FSIN optimistic following announcement of landmark federal child welfare settlement

Saskatoon -

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) is optimistic following the federal government's unveiling of its $40-billion agreement in principle to compensate First Nations children and their families for the harm caused by an underfunded child welfare system.

"FSIN is very pleased. It’s a historic settlement," said Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) Vice Chief David Pratt.

The agreement sets aside $20 billion for First Nations children unnecessarily taken from their homes, some families and caregivers affected by federal childcare legislation and many children who didn't receive essential services.

Saskatchewan has the second-highest number of children in care in Canada, says Pratt who estimates several thousand First Nations children in the province may be eligible for compensation.

The landmark agreement pledges another $20 billion to establish long-term reforms.

"We’re going to be looking to address many of the long-standing concerns that we’ve had with the child welfare system," said Pratt.

The FSIN believes long-term reform should include prevention, continued work on the root causes of removal and ensuring it never happens again.

The agreement comes in response to a longstanding discrimination challenge of inequality towards First Nations children living on-reserve launched 14 years ago at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal

"Today’s settlement agreement provides much-needed compensation and reform for First Nations children's rights. The healing journey begins by keeping First Nations children and young people within our own families and communities," said FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron.

The First Nations Child and Family Caring Society (FNCFCS) and Assembly of First Nations filed the complaint in 2007 with the CHRT, alleging the federal government discriminated against First Nations children on the basis of race by providing inequitable funding to child welfare services on reserve.

"The Agreements-in-Principle outline how equitable care will be funded and provided, and support First Nations-led solutions for family wellness," Minister of Indigenous Services Patty Hajdu said about the announcement on Tuesday.

Over the next five years, the $20 billion dedicated for reforms will go towards long-term changes to the child welfare system "to ensure the discrimination found by the tribunal never repeats itself," according to a federal government news release.

This includes programs and funding for First Nations youth who are ageing out of the child welfare system.

Plans include measures to help families stay together and new funding for on-reserve housing. The housing measure will be implemented as early as April 2022.

"We will be able to help fix up some of the family homes so that if you have a child with respiratory disease or other things, the answer isn’t to place them in another home, the answer is fix-up the home that’s existing right now," said FNCFCS executive director Cindy Blackstock.

The first payment of $2,500 could be sent out to eligible first nations children and parents as early as April 1, 2022 says Blackstock. Payments will be distributed to the child’s primary guardian and held in trust.

Children and youth subjected to the Canadian foster care system will not have to undergo interviews like residential school survivors, according to Blackstock who says compensation will be awarded regardless of the level of victimization.

She says First Nations children go into foster care at a rate 17.2 times higher than the national average.

"We needed the Canadian public to awaken to the injustices. This case shows you that public pressure can work," said Blackstock.