The Janusz Korczak Association of Canada is proud to announce that Deb Foxcroft has been named the 2025 laureate of the Janusz Korczak Medal in Children’s Rights Advocacy, presented in partnership with the British Columbia Representative for Children and Youth.

Debra (Deb) Foxcroft is the daughter of the late Jeanette and James Gallic, and granddaughter of the late Jessie Gallic (nee, Campbell) and Je (Jimmy) Gallic. She is also a sister, auntie, mother, grandmother and wife; and a proud Tseshaht woman.  For close to five decades, Deb has promoted and protected the rights of children within provincial and federal child and youth care systems. In 1981, Chiefs from Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC), called upon Deb to design and implement child and family services within their 14 Nuu-chah-nulth Nations, and transfer child welfare services from the province to the Tribal Council. This began a movement of communities beginning to bring their children home to ensure that their children have connection to family, community, culture, language and belonging. In 1985, Usma Nuu-chah-nulth Child and Family Services, B.C.’s first Indigenous Family and Child Services Agency, opened with Deb’s leadership.

This commitment to children and innovation continued to shape Deb’s career, going on to be elected as president of Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and representative on the First Nations Health Counsel, Assistant Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Children & Development, and  founding board member for the Caring for First Nations Children Society, the BC Aboriginal Child Care Society, and the National Indian Child Welfare Association Board. Across these roles, Deb has sought to raise awareness about and address systemic discrimination within Canada’s child welfare system. A recipient of the Order of British Columbia, Deb is recognized for her honesty, integrity, strength and steadfast commitment to leading forward systemic transformation.

Today, a proud Grandmother, she generously shares her cultural and leadership knowledge and teachings as a matriarch supporting the Our Children Our Way Society, the Office of the Representative for Children and Youth and the BC Aboriginal Child Care Society. She also continues to work tirelessly to protect the rights of children, serving as a co-chair for the National Children’s Chiefs Commission and representing BC as a Commissioner. Through this work she continues her dedication to addressing discrimination against First Nations in Canada’s child welfare system and ensuring that all First Nations voices are included in child welfare reform process, aligning with UNDRIP and the orders of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.