Under a historic agreement reached last week between First Nations leaders and Canada, the government will pay out a record $47.8 billion over 10 years for long-term reforms to Indigenous child and family services across the country.
The landmark settlement was eight years in the making, and represents “a profound commitment to our future, rooted in our sovereignty,” Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict said in a press statement.
Funding for the First Nations Child and Family Services Program will cover a range of services, and include efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect, improve access to safe housing and provide support for young adults leaving the child welfare system.
“This is a pivotal moment for reconciliation in Canada,” said Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services. “This reform would put First Nations in the driver’s seat delivering child and family services to their communities, because they know better than anyone what they need. It would mean First Nations children can grow up in their families, with the services they need, and surrounded by love and their culture.”
“For too many years, we have been fighting to fix a broken child welfare system in the courts. … Because of our unity in this fight for justice, we reached a historic turning point today with the largest compensation settlement in the history of this country.”
— Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations
While specific provisions are still being decided, the settlement more than doubles an initial offer from years prior. The “fully reformed” program is expected to take effect by April. It will amount to predictable, long-term funding that accounts for rising inflation across tribal reserves, and the particularly high cost of service delivery in remote communities throughout Canada.
First Nations people represent 1 in 3 Indigenous peoples, or 5% percent of the country’s population, according to the 2021 census.
“For too many years, we have been fighting to fix a broken child welfare system in the courts,” said Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations and a mother of three. “Because of our unity in this fight for justice, we reached a historic turning point today with the largest compensation settlement in the history of this country.”
The $47.8 billion settlement agreement was announced during the Assembly of First Nations’ 45th annual General Assembly in Montreal on July 11, during a joint press conference with Chiefs of Ontario, the Assembly of First Nations and Indigenous Services Canada.
It represents a significant expansion a previous offering in 2016, when Canada pledged $19.8 billion to begin addressing these issues. Later, the Federal Court of Canada approved more than $23 billion in compensation “for First Nations children, youth, and families who have suffered from Canada’s discriminatory conduct in the provision of child welfare services,” according to the Nishnawbe Aski Nation.
There are several next steps before the funds can be distributed to Canadian tribes. The Assembly of First Nations leaders will hold meetings through September to discuss the settlement’s details. A Special Chiefs Assembly will be held in September to deliberate on the proposed reforms and take a final vote on the provisions of the agreement.
Human rights advocates and First Nations leaders have long argued for reparations in Canada, following the systematic removal of Indigenous children from their homes and forced attendance in boarding schools, similar to those in the U.S. Eight years ago, they obtained standing before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, what would go on to become the historic package of reforms.
In 2021, a Canadian judge made clear that Indigenous children who were removed from their homes were provided inadequate child welfare support on their reserves: “No one can seriously doubt that First Nations people are amongst the most disadvantaged and marginalized members of Canadian society,” Justice Paul Favel wrote in his decision.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the year of Canada’s initial funding offer to First Nations. That year was 2016, not 2021.
