Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes. It is proposal-dependent at this time.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  There are certain criteria that must be met.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  The current funding is $100 million per year.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  At the current time.... I will say that, to date, we haven't had to turn people down. We've been able to meet those requests.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  It's certainly a possibility.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you for that very good question. The $200 million-plus amount you see in the graphic is the amount that has been disbursed to support capacity-building, but a total of approximately $1.6 billion has been disbursed for that and coordination agreements. I agree with you that child and family services need slightly different funding.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  That's a great question. Thank you. I think there is general recognition. I think we see it in the department. The Supreme Court said it. The number of indigenous children in care in Canada is shocking. There is no doubt about that. I think what the act has tried to do over the past five years is address the fact that the system does not work as it is.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Perhaps I'll defer to my Department of Justice colleagues. I can fill in at the end. Thank you.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  That is a very good question. I will try my absolute best for 30 seconds. It depends on which distinctions-based group you're speaking about, and it depends on whether there is a first nations agency that is working with the community or not. Typically, funding that would come through the first nations child and family services program to fund communities will flow to a province if there are services being provided by a provincial agency.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I think, absolutely, you see that with the implementation of this jurisdiction. Children are being kept within communities. I think about the examples of Peguis and Wabaseemoong, where children are being kept closer to home. Also, if a child needs to be apprehended, what is the circle of care around that child?

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  That's a very good question. Thank you for it. I think what we see is a problem that everyone recognizes across the board: The status quo is not working. There have been significant investments in the first nations child and family services program. That program's funding has increased by about 200% since 2006.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  No, go ahead, please.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you very much, Chair. Kwe, bonjour and good morning. Thank you for the invitation to present and to discuss An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families. My name is Katrina Peddle. I'm the director general for the act, as the chair has mentioned.