Ontario Chiefs Ratify $8.5 Billion Agreement to Reform First Nations Child and Family Services in Ontario

February 27, 2025

On Wednesday, February 26th, 2025, Ontario Chiefs-in-Assembly ratified the Final Agreement on Long-Term Reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services (“FNCFS”) Program in Ontario (the “Ontario Final Agreement”) between Chiefs of Ontario, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, and Canada. The Ontario Final Agreement commits $8.5 billion over 9 years to implement extensive reforms to the FNCFS Program designed to improve the lives of First Nations families in Ontario. Nishnawbe Aski Nation’s Chiefs-in-Assembly ratified the Ontario Final Agreement in their own assembly on February 25th, 2025.

The Ontario Final Agreement secures the gains made for First Nations in Ontario in the national agreement reached in July 2024 (see previous OKT blog post) that was rejected by First Nations leadership outside of Ontario in October 2024. It provides increased, stable, and flexible funding to First Nations to support their children, youth, and families. For the first time, First Nations are recognized as leaders in delivering child and family services to their people and funded accordingly. Additionally, under the Ontario Final Agreement, funding to remote First Nations is adjusted to ensure all families can access necessary supports.

Approval of the Ontario Final Agreement by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (the “CHRT”) is required for it to come into effect. Chiefs of Ontario, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, and Canada will be filing motion materials with the CHRT seeking its approval of the Ontario Final Agreement and the end of its oversight of the FNCFS Program in Ontario shortly.

OKT is proud to support Chiefs of Ontario in its important work to transform First Nations child and family services. We celebrate Chiefs of Ontario for their remarkable leadership and achievement and the OKT lawyers that supported them: Maggie Wente, Jessie Stirling-Voss, Ashley Ash, and Sinéad Dearman.

Click here to read the press release issued by Chiefs of Ontario and Nishnawbe Aski Nation, and here to read the press release issued by Chiefs of Ontario, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, and Canada. To learn more about the Ontario Final Agreement, visit: https://fncfsreform.ca.

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