The Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba is looking to hire more child and family services workers in Thompson and two remote First Nations, at a time when one of those communities has declared a state of emergency over drugs and violence.
The agency has posted permanent full-time jobs for Child and Family Services Workers in Thompson, Tadoule Lake, and God’s River, along with a Payroll Clerk at its Thompson Central Office. All postings are open until filled, with preference given to Indigenous applicants.
Awasis Agency runs child welfare services for 11 First Nations in the north. The new hires would work out of the Thompson headquarters at 701 Thompson Drive, or from sub-offices in Tadoule Lake and God’s River. Field workers can expect to travel overnight and to remote areas about 30 per cent of the time.
The recruitment push lands as numbers show Indigenous children are vastly over-represented in Manitoba’s child welfare system. Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak reports that Indigenous kids make up 91 per cent of the 9,172 children in care across the province, even though they are only 25 per cent of the child population. About one-third of those children are from northern First Nations.
The hiring also follows a June 11, 2026 state of emergency declared by Sayisi Dene First Nation in Tadoule Lake, about 325 kilometres north of Thompson. Leaders there pointed to a worsening drug and addiction crisis, rising violence, and no permanent police presence since the community was founded in 1973.
Leigh-Ann Sanness, director of human resources at Awasis Agency, says the agency puts a focus on building up local talent and creating jobs for people in its member First Nations and nearby areas. The salaries for the new positions will depend on education and experience.
