Cowichan Tribes is reclaiming jurisdiction over child and family services through a coordination agreement signed with the province and Canada today.
A joint statement from each of the governments says that this is a historic step in self-governance, which will allow the band to prioritize keeping children connected to family and community.
The agreement will transfer all child and family services to the authority of "The Laws of the Cowichan People for Families and Children."
The citizens of the Cowichan Tribes voted in that law in 2023. This is the second coordination agreement of its kind in the province and falls under twenty-twenty legislation, which affirms self-governance rights.
The federal government is contributing more than two-hundred-and-seven million to this transfer to Cowichan law.