysis of the Viens Commission's original 142 calls to action, the Protecteur du citoyen's first follow-up (2023), federal Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families (An Act, S.C. 2019, c. 24), and the 2022 Quebec Youth Protection Act amendments (Bill 15), here is what to do depending on your situation.

If You Are an Indigenous Parent Whose Child Is in the DPJ System:

Three rights the federal and provincial reforms have already strengthened — confirm your worker is applying them:

The right to have your community involved. Under the federal Act (S.C. 2019, c. 24) in force since January 1, 2020, an Indigenous governing body has the authority to exercise legislative jurisdiction over child and family services and to receive notice of significant measures. Ask your DPJ worker in writing: "Has formal notice been given to our nation/community under section 12 of the federal Act?" The answer should be yes, with a date.
The right to a less-intrusive measure first. Both Quebec's Youth Protection Act (s. 2.4, s. 4) and the federal Act require that placement outside the family be the last resort, with priority given first to the parent, then to a member of the child's family, then to an adult who has a significant bond with the child, then to a member of the same Indigenous community.
The right to a cultural continuity plan. Foster placements for Indigenous children must include a plan to maintain cultural, linguistic, and community ties. Request a copy in writing if you have not seen one.

Immediate action:

Ask for the case-management plan in writing in both French/English and, where possible, your language. Quebec ombudsman reports going back to 2025 have repeatedly flagged language-access gaps. You have the right to interpretation services in DPJ proceedings.
Contact the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (CDPDJ). The CDPDJ at cdpdj.qc.ca investigates rights violations of children under the Youth Protection Act, including for Indigenous children. Filing is free.
Contact the Protecteur du citoyen. If the issue is with Santé Québec, the Ministry of Health and Social Services, or the youth protection director, the Protecteur du citoyen at protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca accepts complaints by phone (1-800-463-5070) and online. There is no filing fee.
Get legal help. Quebec Legal Aid (Commission des services juridiques) covers youth protection cases for families meeting financial thresholds (a single parent with one child can qualify with gross annual income up to roughly $35,000-$38,000 depending on the year — verify current thresholds at csj.qc.ca). The Native Para-Judicial Services of Quebec (SPAQ) provides paralegal assistance specifically for Indigenous people navigating the system.

If You Are a Foster Carer or Kinship Caregiver:

Push for the same placement priority sequence. If you are a kin caregiver (grandparent, aunt, older sibling), the law requires DPJ to consider you ahead of a non-related foster placement. If this has not been honoured, document it in writing and copy your community's child and family services agency.
Know the financial support available. Quebec foster carer rates vary by child age and special-needs status but generally run from about $33 to $66 per day per child as of 2025. Kinship carers caring for an Indigenous child may also be eligible for support through Jordan's Principle (federal) for unmet needs in health, education, and social services. Contact the Indigenous Services Canada Jordan's Principle focal point at 1-855-572-4453 or sac-isc.gc.ca/jordansprinciple.

If You Are a Front-Line Worker (DPJ, CISSS, CIUSSS, Friendship Centre, Band Council):

The report's six recommendations focus on practice consistency, support for community-led approaches, and "respect for the rights of First Nations and Inuit." Concrete things to do this month:

Review your service's protocol against section 132.7 of the Youth Protection Act, which obliges youth protection institutions to enter into agreements with Indigenous communities and organizations. Ask whether a written agreement exists in your region. If not, raise it with your service quality commissioner.
Confirm interpreter-on-demand access for clients whose first language is Atikamekw, Innu-aimun, Anishinaabemowin, Cree, Mohawk, Mi'kmaq, Naskapi, or Inuktitut. The Office québécois de la langue française does not regulate Indigenous-language access, so the obligation comes from the Youth Protection Act's procedural fairness requirements.
If you work for a friendship centre or First Nations health and social services agency, the report was developed with input from 12 friendship centres and 22 First Nations communities or organizations. If yours was consulted, request the final document so your service can map the recommendations against your local situation.

For Non-Indigenous Quebecers Wondering Why This Matters:

Indigenous children are significantly overrepresented in Quebec's youth protection system. While exact provincial figures vary by year, the federal Department of Indigenous Services Canada and Statistics Canada data consistently show First Nations children are placed in care at rates several times higher than non-Indigenous children — historically four to eight times higher in Quebec, depending on the region and the indicator used. This is the policy problem the Viens Commission was set up to address.

The Viens Commission, formally the Public Inquiry Commission on Relations between Indigenous Peoples and Certain Public Services in Québec, issued 142 calls to action in 2019 covering police, justice, health, social services, youth protection, and corrections. In Dowd's first follow-up report in 2023, only four of the 30 youth-protection-specific calls to action were found to be fully implemented or progressing as expected. Today's report is the second follow-up.

The News: What Happened

According to CBC News, Quebec Ombudsman Marc-André Dowd published a second follow-up to the Viens report on Thursday, June 4, 2026. The report focuses specifically on the overrepresentation of First Nations and Inuit children in Quebec's youth protection system. The Protecteur du citoyen titled the report "Listening, Reconciliation and Progress," according to a media advisory published at protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca.

CBC News reports the ombudsman acknowledges significant progress since 2019, including "major legislative changes — provincially and federally — that better reflect the realities and rights of Indigenous children." Provincially, this refers to the 2022 amendments to the Youth Protection Act (Bill 15), which introduced explicit Indigenous-specific provisions. Federally, the reference is to the Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families (S.C. 2019, c. 24), in force since January 1, 2020.

According to CBC News, the report finds that despite that progress, "the voices of children, youth, parents and First Nations and Inuit service providers are still too often insufficiently taken into account." Dowd issued six recommendations to the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Santé Québec, and the national director of youth protection focused on improving consistency in practices, providing practical support for community-led approaches, and ensuring respect for the rights of First Nations and Inuit children.

CBC News reports the report was developed with input from over 100 managers and professionals working in youth protection or health and social services, drawn from 12 friendship centres and 22 First Nations communities or community organizations across the province.

According to Nunatsiaq News' coverage of related ombudsman reporting, Dowd has also called on the Quebec government to embrace the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services said it is "taking note of the recommendations" and is currently preparing two youth protection action plans — one specific to First Nations and the other specific to Inuit — according to CBC News.

This is the second follow-up to the Viens Commission's 142 calls to action. The first follow-up, published in 2023, found only four of the 30 youth-protection-specific calls to action were fully implemented or progressing as expected, according to Protecteur du citoyen reporting.

Analysis: Why This Matters

Based on our analysis of the report and Quebec's youth protection landscape, three themes drive the practical impact.

1. Legislative reform is not the same as practice reform. The 2019 federal Act (S.C. 2019, c. 24) and Quebec's 2022 Bill 15 amendments are real, substantive changes. Yet Dowd's finding that Indigenous voices remain "insufficiently taken into account" tells us the law on paper is not yet the practice on the ground. The recommendations target consistency — which usually means that some DPJ offices are doing well, others are not, and the variation is unacceptable. For a family interacting with the system, the postcode lottery is real.

2. The two separate action plans (First Nations and Inuit) are a meaningful change. Quebec has historically tended to bundle Indigenous-specific policy. Separating the response into a First Nations action plan and an Inuit action plan reflects that the realities of, for example, Atikamekw families in central Quebec differ sharply from Inuit families in Nunavik served through the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services (NRBHSS) under the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement. Whether the action plans translate into measurable change will depend on Indigenous co-development, which both UNDRIP and the federal Act require.

3. The political context is fragile. Quebec has had ongoing tensions with the federal child and family services Act, including a 2024 Supreme Court of Canada reference confirming the federal Act's constitutionality. Quebec is preparing for a general election by October 2026. Major policy commitments made before an election are vulnerable to reversal afterward; the durability of the two action plans depends on whether they are tabled and partially operationalised this fiscal year.

Historical Context:

The Viens Commission was created in 2016 by then-premier Philippe Couillard after credible allegations of mistreatment of Indigenous women in Val-d'Or. Retired Superior Court Justice Jacques Viens issued his final report in September 2019, with 142 calls to action across public services. The Protecteur du citoyen has the mandate, granted in the report itself and subsequent provincial decisions, to assess implementation through periodic follow-up reports.

The federal Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families (Bill C-92, S.C. 2019, c. 24) affirmed Indigenous peoples' inherent right to self-determination over child and family services. Quebec initially challenged it as unconstitutional; the Supreme Court of Canada upheld the law in February 2024, finding it within federal jurisdiction.

What Happens Next:

Summer 2026: Expected publication of Quebec's two action plans (First Nations and Inuit-specific). Watch for them on quebec.ca and at the Ministry of Health and Social Services.
Fall 2026: Quebec general election by October 2026. Indigenous policy commitments may become campaign issues; Indigenous voters are concentrated enough in some ridings (notably Ungava and Abitibi-Est) to be electorally relevant.
2027: Likely timeline for a third Viens follow-up report from the Protecteur du citoyen, depending on the implementation pace of the action plans.

Your Action Plan

Immediate (This Week):

If you have an open DPJ file, request the case-management plan and cultural continuity plan in writing
If you have a complaint, file with Protecteur du citoyen (1-800-463-5070) or CDPDJ
If your child has unmet health, education, or social-service needs, contact Jordan's Principle (1-855-572-4453)

Short-term (This Month):

Connect with your local friendship centre — they can navigate the system with you. Find your nearest centre via the Regroupement des centres d'amitié autochtones du Québec
If you qualify, apply for Quebec Legal Aid for representation in DPJ matters
Read the full second follow-up report when it is posted at protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca

Long-term (This Year):

Track Quebec's First Nations and Inuit action plans when they are released
Engage with your Indigenous governing body about whether they have given notice under the federal Act to assume jurisdiction in your community
If you are a front-line worker, request your service's compliance audit against the Youth Protection Act's Indigenous-specific provisions

Other Perspectives

Quebec Ombudsman's Position:

According to CBC News, Marc-André Dowd's report acknowledges meaningful progress but finds Indigenous voices "still too often insufficiently taken into account." The six recommendations to the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Santé Québec, and the national director of youth protection focus on consistency, community-led approaches, and rights protection.

Government Response:

Quebec's Ministry of Health and Social Services said it "is taking note of the recommendations" and is preparing two action plans — one for First Nations and one for Inuit — according to CBC News.

Indigenous Organizations:

The report was developed with input from 12 friendship centres and 22 First Nations communities or community organizations, according to CBC News. The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL), the Cree Nation Government, the Inuit organization Makivvik, and the Native Women's Shelter of Montreal have all publicly engaged with the Viens Commission process; their detailed reactions to this second follow-up will follow in the days after release.

Federal Context:

Indigenous Services Canada operates Jordan's Principle, which can fund unmet needs not covered by Quebec's provincial system, and continues to support Indigenous governing bodies that have given notice under the federal Act to assume jurisdiction over child and family services in their territory.

Note: Including multiple perspectives does not imply all views are equally valid, but ensures readers can make informed judgments. Reporting on Indigenous child welfare requires particular care for the privacy and dignity of children and families involved; this analysis focuses on systemic policy and rights, not individual cases.

Corrections Policy

We strive for accuracy. If you find an error in this analysis, please email us at [email protected]. We will promptly investigate and correct any factual inaccuracies.

Updates:

No corrections to date (as of June 4, 2026)

Sources

CBC News, "Progress made but persistent issues remain in protecting Indigenous youth in Quebec: report," June 4, 2026 — cbc.ca
Protecteur du citoyen, media advisory — Second Follow-Up Report on the Public Inquiry Commission on Relations between Indigenous Peoples and Certain Public Services in Québec — protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca
Nunatsiaq News, "Quebec ombudsman calls on government to embrace UNDRIP in report" — nunatsiaq.com
Protecteur du citoyen, First Follow-Up Report on the Viens Commission (2023) — protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca
Government of Quebec, Follow-up to the Viens Commission — quebec.ca
Federal Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families, S.C. 2019, c. 24
Quebec Youth Protection Act (CQLR c. P-34.1), as amended by Bill 15 (2022)
Indigenous Services Canada, Jordan's Principle — sac-isc.gc.ca
Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse du Québec — cdpdj.qc.ca