Ontario First Nations Set to Negotiate Child Welfare Reforms with Ottawa
Ontario First Nations are negotiating with Ottawa to reform child welfare, aiming for a more effective and inclusive agreement.
Ontario, Canada, Child Welfare, First Nations, Reforms
Ottawa: So, here’s the scoop. First Nations in Ontario are stepping up to negotiate with the federal government about child welfare reforms. This comes after some folks said the previous deal was just not good enough.
The Chiefs of Ontario and the Nishnawbe Aski Nation are calling the new draft agreement “historic and transformative.” They’re pretty excited about it and are working together to finalize things.
This agreement is a big deal, worth nearly $48 billion over ten years, thanks to a ruling from the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. But back in October, the Assembly of First Nations rejected it, wanting a new team to negotiate a better deal.
Leaders from First Nations in Ontario believe this new agreement is the best way to tackle the ongoing child welfare crisis. It aims to give them back control of a system that’s been labeled discriminatory and to provide funds for prevention services.
Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict emphasizes that the main goal is to reduce the number of First Nations kids in the provincial system. He believes communities should have the power to decide how these programs are run.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on January 7, 2025. Alessia Passafiume from The Canadian Press has the details.