Nishnawbe Aski Nation Barriers to ID: Priorities and Proposed Action Plan 2023-2024

Pilot ID Clinics Executive Summary

NAN members continue to experience barriers to birth registration and obtaining birth certificates resulting in challenges in accessing health, social, education, employment and housing programs, federal and provincial benefits and obtaining status cards, driver’s licenses, bank accounts and air transportation. In 2019, in a letter to former Minister of Government and Consumer Services (MGCS), NAN identified the following barriers in obtaining ID:
• Lack of dedicated hospital staff to facilitate birth registrations
• Both parents needing to be present to register a live birth online
• Online registration process and internet accessibility
• Legal guardianship is required to apply for a child’s birth certificate
• Cost of payment and method of payment
• Mismatched dates between different forms or supporting identification
• Misspelled names due to translation errors and/or anglicized names and language
• Language and wording of instructions on applications, online webpages, over the telephone and through correspondence from Vital Statistic

Registry Branch NAN has identified the following priority areas for action:
• Improving access to ServiceOntario services
• Eliminating fee barriers for delayed birth registrations and birth certificates
• Recognition and acceptance of kinship arrangements and First Nation adoption practices
• Supporting NAN First Nation led solutions to build long term success and positive outcomes