First Claims Period now open for the First Nations Child and Family Services
The Federal Court has approved a $23 billion settlement agreement – the largest in Canadian history – for First Nations children and families who experienced discrimination through Canada’s long history of underfunding First Nations Child and Family Services.
The first Claims Period for the First Nations Child and Family Services Settlement opened on March 10, 2025. Claims are being accepted for the Removed Child Class and the Removed Child Family Class, which represent two of nine Classes included in the Settlement. These two Classes include:
- First Nations [1] Children who were removed from their homes between April 1, 1991, and March 31, 2022, while living on reserve or in the Yukon and placed into care funded by Indigenous Services Canada.
- It also includes the Caregiving Parents or Caregiving Grandparent of the Removed Child Class members at the time of their removal.
Class Members can apply for compensation by submitting a Claim Form to the Administrator, along with a copy of valid government-issued identification. Claim Forms can be submitted online or by email, fax or mail.
What is the timeline for submitting and/or receiving a Claim?
Class Members have three years to submit their Claim once they have reached the Age of Majority (18 years old in PEI). Minors can submit a Claim up to two years before they reach the Age of Majority, but their Claim will not be processed until after they become an adult.
Compensation amounts and timelines vary by Class and circumstances. Generally, payments may be up to $40,000 for each eligible Removed Child[2]. Some Claimants may be eligible for additional payments.
Removed Child Class Members could receive compensation within six months of submitting a Claim. In some cases, it may take longer to receive compensation depending on an individual’s circumstances and if their Claim Form is missing information.
Family Class Members will be processed after the Ultimate Claims Deadline, which is four years from when the Claims Period opened and includes the three-year Claims Period and one year for extension requests. This timeline ensures that any competing Claims—where more than two Caregiving Parents or Caregiving Grandparents submitted a Claim for the same Removed Child—can be resolved.
Learn more about the Removed Child Class and the Removed Child Family Class.
Claims support available at no cost (lawyer and navigational support)
Class Members do not have to pay anyone to help them submit their Claim or receive payment under this Settlement.
Class Members who have questions or need assistance with their Claim can contact the Administrator toll-free at 1-833-852-0755 (Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET excluding statutory holidays) or emailing Generalinfo@Contact.FNChildClaims.ca
If additional supports are needed, the Administrator may connect them to a Claims Helper, who can provide one-on-one trauma-informed support with completing the Claim Form, whether on the phone, over video call or in person, where available. Claims Helpers can also assist Class Members with connecting to local cultural and wellness services and resources.
The Settlement website, FNChildClaims.ca, has information and resources to help Class Members complete their Claim Form, including guides and step-by-step instructional videos.
Next Steps
Community members who may be eligible for compensation should prepare by:
- Ensuring they have valid government identification (driver’s license, status card, ID card, passport, etc…). Photo ID is recommended.
- Ensuring they have an active bank account that can receive transactions.
- For non-biological Caregiving parents/grandparents, ensuring they have documentation to show their relationship with the Removed Child (long-form birth certificate, adoption records, etc…)
Stay Up to Date
To receive important updates about the Settlement Agreement for each Class as they are approved by the Federal Court, we encourage you to sign-up for their newsletter at https://fnchildclaims.ca/signup/
Frequently asked questions are available at www.fnchildclaims.ca/faq
Fraud Warning
We advise you to be cautious of FRAUD – no one affiliated with the Settlement should be contacting (unsolicited) potential beneficiaries at this time. ALWAYS verify the caller’s details: ask for their name, organization, and contact information. NEVER share sensitive information over the phone. If uncertain about the caller, please call the Claims Administrator at 1-833-852-0755.
