In memory of Jordan River Anderson 

Jordan’s Principle, named in memory of Jordan River Anderson, aims to ensure that all First Nations children, regardless of where they live or their circumstances, have access to the care and services needed to support their optimal development and well-being. Administered by the Government of Canada, this principle focuses on the best interests of the child by funding health, social and education services to address needs not covered by existing programs.

In short, if a child has a health, social or education need, Jordan’s Principle can help!

February 23, 2007

The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada (Caring Society) file a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC). Their complaint alleges racial discrimination by Canada against First Nations children because it provides less funding for child protection on the reserves, meaning that fewer services are offered to children on the reserves. The CHRC would later transfer this file to the CHRT in October 2008.

December 12, 2007

The House of Commons unanimously passes Motion No. 296 in support of Jordan’s Principle, as tabled by the New Democratic Party (NDP).

“That, in the opinion of the House, the government should immediately adopt a child-first principle, based on Jordan’s Principle, to resolve jurisdictional disputes involving the care of First Nations children.”

2008

The federal government adopts a definition of Jordan’s Principle, narrowing it to apply only to cases of children with complex medical needs and multiple service providers, even though there is no wording that authorizes a limiting of Jordan’s Principle in Motion No. 296.

June 24, 2011

The Pictou Landing First Nation and Maurina Beadle (mother of a child with health needs) take the federal government to court to enforce the application of Jordan’s Principle.

April 4, 2013

The Federal Court rules in favour of the Pictou Landing First Nation and Maurina Beadle in their case against the federal government.

June 10, 2015

The Chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) pass a resolution calling on the federal and provincial governments to recognize Jordan’s Principle and to adopt a joint statement indicating their commitment to “resolve any jurisdictional or funding dispute that may jeopardize the health of a First Nation’s citizen, without discrimination based on geography, language, severity of concurrent needs, etc.”

This resolution calls for an expanded vision of Jordan’s Principle, by stipulating that no conflict of jurisdiction should limit a First Nation member’s access to care.

January 26, 2016

The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal released its decision confirming that the federal government discriminates against First Nations children. It ordered the federal government to¹:

1. Cease its discriminatory practices by reforming the First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) Program;
2. Immediately implement the full meaning and scope of Jordan’s Principle.

Therefore, Jordan’s Principle must apply to all First Nations children in order to resolve any intergovernmental or intragovernmental disputes arising in the areas of health, social services and education

For more information, visit the website of the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society of Canada.

Since December 2020, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has expanded the eligibility criteria for Jordan’s Principle to allow more children to access it. A request can now be made for a child (or group of children) under the age of 18 if they meet one of the following criteria:

1. They are registered as an Indian or eligible for registration under the Indian Act. Information regarding the status of parents and grandparents must be provided (name, date of birth, band number, etc.).
   
   
2. They have a parent or guardian who is registered as an Indian or eligible for registration under the Indian Act. In other words, if they are not eligible for Indian status but one of their parents is eligible, a request can be submitted for the child.
   
   
3. They are recognized by their nation for the purposes of Jordan’s Principle. A band council can recognize a child as a member of their community. A letter on official band or First Nation letterhead stating that the child is recognized is required. Consent from the parents or guardian is also required.
   
   
4. The child usually resides in a community.

Depending on the condition and nature of the child’s needs, Jordan’s Principle can cover different services.

Here is an overview of the services that are generally eligible. This list is not exhaustive.

Health

• Assessments and testing (e.g., ADHD, autism, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder)
• Professional services (e.g., speech therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy)
• Drugs
• Wheelchair ramps
• Mental health services
• Medical transportation
• Medical supplies and equipment
• Long-term care for children with special needs, including respite and support services

Social services

• Hiring resources (e.g., social workers)
• Activities to support parenting skills
• Home help
• Specialized summer camps
• Staff support and training

Education

• Specialized educator services (in-school or at home)
• Psychoeducational assessments
• Specialized school transportation
• Teacher assistants
• Homework help
• Technical or electronic aids

If a child requires immediate care, call 911 or your local emergency services number or go to the nearest health facility.

For more information, please contact your community’s Jordan’s Principle Coordinator or Indigenous Services Canada at principedejordan-qc-jordanprinciple@sac-isc.gc.ca.

Requests can come from different people (parent, guardian, community Jordan’s Principle Coordinator, foster family, etc.).

There are different ways to submit a request or get more information about the services covered by Jordan’s Principle.

1. Contact your community’s Jordan’s Principle Coordinator or a Native Friendship Centre
   Most communities have a Jordan’s Principle Coordinator whose mandate is to inform the population and workers about available services and to support people who wish to submit a request.

To contact a Jordan’s Principle Coordinator, please contact your community’s health centre or band council.

2. Contact the Jordan’s Principle Call Centre
   The Call Centre is accessible in French and English, 24/7, and it offers support to individuals wishing to complete a service request.
   
   1-855-JP-CHILD (1-855-572-4453)
   
   

3. Contact the Quebec region resource persons at Indigenous Services Canada by email at principedejordan-qc-jordanprinciple@sac-isc.gc.ca.

For more information, you can always contact the FNQLHSSC by email at info@cssspnql.com or by phone at 418-842-1540.

If a child needs immediate care, call 911 or the emergency services number in your region or go to the nearest health facility.

Various measures are implemented to ensure that the processing of requests is simple, fast and efficient.

Response times

For individual requests (a single child or family), the federal government is required to issue a written decision statement within the following timeframes:

• 12 hours if the request is urgent;
• 48 hours if the request is not urgent.

For group requests (for several children, e.g., a class or a childcare centre), the federal government is required to provide the response within the following timeframes:

• 48 hours if the request is urgent;
• 7 days if the request is not urgent.

* These timeframes apply upon receipt of the information and documents required to assess the requests, with the exception of urgent requests, for which the documentation may be submitted later to ensure speedy processing.

*Although these deadlines are prescribed by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT), they may not be respected by the federal government.

For information on the status of a request, please inquire at principedejordan-qc-jordanprinciple@sac-isc.gc.ca.

Please note that the request must be approved by ISC before payment or reimbursement can be made.

To the requester (parent, guardian)

1. If the requester applied with a Jordan’s Principle Coordinator from the community or a Native Friendship Centre, they may provide payment directly to the provider. However, if the requester provides the payment, the service can be reimbursed to them with supporting documentation.

2. If the requester applied directly with the Jordan’s Principle team, they will need to pay the product or service fee and submit a reimbursement request to the Jordan’s Principle finance team. A reimbursement and direct deposit request form will be sent to them. The documents must be completed and returned to ISC for the payment to be issued. Delays may apply due to the administrative procedures required.

You can contact the Jordan’s Principle Coordinator in your community or the Jordan’s Principle team in the Quebec region to inquire as to the status of your payment request, at principedejordan-qc-jordanprinciple@sac-isc.gc.ca.   

To the service provider (professional, etc.)

ISC can also pay service providers directly. To do so, the provider must register with ISC by contacting the regional office at principedejordan-qc-jordanprinciple@sac-isc.gc.ca.

* It can take ISC several weeks to process reimbursement requests.

*** Retroactive reimbursement does not apply to group requests.

Parents who paid for their children’s health, social and education services as long ago as 2007 may be eligible for retroactive reimbursement. Certain conditions apply.

You can contact your community’s Jordan’s Principle Coordinator or the regional Indigenous Services Canada team at
principedejordan-qc-jordanprinciple@sac-isc.gc.ca.   

First Nations Child and Family Services and Jordan’s Principle Settlement

It is not yet possible to file a claim for compensation as part of the class action. For more information, please visit https://fnchildclaims.ca/.

Jordan’s Principle (Indigenous Services Canada) 

Decision of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal 

First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada 

Canadian Child Welfare Research Portal 

AFNQL Resolution No. 12