Claims for the First Nations Child and Family Services and Jordan’s Principle Settlement are now open! This settlement provides compensation for Indigenous individuals who experienced either of the following when they were children:
- They were removed from their homes between April 1, 1991, and March 31, 2022, by child welfare authorities. To qualify for the settlement, the removal must have happened while the child or one of their caregiving parents/grandparents were living on reserve or in the Yukon, and the placement must have been funded by Indigenous Services Canada.
- They had a confirmed need for an essential service but experienced a gap, denial, or delay in receiving said service between April 1, 1991, and November 2, 2017.
Eligible caregiving parents or grandparents of the above children can also receive compensation through this settlement.
Settlement claim applications are currently open to claimants from the Removed Child and Removed Child Family Classes, which include children removed by child welfare authorities and the children’s families. Claim forms are available on the settlement website, as well as information about ID requirements and necessary supporting documentation. Claim forms can be completed online through the website portal (an email is needed to create an account) or through the PDF Claim form, which can be downloaded and edited. This form can then be submitted by email, fax, or mail. Each claim form also comes with a companion document and explainer video to support those completing the claim form. You can find information for submitting each Claim type linked below:
Submitting a Claim for Removed Child Class: deadline for submission depends on when the claimant reaches the age of majority. See the link for more details.
Submitting a Claim for Removed Child Family Class: if the caregiving parent/grandparent is an adult, they must submit their claim by March 10, 2028. If they are a minor, the deadline depends on when they reach the age of majority. See the website for more details.
Claims periods for the seven other Classes of the Settlement will open later. Those who fall into multiple Classes can submit separate Claim forms for each Class when the Claim Period opens. You can read more about each Class on the Settlement website.
There are Claims Helpers available for those who need help putting together their Claim. These helpers are available throughout the country; if there is not a helper in or visiting your community, they can also provide support online or over the phone. They can provide information about the settlement, the claim process, help fill out claim forms, find supporting documents and help acquire government ID needed to apply.
If you’d like materials to promote this Settlement in your library, please make use of The Community Toolkit. This Toolkit includes flyers, booklets, handouts, and posters that you can download and make available in your library. You can also request these materials in print by filling out the order form on the website. Posters are available in Cree, Mi’kmaq, Ojibway, and English.
This article is a LawMatters Blog post written for current awareness at the time of publishing. Please check the publication date as some information may have changed since then.