The Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) is offering support for First Nations citizens who are eligible for compensation under the federal First Nations Child and Family Services and Jordan’s Principle Settlement or the provincial Children’s Special Allowance Settlement.
How can the Childhood Claims Navigator Help?
The Childhood Claims Navigator provides support to First Nations children and families impacted by the class action settlements.
Our program aims to:
- Offer information sessions and workshops
- Provide support, information, systems navigation, and/or referrals to resources
- Make appropriate referrals to the Claims Administrator (Deloitte) for the federal First Nations Child and Family Services and Jordan’s Principle Settlement
- Help clients complete the application for the provincial Children’s Special Allowance Settlement
- Help eligible claimants impacted by the Child Welfare System seek mental health counselling services, upon request
- Share a resource list of mental wellness programs and services available for people, including traditional Anishinaabe and Dakota healing and wellness initiatives
- Coordinate referrals to mental wellness providers
Are you someone who is or was previously a child-in-care with a Child and Family Services agency funded by Indigenous Services Canada?
If so, you may be eligible for compensation.
First Nations Child and Family Services and Jordan’s Principle Settlement
Nine Classes are included in this Settlement. Each of the nine Classes are different and will have their own application process.
The Claims Period is open for the Removed Child Class and the Removed Child Family Class. Claimants who may be eligible for more than one Class will have to submit separate Claim Forms when the Claims Period opens for each Class.
Further Classes to open at a later date.
Children’s Special Allowance Settlement
You may be eligible for compensation if you were a provincially funded child in the care of Child and Family Services Agency in Manitoba between January 1, 2005, and March 21, 2019.
You can find the CFS agencies included in this Settlement here.
SCO is offering support to First Nations citizens impacted by the following class action settlement: The Removed Child/Family Class, referring to First Nations people who were removed from their homes between April 1, 1991, and March 31, 2022, by child welfare authorities.
Please reach out to our Childhood Claims Navigator, who is available to assist claimants with the application process at NO cost.
Who is eligible?
The Removed Child Class
- First Nations individuals who, while under the Age of Majority, were removed from their homes between April 1, 1991, and March 31, 2022, by child welfare authorities
- The removal from home happened while the child or their caregiving parents or caregiving grandparents were ordinarily resident on reserve or living in the Yukon
- The placement was funded by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC)
The Removed Child Family Class
Caregiving parents and caregiving grandparents of a removed child who:
- Were the ones the removed child was first removed from
- Are the biological or adoptive parents, biological or adoptive grandparents, or stepparents who are First Nations
- Lived with, assumed, and exercised parental responsibilities over the removed child at the time the child was removed
Timelines
- Adult class members have until March 10, 2028, to submit their claim.
- Minors can submit two years before reaching the age of majority and have three years from the date they become an adult to submit their claim.
- Adult family class members must submit their claim by March 10, 2028, regardless of the age of the associated removed child.
- Representatives of class members who passed away after March 10, 2025, while under the age of majority, have three years from the date of death to submit a claim.
- Removed child class claims will be assessed on an ongoing basis.
- Removed child family class claims will be assessed four years after their claims period opened to ensure competing claims for the same associated removed child can be resolved.
What supporting documents are needed?
- You will need valid government-issued identification.
Supporting information and documentation is required in the case that you are a personal representative of a claimant.
For more information and support, contact us!
Childhood Claims Navigator
Phone: 204-946-1869 ext. 118