Ontario First Nations waiting on billions in delayed child welfare funding

For First Nations in Ontario, a multi-billion dollar child welfare agreement could be a lifeline for their communities, allowing them to run their own child welfare programs and raise their children closer to home and culture. But months after the signing, communities are still waiting for the funding to flow.

“The Chiefs in our region have been clear: our children cannot wait,” said Abram Benedict, Ontario regional chief for the Chiefs of Ontario in a press release. “We have a strong mandate from the Ontario Chiefs-in-Assembly to pursue this agreement and any attempts to delay its implementation will be considered unacceptable interference in our communities’ inherent jurisdiction.”

The Ontario deal stalled out because of opposition from the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society