To compensate Indigenous children and families for discrimination in the child welfare system, Canada has consented to a revised settlement of Can$23 billion ($17 billion).
The final agreement, revealed Wednesday by the Canadian government and Indigenous organizations the Assembly of First Nations and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, increased the settlement by Can$3 billion from the Can$20 billion agreed last year and extended compensation eligibility.
“This $23 billion final settlement agreement is a long overdue turning point for so many thousands of families,” Cindy Woodhouse, Assembly of First Nations Manitoba Regional Chief, said in a statement.
The agreement affects approximately 300,000 children, adolescents, and families and would bring to a conclusion a case brought before a human rights tribunal more than 15 years ago that found the government underfunded Indigenous children’s services in comparison to non-Indigenous children’s services.
The revised agreement, which has been accepted by the Assembly of First Nations, must still be approved by the tribunal.
The tribunal had rejected the original settlement because, among other things, it excluded certain children.
The agreement revealed on Wednesday will apply to those who received benefits between April 1, 1991, and March 31, 2022.
Despite accounting for less than 8% of children under the age of 14, Indigenous children account for more than half of those in foster care in Canada, according to a 2016 survey.
“The compensation announced today is a historic amount, matched only by the historic amount of harm that occurred to First Nations children,” said Marc Miller, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, cited in a statement.
