The Government of Canada says they are committing up to $382 million in funding to implement the Jordan’s Principle.
The Jordan’s Principle is a child first principle used to ensure First Nations children living on-reserve do not experience delays, denials or disruptions of any kind because of jurisdictional disputes.
The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal had given the Department of Indigenous Affairs a deadline to implement the principle immediately and broadly. This came after a historic tribunal ruling saying the federal government discriminated against First Nations children when providing funding for child and family services.
Recently in a written response to the order to implement the Principle the government said that a child in need would always be taken care of first with disputes being set aside until the child’s needs are met.
Today Ottawa says they are committed to a “new approach” to ensure the entire Jordan’s Principle is implemented. They say they will use the $382 million in funding to provide further support to this new approach to child welfare as well as to create a broader definition of the Principle itself.
INAC and Health Canada say they are currently working with First Nations and jurisdictional partners to establish supports and enhance service coordination.
The government says they are fully committed to meeting the needs of First Nations children living on-reserve and honouring the true spirit of Jordan’s Principle.