Toronto, Ont. - Indigenous Services Canada, Chiefs of Ontario, and Nishnawbe Aski Nation
Today, the Chiefs of Ontario, Nishnawbe Aski Nation and Canada signed a landmark $8.5 billion agreement to reform the First Nations Child and Family Services Program in Ontario.
This new agreement affirms the right of First Nations in Ontario to make decisions regarding their children. It provides secure, flexible funding to support First Nations as well as funding that recognizes and accounts for the increased costs of services in remote communities. The Ontario Final Agreement is an Ontario-specific version of the national agreement on the First Nations Child and Family Services Program that was reached with the Assembly of First Nations, Chiefs of Ontario, and Nishnawbe Aski Nation in July 2024.
The agreement includes funding for capital, post-majority support services, First Nation representative services, and prevention, all of which support the objective of keeping First Nations children and youth in the care of their loved ones. Also included in the agreement is $258 million for First Nations to purchase, build, and renovate housing to prevent First Nations children from being taken into care and to support reunification efforts between children and their families.
As a next step, the Chiefs of Ontario, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, and Canada will file a joint motion with the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal to seek its approval of the agreement and the end of its oversight over the First Nations Child and Family Services Program in Ontario.
