OTTAWA — The federal government has signed a $20-billion final settlement agreement to compensate First Nations children and families harmed by chronic un
derfunding of child welfare on reserve, which Indigenous Services Canada said Monday was the largest such deal in Canadian history.
The agreement, reached between Canada, the Assembly of First Nations and plaintiffs in two class-action lawsuits, also accounts for the federal government’s narrow definition of Jordan’s Principle. It was designed to ensure jurisdictional squabbles over paying for services for First Nations kids does not get in the way of those services being provided.
The First Nations Children and Family Caring Society and the Assembly of First Nations first filed a complaint under the Canadian Human Rights Act in 2007, arguing chronic underfunding of on-reserve child-welfare services was discriminatory when compared to services provided by provincial governments to children in other communities.
The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruled in 2016 that the federal government had discriminated against First Nations children. The Liberal government appealed that ruling, asking a court to quash it. The court declined. The federal government also challenged the tribunal’s orders in Federal Court, and last fall appealed the ruling upholding it.
Hajdu said she’s not able to say when people will be able to apply for and receive compensation, but the AFN said it expects that to happen next year.
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