Residential Schools Missing Children Community Support Fund
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The Residential Schools Missing Children Community Support Fund is a proposal-based program aimed at supporting Indigenous communities, organizations and families as they seek to research, locate, and document missing children and burial sites associated with former residential schools.
On this page
Application deadline
The 2026-2027 application window is now open. The deadline to submit a proposal to the department is August 15, 2026, at 11:59 pm, Pacific time. A proposal includes a complete application form, work plan, detailed budget and cash flow forecast.
- Complete applications received by June 15 will receive decisions by mid-August;
- Complete applications received by August 15 will receive decisions by mid-October.
Funding is limited. Each year, the number of applications exceeds the available funding; therefore, not all eligible projects may be funded, and organizations that receive funding may not get the amount requested or a similar amount of funding that was received in previous years.
About the Residential Schools Missing Children Community Support Fund
Established in 2021, the Residential Schools Missing Children (RSMC) Community Support Fund supports Canada's commitments and obligations to advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples through the continued implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action 74-76. The RSMC Community Support Fund provides funding to Indigenous communities and organizations to undertake community-led and Survivor-driven initiatives seeking to locate, document, commemorate, and memorialize unmarked burial sites associated with residential schools included in the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and in the Newfoundland and Labrador Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, as well as to honour families' wishes to bring children's remains home.
Who can access funding
To access funding, you must be:
- Indigenous governments, band councils or tribal councils, or their delegated authorities
- an Indigenous not-for-profit organization or group
- organizations, including Survivor groups, demonstrating a close working partnership with and directed by Indigenous-governed organizations
As children from multiple home communities attended the same residential school, groups submitting proposals for the same site are encouraged to consult with one another to help avoid duplication of efforts.
Eligible initiatives
To be eligible for funding, your initiative must:
- Be linked to a former residential school listed in the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) or the Newfoundland and Labrador Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (Anderson).
- Support community-led, Survivor-driven work to locate, document and honour missing children and burial sites linked to former residential schools.
How to access funding
Applicants are required to:
- Read the Residential Schools Missing Children Community Support Fund: Program Guidelines; and
- Contact the Residential Schools Missing Children Community Support Fund to request an application package and to submit the required documentation.
How the Residential Schools Missing Children Community Support Fund is delivered
The funding is provided in the form of a contribution. The maximum amount payable is $3 million annually by recipient.
A contribution is a conditional payment issued for a specific purpose, as outlined in a funding agreement. The funding agreement is signed by all parties and specifies the terms to receive funding.
Consult the Residential Schools Missing Children Community Support Funding Recipients for information on current funded initiatives.
Contact us
Address:
Resolution & Partnerships, Settlement Agreement & Childhood Claims Branch
25 Rue Eddy - 9th floor, Room 008
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 0H4
Email: enfants_disparus-missing_children@rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca
Mental health support
The Hope for Wellness Help Line offers immediate help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to all Indigenous Peoples across Canada, by telephone and by online chat.
The Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program provides mental health, emotional and cultural support services to eligible former Indian residential school students and their families.
Related links
- The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Final Report
- National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
- Delivering on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action
- Office of the Independent Special Interlocutor – Independent Special Interlocutor For Missing Children, Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites associated with Indian Residential Schools & the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
- Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement Website