B.C., Ottawa extend funding agreement for Tsilhqot’in child and family services

The British Columbia and federal governments have extended a funding agreement with the Tsilhqot'in Nation to support its jurisdiction over child and family services.

A statement from Indigenous Services Canada says an initial one-year deal announced in May, soon after the nation in B.C.'s central Interior enacted its own children and families law, has been extended to span five years.

The department says the nation will use the time and funding to establish "more robust mechanisms for self-governance, accountability, dispute resolution, prevention programs and cultural continuity" related to children and families.

It says the latest deal will see Ottawa provide more than $18.8 million per year, adjusted for inflation, while the province will provide just over $766,000 annually.

Indige