Federal Courts Approve $23 Billion Settlement to Compensate First Nations Families Who Suffered Under the Child Welfare System

All parties have finally agreed on a settlement which will compensate First Nations families who suffered due to Canada’s discriminatory child welfare system.

It follows a rollercoaster 16 year legal battle, and will see a total of $23.4 billion set aside for compensation, after receiving approval from the courts today.

That will provide $40,000 for each child removed from their families since 2006, and for those denied Jordan’s Principle coverage from 2007 to 2017.

Those numbers are in line with an order issued by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in 2021, and comes after they rejected an initial deal.

Approved last year, the rejected $20 billion deal would have left out those from non-federally funded schools, estates of deceased caregivers, and those who had multiple children taken.

But the new deal, approved by the Tribunal in July, will cover all victims recognized in their original order.

Once the package is approved by Ottawa, next steps and information on how to apply for compensation will become available at this link.