$47.8 Billion Commitment for Long-Term Reform to First Nations Child and Family Services

Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak announced today that the First Nations Parties to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal complaint on discrimination in the First Nations Child and Family Services Program (FNCFS) have secured a commitment from the Government of Canada to provide $47.8 billion in funding for the necessary reforms currently proposed for in a final settlement agreement.

“We have reached a historic turning point for First Nations children and families,” said AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak. “We have been fighting to fix a broken system. The legal process has been a lengthy and complex process involving many parties. We are proud to have reached this point in negotiations where the Government of Canada has committed $47.8 billion to reform the First Nations Child and Family Services program, an investment significantly above and beyond the initial commitment of $19.807 billion from 2021.”

Throughout July, August and into September, the AFN will meet with First Nations leaders at regional engagement sessions to discuss the details of the draft settlement agreement and hear their views. To ensure a thorough review and informed decision-making, a Special Chiefs Assembly will be held September 2024, where the First Nations-in-Assembly will deliberate on reforms of the First Nations Child and Family Services Program and vote on the proposed measures.

“We are closer than ever to finalizing a draft settlement agreement, which will be immediately shared with Chiefs and presented to First Nations-in-Assembly during the AFN Annual General Assembly this week,” continued National Chief Woodhouse Nepinak.

“We acknowledge and thank the Government for coming to the table with us to fix this discriminatory system to ensure these harms never happen again. With this commitment of $47.8 billion, we can confidently say that the draft final settlement agreement on long-term reform measures to FNCFS will address longstanding issues and will empower First Nations as sovereign rights holders to administer child welfare programs as they determine for themselves. As we know, First Nations are best positioned to care for our own children.”