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The History of PMSS and What it covers

The History of PMSS and What it covers

The PMSS System and Wholistic Care's Role

The PMSS System: How it Started

In 2016 the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal found that Canada discriminated against both First Nation children and communities through, in part, providing inequitable and insufficient funding for child and family services (“CFS”). As a result, Indigenous Services Canada (“ISC”) was ordered to rethink their entire First Nations Child and Family Services (“FNCFS”) Program almost from scratch to ensure that the wrongs of the past were not perpetuated into the future.

 

The process of reform has taken years, and there is still much left undone. However, one of the areas that ISC knew needed to be reformed right away revolved around the utter lack of support and services for young adults who have aged out of care. Because for decades these young adults who were trying to navigate their transition from childhood to adulthood – which is hard for even those with strong familial and communal support – were left more or less to fend for themselves.

 

To try to address this, in 2022 the FNCFS Program was expanded to include the funding of Post-Majority Support Services (“PMSS”) for those that were in care at some time through their childhood and are still under the age of 26. Further, instead of PMSS support having to come from overworked and overstretched on-reserve CFS Agencies, ISC has allowed PMSS support to come from what are called “First Nations Authorized Service Providers” like Wholistic Care.

 

Note: The age of majority in New Brunswick is defined as 19. Therefore, PMSS support can be provided to all individuals that were in some kind of care (inclusive of alternative care arrangements) sometime prior to turning 19. Further, if an individual was in care but made the voluntary decision to leave care before turning 19 (e.g., at age 17) then they would be eligible to receive PMSS support from that date forward (e.g., from ages 17-26).

 

What this all means in practice is that moving forward the transition into adulthood of an individual that’s been in care will be less overwhelming and less distressing because now there will be a support system in place to provide them as much (or as little) support as needed to navigate their late teens and the first half of their twenties.

 

In the end, the missions of both Wholistic Care and ISC’s newly developed PMSS system are the same: to ensure that all young adults who were previously in care have access to the services, support, and care that they need to realize their full potential and be self-sufficient by the time they turn 26.

In 2016 the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal found that Canada discriminated against both First Nation children and communities through, in part, providing inequitable and insufficient funding for child and family services (“CFS”). As a result, Indigenous Services Canada (“ISC”) was ordered to rethink their entire First Nations Child and Family Services (“FNCFS”) Program almost from scratch to ensure that the wrongs of the past were not perpetuated into the future.

 

The process of reform has taken years, and there is still much left undone. However, one of the areas that ISC knew needed to be reformed right away revolved around the utter lack of support and services for young adults who have aged out of care. Because for decades these young adults who were trying to navigate their transition from childhood to adulthood – which is hard for even those with strong familial and communal support – were left more or less to fend for themselves.

 

To try to address this, in 2022 the FNCFS Program was expanded to include the funding of Post-Majority Support Services (“PMSS”) for those that were in care at some time through their childhood and are still under the age of 26. Further, instead of PMSS support having to come from overworked and overstretched on-reserve CFS Agencies, ISC has allowed PMSS support to come from what are called “First Nations Authorized Service Providers” like Wholistic Care.

 

Note: The age of majority in New Brunswick is defined as 19. Therefore, PMSS support can be provided to all individuals that were in some kind of care (inclusive of alternative care arrangements) sometime prior to turning 19. Further, if an individual was in care but made the voluntary decision to leave care before turning 19 (e.g., at age 17) then they would be eligible to receive PMSS support from that date forward (e.g., from ages 17-26).

 

What this all means in practice is that moving forward the transition into adulthood of an individual that’s been in care will be less overwhelming and less distressing because now there will be a support system in place to provide them as much (or as little) support as needed to navigate their late teens and the first half of their twenties.

 

In the end, the missions of both Wholistic Care and ISC’s newly developed PMSS system are the same: to ensure that all young adults who were previously in care have access to the services, support, and care that they need to realize their full potential and be self-sufficient by the time they turn 26.

What PMSS Support Can Cover…

As ISC has tried to reform the FNCFS Program and has introduced the PMSS system, it’s attempted to define what does and does not constitute PMSS support. In the end, ISC has decided that in order for PMSS support to fall within ISC’s new PMSS system, two conditions must be met.

 

First, PMSS support can only be accessed by an eligible young adult through a First Nation (e.g., a First Nation CFS Agency, like OCFS) or an Authorized Service Provider that’s been approved by both the applicable First Nation and ISC (e.g., Wholistic Care). In other words, only a First Nation or an Authorized Service Provider of that First Nation can be reimbursed by ISC for the cost of the PMSS support that’s been provided to eligible individuals between the ages of 19 and 26 that were previously in care.


Second, although ISC has made it clear that a wide set of supports (expenses) that could be incurred by a PMSS support provider like Wholistic Care will be reimbursed by ISC under the PMSS system, not all expenses will be. To this end, ISC has bucketed “eligible expenses” into four broad categories.

 

However, to be clear, for any expenses that arise in providing PMSS support to be reimbursed by ISC it must be shown by the First Nation or the Authorized Service Provider that these expenses are the cheapest viable option, do not create a disincentive toward reaching self-sufficiency by 26, and are necessary to support the goals and aspirations of the young adult that they’ve identified.

 

Below is a listing of the “eligible expenses” that ISC could reimburse a First Nation or an Authorized Service Provider for. In other words, these are the supports that Wholistic Care may be able to offer a young adult based on a Case Manager’s assessment of the young adult…

As ISC has tried to reform the FNCFS Program and has introduced the PMSS system, it’s attempted to define what does and does not constitute PMSS support. In the end, ISC has decided that in order for PMSS support to fall within ISC’s new PMSS system, two conditions must be met.

 

First, PMSS support can only be accessed by an eligible young adult through a First Nation (e.g., a First Nation CFS Agency, like OCFS) or an Authorized Service Provider that’s been approved by both the applicable First Nation and ISC (e.g., Wholistic Care). In other words, only a First Nation or an Authorized Service Provider of that First Nation can be reimbursed by ISC for the cost of the PMSS support that’s been provided to eligible individuals between the ages of 19 and 26 that were previously in care.


Second, although ISC has made it clear that a wide set of supports (expenses) that could be incurred by a PMSS support provider like Wholistic Care will be reimbursed by ISC under the PMSS system, not all expenses will be. To this end, ISC has bucketed “eligible expenses” into four broad categories.

 

However, to be clear, for any expenses that arise in providing PMSS support to be reimbursed by ISC it must be shown by the First Nation or the Authorized Service Provider that these expenses are the cheapest viable option, do not create a disincentive toward reaching self-sufficiency by 26, and are necessary to support the goals and aspirations of the young adult that they’ve identified.

 

Below is a listing of the “eligible expenses” that ISC could reimburse a First Nation or an Authorized Service Provider for. In other words, these are the supports that Wholistic Care may be able to offer a young adult based on a Case Manager’s assessment of the young adult…

01- Financial Support and Secure Housing

  1. Needs-based financial support (budgeting, credit, money management);

  2. Equitable funding to meet basic needs and access clothing and hygiene items;

  3. Livable basic income based on local realities and inflation;

  4. Financial literacy programs and access to financial advisors, financial planning;

  5. Financial costs and support to acquire various forms of identification (birth certificate, government ID, passports);

  6. Financial cost and support for driver’s permit and driver’s education;

  7. Needs-based financial support;

  8. Rent and rent subsidies;

  9. Interim housing options during transition of youth to independence;

  10. Housing stability during transition to adulthood;

  11. Supports in viewing housing, guidance, transportation;

  12. Moving costs and support;

  13. Housing-related skills training;

  14. Basic household necessities;

  15. Basic household utilities, including internet connectivity and clean water;

  16. Home repairs;

  17. Life /home skills including in home supports (i.e., cooking, housekeeping, planning, life coaching);

  18. Clothing including clothing required for employment;

  19. Personal care and hygiene including menstrual supplies.

02- Educational and Professional Development

  1. Education mentorship and support;

  2. Assistance to navigate education systems and options;

  3. Access to resources and support related to education, rights;

  4. Education-related costs;

  5. Professional development and skills training, and/or career path planning;

  6. Specialized supports: tutoring, career counselling;

  7. Cultural learning, regalia, resources, and opportunities;

  8. Technology required for education (i.e. laptop);

  9. Financial support for training/certifications (i.e. first aid, food safe, childcare).

03- Physical, Mental, and Social Well-Being

  1. Noninsured medical, dental and allied health services prescribed by relevant professional;

  2. Sexual and gender identity health supports, i.e. education related to sexually transmitted diseases, sexual health;

  3. Recreation and sport;

  4. Funding to ensure consistent access to holistic health services, transportation, support navigating health systems;

  5. Counselling;

  6. Healthy relationships counselling/support i.e. Personal safety, gang involvement, domestic violence, healthy boundaries, addictions;

  7. Trauma informed Mental Health and Addictions support options;

  8. Access to treatment;

  9. Support for family violence and/or domestic violence;

  10. Early intervention and parenting services for youth expecting a child or who have dependents, if needed;

  11. Nutrition training, mentorship re: groceries, meal planning;

  12. Access to physical activity supports;

  13. Rehabilitative supports, when required;

  14. Self-care and well-being training and supports.

04- Land, Culture, Language, and Community

  1. Building lifelong connection to community and develop support networks, i.e. mentorship;

  2. Youth-centered permanency planning;

  3. Reconnection with family, community, culture (i.e. costs and expenses related to maintain and/or reconnecting with family, community and culture);

  4. Family mediation and counselling;

  5. Safe reintegration into community and culture of origin, including visits to community of origin;

  6. Cultural programs and ceremony, land-based wellness;

  7. Funding for language/identity, courses, workshops, resources;

  8. Support and guidance from Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers, traditional knowledge;

  9. Cultural youth groups and peer supports.








  1. Building lifelong connection to community and develop support networks, i.e. mentorship;

  2. Youth-centered permanency planning;

  3. Reconnection with family, community, culture (i.e. costs and expenses related to maintain and/or reconnecting with family, community and culture);

  4. Family mediation and counselling;

  5. Safe reintegration into community and culture of origin, including visits to community of origin;

  6. Cultural programs and ceremony, land-based wellness;

  7. Funding for language/identity, courses, workshops, resources;

  8. Support and guidance from Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers, traditional knowledge;

  9. Cultural youth groups and peer supports.










  1. Building lifelong connection to community and develop support networks, i.e. mentorship;

  2. Youth-centered permanency planning;

  3. Reconnection with family, community, culture (i.e. costs and expenses related to maintain and/or reconnecting with family, community and culture);

  4. Family mediation and counselling;

  5. Safe reintegration into community and culture of origin, including visits to community of origin;

  6. Cultural programs and ceremony, land-based wellness;

  7. Funding for language/identity, courses, workshops, resources;

  8. Support and guidance from Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers, traditional knowledge;

  9. Cultural youth groups and peer supports.



Want to Learn More?

Discover if you're eligible for PMSS support and how Wholistic Care can help you're transition to adulthood...

Contact Us

Want to Learn More?

Discover if you're eligible for PMSS support and how Wholistic Care can help you're transition to adulthood...

Contact Us

Want to Learn More?

Discover if you're eligible for PMSS support and how Wholistic Care can help you're transition to adulthood...

Contact Us

Wholistic Care

PMSS Overview

Case Study

Contact

Copyright © Wholistic Care

Disclaimer

Wholistic Care

PMSS Overview

Case Study

Contact

Copyright © Wholistic Care

Disclaimer

Wholistic Care

PMSS Overview

Case Study

Contact

Copyright © Wholistic Care

Disclaimer