Statement - Canadian Human Rights Tribunal Approves Historic Agreement to Reform Ontario First Nations Child and Family Services

OTTAWA, ON, March 30, 2026 /CNW/ - The Minister of Indigenous Services, Mandy Gull-Masty, issued the following statement today:

"Today, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal issued a letter of decision approving the Ontario Final Agreement (OFA) to reform the First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) Program in its entirety -- a long-awaited milestone made possible by the leadership of First Nations in Ontario.

I want to recognize the Chiefs of Ontario, the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, and First Nations communities across the province who have worked tirelessly, over generations, to be the ones making decisions for their own children. Your leadership, your advocacy, and your resilience have brought us to this moment.

I also welcome this decision and thank the Tribunal for its work.

This $8.5 billion agreement marks a historic step toward a future where First Nations children and families in Ontario have access to fair, culturally grounded, community-led services. It will support First Nations in exercising their right to care for their own children--by strengthening prevention-focused services, supporting families, and enabling communities to design and deliver programs rooted in their own laws, cultures, languages, and priorities.

The agreement includes funding for capital, post-majority support services, First Nation representative services, and prevention efforts. It also includes $258 million for housing infrastructure designed to keep children safe at home.

First Nations in Ontario have consistently and urgently called to be the decision-makers for their children, and have made it clear that meaningful reform can no longer wait.  

Together, in true partnership--grounded in respect, trust, and a shared responsibility--we are building a system where fewer children are in care, more families stay together, and more children are raised surrounded by love, culture, and community.

This agreement sets a path forward to continued reform of child and family services, moving away from one-size-fits-all systems toward distinctions-based, community-driven solutions that reflect the unique needs of First Nations across the country.

The Tribunal also issued new orders regarding Taykwa Tagamou First Nation and Georgina Island First Nation. We are carefully reviewing these orders and will have more to say in the near future.

Congratulations to the Chiefs of Ontario and Nishnawbe Aski Nation on this major milestone."

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SOURCE Indigenous Services Canada

For more information, media may contact: Livi McElrea, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Mandy Gull-Masty, Minister of Indigenous Services, [email protected]; Media Relations, Indigenous Services Canada, [email protected]