If a First Nations child you know is not receiving services they need, 3Nations may be able to help you obtain the necessary funding through Jordan’s Principle.
Contact Tanya Ball, 3Nations’ Jordan’s Principle Coordinator
867.687.6077 or jordansprinciple@3nations.org.
A request for service can be made for an individual child or a group of children, living on or off reserve.
This 90-second video provides a good introduction:
Jordan’s Principle is a child-first principle named in loving memory of Jordan River Anderson, a First Nations 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 Canadian 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 a family home. Jordan’s Principle makes sure that First Nations children will get the services and supports they need when, they need them.
Jordan’s Principle aims to make sure First Nations children can access all public services in a way that is reflective of their distinct cultural needs, takes full account of the historical disadvantage linked to colonization, and without experiencing any service denials, delays, or disruptions related to their First Nation status. The government of first contact pays for service and resolves jurisdictional/payment disputes later.
Jordan’s Principle applies to all public services, including services that are beyond the normative standard of care to ensure substantive equality. Substantive equality seeks to address the inequalities that stem from an individual’s particular circumstances, taking into account historical, geographical and cultural needs and circumstances in an effort to help put them at the same position as others. It is all about safeguarding the best interests of the child.
Payment disputes within and between federal and provincial or territorial governments over services for First Nations children are common. First Nations children are frequently left waiting for services they need or are denied services that are available to other children. This includes, but is not limited to, services in education, health, early childhood services, recreation, and culture and language. Even when there is no jurisdictional dispute, First Nations children often face a lack of culturally appropriate services that fully meet their needs. Jordan’s Principle is a legal requirement that provides access to services for First Nations children in need and ensures that the government of first contact pays for the services without delay.
First Nations children meeting any one of the following criteria are eligible for consideration under Jordan’s Principle: