Southern First Nations Network of Care

What Southern First Nations Network of Care does

The Southern First Nations Network of Care (SFNNC) is a mandated First Nations child and family services authority established in 2002 under Manitoba's Child and Family Services Authorities Act and governed under the Southern Chiefs' Organization. Headquartered in Headingley, Manitoba on Swan Lake First Nation Treaty Land, SFNNC oversees 10 mandated CFS agencies — 9 First Nations agencies plus the All Nations Coordinated Response Network (ANCR) — serving 36 First Nations communities throughout southern Manitoba, including urban service points in Winnipeg, Brandon, and Dauphin. Its service mandate spans child protection, prevention, foster care, kinship/Custom Care, family enhancement, reunification, and child abuse investigation, all grounded in the Anishinaabe Seven Teachings framework and Circle of Care community-driven models.

The organization operates a modest technology stack centered on case management and member agency coordination: mCase (RedMane Technology) for intake, assessment, service planning, and outcome reporting, including offline field capability; the provincial CFSIS (Child & Family Services Information System); province-mandated Structured Decision Making (SDM) evidence-based tools; and a VLAN network infrastructure connecting member agencies since 2012. Its signature program, Restoring the Sacred Bond (2019), is Manitoba's first Social Impact Bond and pairs at-risk Indigenous mothers with Indigenous doulas for prenatal and postnatal support, backed by the mCase platform.

SFNNC functions as a government-funded nonprofit authority with no user fees or commercial revenue streams. Funding flows from provincial and federal government sources under the CFS Authorities Act and federal child welfare frameworks, including alignment with Bill C-92. Its go-to-market is structurally mandated rather than competitive: services are delivered through the 10 member agencies under SFNNC oversight, with capacity building via training workshops, community engagement, annual general meetings, and educational outreach. The CEO since February 2017 is Tara Petti, a Peguis First Nation member with an MSW and prior internal experience as Director of Quality Assurance.

Name

Southern First Nations Network of Care

Legal name

Southern First Nations Network of Care

Website

https://southernnetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Southern First Nations Network of Care is a mandated First Nations child and family services authority in southern Manitoba, governing 10 CFS agencies serving 36 First Nations communities with culturally rooted protection, prevention, and family preservation services under the CFS Authorities Act.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child and Family Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (62411), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ), Parent Support Groups & Peer Networks (EDACALAG), Inclusive Infant & Toddler Care (Special Needs / IFSP-Aligned) (EDACAGAI)

Keywords

• Child welfare services
• Foster care placement
• Family preservation services
• Child protection services
• Kinship care services

Headquarters

HQ city

Headingley

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: The organization operates as a mandated authority under the Child and Family Services Authorities Act (CFSAA), receiving funding from provincial and federal government sources to provide child and family services to First Nations communities throughout Manitoba.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Southern First Nations Network of Care is a mandated First Nations child and family services authority that governs 10 member agencies (9 First Nations agencies plus the All Nations Coordinated Response Network) delivering child protection, family preservation, foster care, kinship care, alternative care, prevention services, and child abuse investigation to First Nations children and families across 36 communities in southern Manitoba. Services are culturally grounded in Anishinaabe traditions and the Seven Teachings framework, with no fees charged to service recipients, and are supported by centralized oversight, training programs for member agency staff, and the Restoring the Sacred Bond doula program for at-risk expectant Indigenous mothers.

Product overview

Southern First Nations Network of Care is a child and family services organization governing 10 mandated agencies (9 First Nations agencies plus ANCR) in southern Manitoba. The organization operates as a network of care rooted in Anishinaabe traditions and the Seven Teachings framework. Core services include child and family services case management, foster care, alternative care (including Custom/Kinship Care), family enhancement, prevention services, and child abuse investigation. The Restoring the Sacred Bond initiative represents a major program launch utilizing mCase technology for case management. The organization also provides training workshops for member agency staff and foster parents, implements Structured Decision Making tools province-wide, and operates a Circle of Care community program in Sagkeeng First Nation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Restoring the Sacred Bond: An early intervention program aimed at reducing the number of newborn child welfare apprehensions and days that young children spend in care. The program pairs Indigenous mothers with birth helpers/doulas to provide culturally-appropriate prenatal and postnatal support.

Products and services

• Child and Family Services Case Management Mandated province-wide child and family service delivery system providing intake, family enhancement, temporary care, reunification, permanent care, foster care, and child abuse investigation services to First Nations children and families in southern Manitoba.
• Restoring the Sacred Bond Early intervention program pairing at-risk Indigenous expectant mothers with Indigenous doulas (birth companions) to provide culturally appropriate prenatal and postnatal support, with the objective of reducing newborn child welfare apprehensions and the number of days young children spend in care.
• Alternative Care / Custom Care Services Placement resources for children unable to remain in homes of origin, including licensed foster homes, kinship care, and Custom Care arrangements grounded in traditional Anishinaabe practices and community connection.
• Circle of Care Program Community-driven program where clients form a support circle with family, social services, and community supports to address issues and keep children with siblings and extended family, with the goal of diverting matters from formal court proceedings and preserving family unity.
• Training Workshop Programs Training series for staff, support staff, and foster parents of member agencies, including Case Management Training, Supervisor Training, CFSA Training, Foster Care Training, JTT Training, and General CFS Training.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sagkeeng Circle of Care program resulted in approximately 50 children remaining in community rather than being placed in foster homes elsewhere
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• RedMane Technology CanadacoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2019Partnership with Vancouver-based RedMane Technology to implement mCase, a modern case management and mobility solution for delivery of services and gathering of performance outcome metrics. The partnership supports the Restoring the Sacred Bond initiative aimed at reducing newborn child welfare apprehensions and providing prenatal/postnatal support to at-risk Indigenous mothers.
• Wiijiji'idiwag IkwewagcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership with Wiijii'idiwag Ikwewag for the Restoring the Sacred Bond doula program. The initiative pairs Indigenous mothers at risk of having infants apprehended with birth companions who provide culturally appropriate support through pregnancy, birth, and early motherhood.
• Southern Chiefs' OrganizationcoreOthersThe Southern First Nations Network of Care operates under the governance of the Southern Chiefs' Organization (SCO). SCO represents First Nations leadership in southern Manitoba and provides political governance and oversight for the organization's child and family services mandate.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tikinagan Child & Family Services: A mandated First Nations child welfare agency in Ontario serving 30+ First Nations communities under provincial delegation. Compares to SFNNC as a delegated/Indigenous-controlled CFS authority providing culturally appropriate child welfare, alternative care, and family preservation with member First Nations governance.
• First Nations of Northern Manitoba Child and Family Services Authority: Direct counterpart mandated under the same CFS Authorities Act to deliver child and family services to First Nations communities in northern Manitoba. Operates a structurally identical model with its own member agencies, ANCR-equivalent services, and federal/provincial funding mix — making it the closest peer for benchmarking scale and governance.
• Kahnawake Shakotiia'takéhnhas Community Services: Mohawk Council of Kahnawake's community services organization providing child welfare, family support, and alternative care under Quebec's Youth Protection Act. Functions as a delegated Indigenous CFS authority analogous to SFNNC, with similar cultural grounding (Haudenosaunee values) and statutory authority to deliver child protection.

Others

• Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO): Political organization representing 26 First Nations in northern Manitoba. Adjacent to SFNNC as a parallel Indigenous governance body that collectively governs the Northern counterpart CFS authority. Useful comparator for political governance structures and First Nations political mandates over child welfare in Manitoba.
• Southern Chiefs' Organization (SCO): Parent political organization governing SFNNC and representing 36 southern Manitoba First Nations. Not a direct CFS operator, but provides the political governance and oversight mandate under which SFNNC operates — analogous to a tribal council relationship.

Broad incumbents

• National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA): U.S.-based national organization dedicated to the well-being of American Indian/Alaska Native children and families, supporting compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). Comparable to SFNNC's mandate as a sector peer, though operating at the national training/advocacy level rather than as a direct service authority.
• Indigenous Services Canada - First Nations and Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB): Federal counterpart that funds and oversees First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) programming nationally. Provides the funding architecture (including Jordan's Principle and post-CHRT reform dollars) that underwrites SFNNC's mandate, and is the upstream regulator for FNCFS authorities.

Regional players

• Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre: Winnipeg-based Indigenous-led nonprofit providing community services including family support, child welfare prevention, and kinship care. Compares as a Manitoba-region peer in Indigenous family services and prevention programming, though operates as a community nonprofit rather than a mandated CFS authority.
• Aboriginal Children and Family Services (now Dilico Anishinabek Family Care): Ontario mandated First Nations child welfare authority providing prevention, protection, and alternative care under a delegated model. Comparable to SFNNC as a fully delegated Indigenous CFS authority with member-First-Nations governance, though operating in a different provincial jurisdiction and delivery model.

Emerging players

• First Nations Child & Family Caring Society: National Indigenous-led nonprofit advocating for culturally based child welfare and the principal complainant in the CHRT First Nations child welfare ruling. Compares to SFNNC as a sector peer in Indigenous child welfare advocacy, policy, and Jordan's Principle implementation — though focused on advocacy rather than direct service delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southern-first-nations-network-of-care

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Southern First Nations Network of Care