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Ottawa and First Nations File Competing Child-Welfare Reform Plans With Tribunal

The tribunal now weighs rival proposals following years of rulings over discriminatory underfunding.

Overview

  • Canada’s submission outlines a national framework for First Nations‑led regional agreements backed by $35.5 billion through 2033–34 and $4.4 billion annually thereafter.
  • First Nations organizations, supported in principle by the Assembly of First Nations, filed an evidence‑based plan advocating a region‑by‑region approach to long‑term reform.
  • Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty says the federal plan adds flexibility so regions set priorities such as prevention programming or information technology.
  • The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ordered the plans after finding Ottawa discriminated in funding on-reserve child welfare, following a 2007 complaint.
  • Talks on a previous long-term deal stalled when a $47.8‑billion proposal was rejected in 2024, and the government now plans to begin regional discussions early in the new year.