Federal Court approves first Claims Process for First Nations Child and Family Services and Jordan’s Principle Settlement
June 21 2024 - 7:00AM
The Federal Court approved the first Claims Process for the First
Nations Child and Family Services and Jordan’s Principle Settlement
(“the Settlement”), marking a significant milestone towards
providing compensation to individuals included in the historic
$23.34 billion Settlement Agreement.
The first Claims Process focuses on two Classes—the Removed
Child Class and Removed Child Family Class. These Classes include
First Nations individuals who were removed from their homes as
Children, on Reserve, or in the Yukon, and placed into care funded
by Indigenous Services Canada between April 1, 1991, and March 31,
2022, as well as their eligible Caregiving Parents or Caregiving
Grandparents.
“The Court’s approval of the first Claims Process marks a
pivotal step towards providing compensation for First Nations
Children and their families,” says Stuart Wuttke, General Counsel
for the Assembly of First Nations and Chair of the Settlement
Implementation Committee. “While we’re pleased to see the
Settlement moving forward, there’s still a lot of work to be done
before the Claims Process can open. Our focus now is to make sure
Class Members are aware of their rights and what they need to get
ready to submit their Claim.”
The Removed Child Class and Removed Child Family Class represent
the first two of nine Classes under the Settlement. The Claims
Period for each Class will open in phases following Court approval
of each associated Claims Process.
“We expect that members of the Removed Child Class and Removed
Child Family Class will be able to apply for compensation by the
end of the year,” explains David Sterns, Class Counsel, partner at
Sotos LLP and member of the Settlement Implementation Committee.
“Once the Claims Period opens, Class Members will need to submit a
Claim Form to the Administrator to make their Claim for
compensation.”
“Although compensation is not yet available, Class Members can
take steps now to prepare for when the Claims Period opens,” says
Robert Kugler, Class Counsel, partner at Kugler Kandestin and
member of the Settlement Implementation Committee. “Anyone who
submits a Claim will need to provide a copy of government-issued
identification and a mailing address, and they should also have
access to a bank account in their name for compensation deposit. We
encourage people who are planning to submit a Claim to have these
minimum requirements in place before the Claims Period opens.”
The Administrator for the Settlement will accept a wide range of
government-issued identification, including a Certificate of Indian
Status, driver’s licence, provincial or territory photo ID, birth
certificate or an old age security ID card. A full list of accepted
identification required to submit a Claim will be available on
FNChildClaims.ca in the next few weeks.
General information about the Settlement and the Claims Process
is available to Class Members through the Settlement website,
FNChildClaims.ca. Class Members who have questions about the
Settlement can also contact the Administrator at
1-833-852-0755.
In addition, when the Claims Period opens, resources such as an
Eligibility Assessment Tool will be made available. Class Members
will also have access to Claims Helpers at no cost to provide
one-on-one support for completing the Claim Form virtually or in
person. Claims Helpers will also assist Class Members with
connecting to local services and wellness resources.
Mental health counselling and crisis support is available to
Class Members 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through the Hope
for Wellness Helpline at 1-855-242-3310 or online at
HopeForWellnes.ca. Counselling is available in English, French,
Cree, Ojibway and Inuktitut upon request. Children and youth can
also call the Kids Help Phone anytime at 1-800-668-6868, or text
686868.
The First Nations Child and Family Services and Jordan’s
Principle Settlement Agreement was approved by the Federal Court on
October 24, 2023, and intends to compensate those harmed by
discriminatory underfunding of the First Nations Child and Family
Services Program and those impacted by the federal government’s
narrow interpretation of Jordan’s Principle. The $23.34 billion
Settlement Agreement followed compensation orders from the Canadian
Human Rights Tribunal in 2019, which addressed systemic
discrimination against First Nations Children and families.
Fact Sheet: Overview of the First
Nations Child and Family Services and Jordan’s Principle Settlement
Agreement
(Link)
For more information, please contact:Deborah
PerneMedia Relations, Castlemain First Nations Child and
Family Services and Jordan’s Principle SettlementEmail:
media@fnchildclaims.ca Media line: 1-877-360-1557
A PDF accompanying this announcement is available
at: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/d3b734c4-5586-4e31-91e7-004cea4a5dbc