Huu-ay-aht First Nations says 72 percent of its children who were in care have been reunified with their families, an update shared during community engagement sessions in late June that included stops in the Port Alberni area.
The Huu-ay-aht Child and Family Wellness department held five sessions during the final week of June 2026 in Anacla, Vancouver, and Port Alberni-area locations. Families received progress reports on the Yaaʔak̕ap Child and Family Wellness Act and the next steps under a new agreement with the province.
The milestone builds on years of work that began with a 2017 Social Services Panel report. In March 2018, the Nation declared a public health emergency when 47 children—representing 20 percent of all Huu-ay-aht children—were in foster care. By December 2025 that number had dropped to 14, partly through the Nation’s “Bring Our Children Home” approach and the opening of the ʔumʔiiqsu Mother Centre and Childcare Centre in Port Alberni in January 2025.
A formal agreement between Huu-ay-aht and the BC Ministry of Children and Family Development took effect on March 16, 2026. The yaaʔak̓apʷin (we are embracing) pact guides interactions and decision-making on child welfare matters. Since then, Huu-ay-aht staff delivered nearly 10 presentations to ministry workers, including one session that drew more than 130 attendees.
Phase 2 negotiations are now underway, with the goal of finishing operational planning by the end of summer 2026. The talks will focus on fully aligning day-to-day work between the Nation and the province.
