Our work

Context:

The Federal Sustainable Development Strategy is the federal government’s

primary vehicle for sustainable development planning and reporting. In 2015, Canada adopted the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which contains 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The federal strategy supports the 2030 agenda and its goals.

For this year’s audit, the focus will be on actions and strategies contributing to the targets under the federal strategy’s Goal 6—Ensure clean and safe water for all Canadians. These targets include restoring and protecting major lakes and rivers, ensuring First Nations communities have access to clean drinking water, and advancing adequate sanitation on reserves and throughout Canada.

Audit objective:

This audit seeks to determine whether Environment and Climate Change Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, Agriculture and Agri Food Canada, and the Canada Water Agency contributed effectively to meeting Goal 6 (Ensure clean and safe water for all Canadians) in the 2022–2026 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.

Entities: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada Water Agency

Context:

The Federal Sustainable Development Strategy outlines the Government of Canada’s plan and vision for a more sustainable Canada. It further establishes government-wide sustainable development goals and targets.

The Minister of the Environment is required to report on the federal government’s progress in implementing the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.

Review objective:

This review seeks to assess the fairness of the information in the 2025 Progress Report on the 2022–2026 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.

Entity: Environment and Climate Change Canada

Context:

Access to early learning and child care services plays an essential role in supporting children’s development and enabling parents to participate in the workforce. In Yukon, there are about 2,800 children under the age of 6 across the territory, about 2,400 of whom reside in the Whitehorse area.

Early learning and child care is regulated by the Department of Education with funding agreements in place between the federal and territorial governments to reduce child care fees and create more licensed early learning and child care spaces for children under age 6. The department is also responsible for licensing and inspecting early learning and child care facilities and responding to concerns.

Audit objective:

This audit seeks to determine whether the Department of Education fulfilled its key early learning and child care responsibilities to meet the needs of Yukon families.

Entity: Department of Education

Context:

Children are among the most vulnerable people in society. When a child cannot remain living with their biological parents because of safety concerns, foster care can provide the child with a safe and stable alternative. Nunavut’s Department of Family Services plays a crucial role in managing foster care services in the territory. The department is responsible for screening and monitoring foster homes, maintaining regular contact with children in care, and providing foster caregivers with sufficient financial support and training.

Audit objective:

This audit seeks to determine whether the Department of Family Services provided timely and effective foster care services within the territory to protect and support the safety and well-being of children and youth in accordance with relevant legislation, policy, standards, and procedures.

Entity: The Department of Family Services

Context:

Early learning and child care services are a critical part of supporting families in Nunavut, where the population is one of the youngest in Canada and included close to 5,000 children under the age of 6 in 2022. Services are delivered across small, dispersed communities, which are accessible only by air, in a vast territory and within a distinct social and community context.

Early learning and child care is regulated by the Department of Education with funding agreements in place between the federal and territorial governments to reduce child care fees and create more licensed early learning and child care spaces for children under age 6. The Department of Education also administers the Child Day Care Standards Regulations, which include requirements for safety in licensed child care facilities, such as fire safety, staff training, and child supervision. The Department of Community Services conducts fire inspections of child care facilities.

Audit objective:

This audit seeks to determine whether:

• the Department of Education fulfilled its key early learning and child care responsibilities to meet the needs of families in Nunavut
• the Department of Community Services fulfilled its key responsibilities related to the fire safety of licensed early learning and child care facilities

Entities: Department of Community Services, Department of Education