Ontario First Nations and Canada celebrate the implementation of the Ontario Final Agreement to reform Child and Family Services

OTTAWA, ON, May 29, 2026 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Mandy Gull-Masty, Minister of Indigenous Services, joined Regional Chief Abram Benedict, Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, the Chiefs of Ontario and Nishnawbe Aski Nation in Ottawa to mark the official implementation of the Ontario Final Agreement to reform the First Nations Child and Family Services Program across the province. As of today, funding begins to flow under the Agreement, supporting First Nations-led approaches that focus on prevention, family supports, and better outcomes for children.

The $8.5 billion Agreement marks a transformative step toward First Nations-led services that are compassionate and culturally grounded, strengthening families, supporting children, and advancing First Nations self-determination for generations to come. Its goal is clear: fewer First Nations children in care, fewer children entering care for the first time, and more families receiving the support they need before a crisis occurs.

Representing over 130 First Nations and nearly a quarter of a million people--including more than 60,000 families--the Chiefs of Ontario, alongside Nishnawbe Aski Nation's 49 northern communities and approximately 50,000 members, celebrated this historic milestone and the beginning of implementation.

The announcement was grounded in ceremony and tradition, reflecting both the deep cultural significance of this milestone and the strength of partnership that made it possible. As the first agreement of its kind in Canada, the gathering opened with drum and water ceremonies under the guidance of a Knowledge Keeper, followed by remarks from leadership and youth honouring the shared commitment to children and families. Sacred ceremonies, including the pipe and drum, carried forward the voices, responsibilities, and hopes of communities, affirming a new path shaped together through First Nations leadership and partnership with Canada.

This milestone agreement empowers families with greater flexibility and a stronger voice in shaping culturally grounded services, supported by flexible funding that prioritizes prevention and keeps children safely connected to their families and communities.

As implementation begins, this milestone marks the start of a carefully phased transition that will unfold over the coming months, guided by First Nations leadership and partnership with Canada. This deliberate approach supports continuity of care while creating the time and space needed for communities to bring this transformative vision to life--advancing new funding models and programs rooted in culture, self-determination, and the strength of First Nations families.

Moving forward, the Ontario Reform Implementation Committee will become the main governance body for the reformed First Nations Child and Family Services Program in Ontario, overseeing and monitoring its implementation and making recommendations to Canada.

Quotes 

"Today marks the beginning of the implementation of the Ontario Final Agreement on First Nations child and family services in Ontario, a historic step forward for First Nations across the region. This moment follows decades of advocacy and represents a fundamental shift towards First Nations-led, culturally grounded approaches that prioritize prevention, keep families together, and affirm our jurisdiction over the care and well-being of our children and families. As implementation begins, we move from commitment to action, with First Nations leadership guiding the work ahead."

Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict
Chiefs of Ontario

"This is a great day for our children, for our people, and for our communities. We are grateful to be able to celebrate this historic achievement with our leaders, our Elders, and our youth. Since the beginning, this work has always been about recognizing the inherent authority of First Nations to make decisions for the well-being of their children, with the funding needed to do so in a non-discriminatory way. When NAN intervened, there was no voice for remote communities, who have been doing more with less for decades due to discriminatory funding formulas. I am so proud that today our communities will begin to benefit from the decades of work developing a remoteness quotient, which provides needs-based funding that reflects the true cost of serving our children, in our communities. For years, we have said that we cannot wait for change, we need to make change happen. We have accomplished that today."

Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler
Nishnawbe Aski Nation

"Today marks a transformational change in child and family services for First Nations in Ontario. This Agreement puts First Nations back in control of the services that support their children, families and communities. It replaces a system that too often separated children from their families with one designed by First Nations, for First Nations--focused on prevention, culture, family unity, and better outcomes. That means fewer children in care, fewer children entering care for the first time, and more children growing up surrounded by their families, communities, languages and cultures […] I want to thank Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict, Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, the Chiefs of Ontario, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, and all those whose leadership made this historic reform possible."

The Honourable Mandy Gull-Masty
Minister of Indigenous Services

Quick facts

• The Ontario Final Agreement commits over $900 million per year to First Nations child and family services in Ontario. With official implementation, approximately $158 million in additional funding is available this year for Ontario First Nations and child and family service providers, in addition to funding ISC is already providing to First Nations in Ontario, such as funding for prevention services.
• Implementation of the Ontario Final Agreement will be supported through joint First Nations–Canada governance, accountability measures, and dispute resolution processes.
• The Ontario Reform Implementation Committee is comprised of eight members, one each from the Chiefs of Ontario, Nishnawbe Aski Nation and Canada and five chosen by the Ontario Chiefs-in-Assembly.
• The Agreement will undergo two formal program assessments during its implementation to inform any necessary adjustments. These measures ensure that implementation will evolve over time, adjusting to community needs.

Associated links

• Ontario Final Agreement to reform the First Nations Child and Family Services Program
• Executive summary of the Final Agreement on Long-Term Reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services Program in Ontario
• Appendix A to the FNCFS Terms and Conditions: Reformed FNCFS Program in Ontario
• Final Agreement on the Long-Term Reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) Program in Ontario

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SOURCE Indigenous Services Canada

For more information, media may contact: Isak Vaillancourt, Communications Manager, Chiefs of Ontario, 416-819-8184, [email protected]; Michael Heintzman, Director of Communications, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, 807-621-2790, [email protected]; Livi McElrea, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Mandy Gull-Masty, Minister of Indigenous Services, [email protected]; ISC Media Relations, 819-953-1160, [email protected]