Chiefs of Ontario, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, and Canada sign an Ontario Final Agreement to reform child and family services

TORONTO, Feb. 26, 2025 /CNW/ - 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.

Quotes 

"Ontario First Nations Leadership has taken decisive action today to ensure our children and families have access to the services and supports they deserve. We can't continue to wait while First Nations children are displaced and disconnected from their cultures, families, and communities. This agreement empowers First Nations in Ontario to determine how best to provide child and family services that reflect our values, our traditions, and our rights. I want to thank the Government of Canada and Minister of Indigenous Services Patty Hajdu, for their commitment to working in partnership with the Chiefs of Ontario and Nishnawbe Aski Nation to reach this important milestone. Collaboration has been essential to ensure that First Nations in Ontario have the resources needed to create meaningful, community-driven change."

Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict
Chiefs of Ontario

"I am so proud of the strong leadership of our communities who have steadfastly stood by their decision to make change by supporting this agreement, despite all the noise trying to convince them to wait for something else. We know that reform is needed in our communities now, not years down the line. We ask that the inherent decision-making authority of our leadership be respected, and not interfered with, so we can begin implementing these reforms before any more harm is done. Miigwetch to Ontario Regional Chief Benedict and Minister Hajdu for your commitment in moving quickly over the last number of weeks to come to this agreement, and in doing so creating a better future for our children and families together."

Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler
Nishnawbe Aski Nation

"This agreement is proof of what is possible with good faith and genuine collaboration. From now on, First Nations kids in Ontario will have a better chance to succeed, surrounded by their communities and culture. I want to thank Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict and Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler for their unwavering advocacy and for working with Canada to pursue these crucial reforms that will transform child and family services in Ontario and make a real difference in so many lives." 

The Honourable Patty Hajdu
Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor

Quick facts

• The Ontario Final Agreement provides funding for the delivery of child and family services to First Nations children and families ordinarily resident on-reserve.
• Two thirds of the funding under the Agreement will flow to First Nations to allow them to make the decisions, carry out the activities and implement the programming that best suit the individual needs of their own children and families.

Associated links

• Final Agreement on the Long-Term Reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) Program in Ontario
• Timeline: Jordan's Principle and First Nations child and family services

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SOURCE Indigenous Services Canada

For more information, media may contact: Isak Vaillancourt, Communications Manager, Chiefs of Ontario, 416-819-8184, [email protected]; Michael Heintzman, Director of Communications, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, 807-621-2790, [email protected]; Jennifer Kozelj, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor, [email protected]; ISC Media Relations, 819-953-1160, [email protected]