What is Jordan’s Principle? 

Jordan River Anderson was a First Nation child from Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba. Born with complex medical needs, Jordan spent more than two years unnecessarily in hospital while the province of Manitoba and the federal government argued over who should pay for his at home care. Jordan died in the hospital at the age of five years old, never having spent a day in his family home. Click here to read more: https://fncaringsociety.com/jordans-principle.

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 CHRT releases its ruling in which it finds that the federal government has been discriminating against First Nations children. It orders the federal government to:

1. Cease its discriminatory practices and reform the First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS Program).
2. Cease applying its narrow definition of Jordan’s Principle and take measures to immediately implement the full meaning and scope of the principle.

From this point on, Jordan’s Principle must be applied to all First Nations children in order to resolve all inter-governmental or intra-governmental disputes arising in all areas of services.

For more information on this topic, visit the website of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada at https://fncaringsociety.com/main.

Jordan's Principle targets all First Nations children in Canada under the age of 18 years, regardless of where they live.

In Quebec, persons under the age of 21 years who are studying full-time at the high school level (e.g., adult education, vocational school diploma) may also be eligible.

First Nations children are entitled to services covered by Jordan's Principle:

1. Individually for a service intended for a single child.
2. In groups if the service is intended for more than one child.

Note that it is not necessary for the child or student to have an official diagnosis (e.g., autism, ADHD, etc.) to be eligible for these services. All First Nations children in Canada are eligible. The services covered vary according to the child's condition and the nature of their needs.

Depending on the condition and nature of the child's needs, different services can be covered by Jordan's Principle.

For information purposes, here is an overview of the generally eligible services.

Health

• Screening assessments and tests (e.g., ADHD, autism, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder)
• Professional services (e.g., speech therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy)
• Pharmaceuticals
• Ramps for wheelchairs
• Mental health services
• Transportation to the appointment location
• Medical supplies and related equipment
• Long-term care for children with special needs, including respite and assistance

Social Services

• Hiring resources (e.g., social workers)
• Activities for the development of parenting skills
• Home assistance
• Specialized summer camps
• Respite care (for individuals or groups)
• Staff support and training

Education

• Special education services
• Psychoeducational assessments
• Specialized school transportation
• Teacher assistants
• Technical or electronic assistants

If a child needs immediate care, please call 911 or your local emergency services number, or visit the nearest health facility.

The applications can come from different people (parent, guardian, community coordinator, foster family, etc.).

There are several ways to apply or get more information regarding services covered by Jordan's Principle.

1. Contact the Jordan's Principle Coordinator in your community

Most communities have a Jordan's Principle Coordinator whose mandate is to inform the public and stakeholders regarding the services available and to support those who wish to apply.

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

2. Contact the Call Centre for Jordan's Principle

The mandate of this centre, which is available in French and English, 24/7, is to serve as the first point of contact and support parents who wish to fill out an application for services.

1-855-JP-CHILD (1-855-572-4453)

3. Contact the Quebec region contacts at Indigenous Services Canada

Name: Julia Thibeault
Phone: 514-283-1903
Email:Jordan-DGSPNI-FNIHB-Quebec@hc-sc.gc.ca

Name: Philippe Moutquin
Phone: 514-283-9711
Email: Jordan-DGSPNI-FNIHB-Quebec@hc-sc.gc.ca

Name: Caroline Boucher
Phone: 514-283-1739
Email: Jordan-DGSPNI-FNIHB-Quebec@hc-sc.gc.ca

Name: Patrick Verret
Phone: 418-473-7886
Email: patrick.verret@canada.ca

If a child needs immediate care, please call 911 or your local emergency services number, or visit the nearest health facility.

Various measures have been implemented to ensure that the processing of applications is simple, fast and effective.

Response times

For individual applications (for one child only), the federal government is required to issue a written statement regarding the decision within the following timeframes:

• Immediate intervention if the harm is irreparable;
• 12 hours if the request is urgent;
• 48 hours if the request is not urgent.

For group requests (intended for more than one child such as for a specialized educator at the community's childcare centre), the federal government is required to provide the response within the following timeframes:

• Immediate intervention if the harm is irreparable;
• 48 hours if the request is urgent;
• 7 days if the request is not urgent.

Note that complete information must be provided and included in the file for this timeframe to apply.

Payment of services

1. To the applicant (parent, guardian)

   When the service is to be paid or reimbursed to the applicant, following the approval of an application, a confirmation and a direct deposit request form are sent to the applicant by email. This completed form must be returned to Indigenous Services Canada so that the payment can be issued.

   * Note that the payment of the service may take several weeks.

2. To the service provider (professional, etc.)

   Services can also be paid directly to the service provider. To do this, the provider must register with Indigenous Services Canada by contacting the regional office (see the list of contacts in the Quebec region above).

   For more information, contact the health sector of the FNQLHSSC by email at info@cssspnql.com or by telephone at 418-842-1540.

If a child needs immediate care, please call 911 or your local emergency services number, or visit the nearest health facility.

*** (Does not apply to group applications)

Parents who have covered the costs of services for their children in the areas of health, social services and education could be reimbursed retroactively to 2007. To do so, they must send the following information:

• The completed application form: The parent can contact their community coordinator or use the 24/7 Call Centre at 1-855-JP-CHILD (1-855-572-4453) to receive support for this step.
• Proof of payment for services (invoice or receipt).
• Proof that the service was referred by a professional (e.g., physician, teacher, childcare educator, etc.). This information is sometimes found in the report of the professional who provided the service or in the notes of the file.

Examples of situations that may qualify for retroactive reimbursement:

1. A parent who paid for an assessment for an ADHD diagnosis in 2007.

2. A parent who incurred the costs of special education services for their child between 2009 and 2013.

3. A parent who has been covering the costs of a drug not covered by the Non-Insured Health Benefits for several years.

If you believe you qualify for retroactive reimbursement, do not hesitate to contact the available resources for more information. If necessary, see the section "How to complete an application or obtain more information."

Jordan’s Principle

Decision of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal

First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada

The Jordan’s Principle Working Group: Without denial, delay or disruption: Ensuring First Nations children’s access to equitable services through Jordan’s Principle

Canadian Child Welfare Research Portal