Native Child Welfare Case To Be Heard By Tribunal

Native Child Welfare Case To Be Heard By Tribunal

Friday, October 17, 2008 at 14:27

Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine is applauding the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

The commission recently announced that it will allow a tribunal to hear a human rights complaint regarding First Nations children in state care.

This comes following a 2005 report found that First Nations child welfare agencies receive about 22 per cent less funding than provincial agencies.

According to the AFN, the federal government has twice refused mediation since the AFN filed a complaint with the human rights commission in 2007.

Earlier this year, a report by the Auditor General of Canada found that Ottawa is not providing First Nations Child and Family Services agencies with enough funding to meet the number or the needs of children in care.

Fontaine is calling on the Conservative government and all the federal parties to proceed with the inquiry with no further delay.

He says drawing out the hearing through unnecessary appeals will only delay justice for thousands of children.