Canada sets $15B deal over Indigeneous child welfare flaws
Jul 4, 2022, 1:38 AM | Updated: 2:40 pm
OTTAWA (AP) — The Canadian government said Monday it has signed a $20 billion (US$15.55 billion) agreement to compensate First Nations children and families harmed by chronic underfunding of child welfare.
The Assembly of First Nations and plaintiffs in two class action lawsuits agreed to the deal.
Indigenous Services Canada, a government agency, said the settlement is the largest in Canadian history.
The settlement accounts for half of an overall $40 billion (US$31.1 billion) deal that aims to reform Canada’s child welfare system, including five-year funding for the First Nations Child and Family Services program.
The settlement must still be approved by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and the Federal Court.
Cindy Woodhouse, the Manitoba regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said in a statement that she is proud of this “historic milestone´´ for First Nations children and their families.
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