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Every child deserves access to services like health care and supports at school.

However, First Nations children have not always had the same access to services as other Canadian children.

This is because different levels of government fund different services for First Nations children, especially those living on – First Nations.

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This has led to disputes between governments about who should pay for which services.

Jordan River Anderson from Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba got caught in one of these payment disputes. As a result, he didn’t get the recommended home-based care he needed.

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Off-Reserve Program:

Who is Covered?

On November 25, 2020, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) released a ruling about Jordan's Principle eligibility.

A child under the age of majority in their province or territory of residence can access Jordan's Principle if they permanently reside in Canada and meet one of the following criteria:

• is registered or eligible to be registered under the Indian Act

• has one parent or guardian who is registered or eligible to be registered under the Indian Act

• is recognized by their nation for the purposes of Jordan's Principle

• was ordinarily resident on reserve immediately prior to accessing Jordan's Principle

• normally lives on reserve even if the child or one of the members of their household (such as a sibling, parent, extended family living with child) may have been required to spend some time away temporarily from the community to access services such as health care or education where there are no other comparable services available in the community

• is a dependent of a family that maintains a primary residence on reserve returns to live on reserve with parents, guardians or caregivers during the year, even if they live elsewhere while attending school or to receive medical care or other services.

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What is covered?

Different levels of government fund different services for First Nations children. As a result, it can be hard to figure out how to access necessary products, services and supports.

 

Under Jordan's Principle, we can:

- Inform families about the help available for their child and how to access it

- Coordinate access to products, services and supports

- Provide funding when it's needed to make sure products, services and supports are accessed without delay.

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In Manitoba, and only in Manitoba, there are community-based teams in nearly every First Nation across the province. Jordan’s Principle programming applies to children from 0 to the age of 18 years old.