Jordan's Principle

Do you know a First Nation infant, child or youth with a need who cannot access a publicly funded service or program that is available to other children?

Contact Weechi-it-te-win Jordan's Principle Coordinator
Phone: 807-274-3201 ext. 4011
Email: wfs.jp.coordinator@weechi.ca

Jordan's Principle is a legal requirement resulting from the Orders of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) and is not a policy or program.

Jordan's Principle is a child-first principle that aims to eliminate service inequities and delays for First Nations children. Jordan's Principle states that any public service ordinarily available to all other children must be made available to First Nations children without delay or denial.

Jordan's Principle is named in honour of Jordan River Anderson, a young First Nations boy from Norway House Cree Nation in northern Manitoba, who spent his entire life in hospital while caught in a jurisdictional dispute between the governments of Canada and Manitoba, which both refused to pay for the in-home medical care necessary for Jordan to live in his home and community.

Who is eligible?

• Applies to all First Nations children, regardless of whether they live on or off-reserve;
• Is not limited to children with disabilities; and
• Under Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) policy, non-status children on-reserve are being considered eligible for coverage under Jordan's Principle.

What is covered?

The services covered by Jordan's Principle are as diverse as the First Nations children it serves. Any government-provided service available to all other children, including service assessments, is included in Jordan's Principle coverage. If a service is not necessarily available to other children or is an exceptional service, the child will still have their needs evaluated to determine if the service will ensure substantive equality.

Examples of the services covered by Jordan's Principle include, but are not limited to:

Health:

• Mobility aids
• Wheelchair ramps
• Services from Elders
• Assessments and screenings
• Medical supplies and equipment
• Mental health services

Social:

• Social worker
• Land-based activities
• Respite care (individual or group)
• Specialized programs based on cultural beliefs and practices
• Personal support worker

Education:

• School supplies
• Tutoring services
• Teaching assistants
• Psycho-educational assessments
• Assistive technology and electronics

If a service is not necessarily available to other children, or is an exceptional service, the child will still have their needs evaluated to determine if the service will ensure substantive equality. If this is the case, the government department first approached will pay for the service to ensure the child's needs are met.