Canada Approves Ontario First Nations Child Welfare Deal

The Canada===Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has approved a landmark $8.5 billion child welfare deal between the federal government of Canada and First Nations in Canada===Ontario. This decision partially resolves a decades-long discrimination case that began in 2007 when the Assembly of First Nations and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada filed a human rights complaint. In 2016, the Tribunal ruled that Canada had discriminated against First Nations children by underfunding on-reserve child welfare. This provincial deal comes after chiefs across the country twice rejected a national $47.8 billion deal proposed by Canada in 2024, citing it didn't go far enough. Canada===Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict emphasized the urgency of the provincial agreement to address ongoing harm to children. Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty stated that the agreement ensures fewer First Nations children are apprehended and that outcomes improve when First Nations lead. While a deal for other First Nations is still pending, this approval marks a significant step towards reform and self-determination for First Nations in Canada===Ontario.