Jordan's Principle

The Jordan’s Principle Initiative is a child-first principle that is meant to ensure all First Nations children have access to essential services and timely access to such services.

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Overview

The Jordan’s Principle Initiative is designed to prevent all First Nations children from being denied essential services or from experiencing delays in receiving them.

The Wolastoqey Tribal Council Inc. is currently working towards the transfer of Jordan’s Principle service navigation for our five member communities (Matawaskiye, Bilijk, Sitansisk, Welamukotuk, and Wotstak) with the official transfer of intake services beginning February 2024.

WTCI would like to extend our thanks to MAWIW Council Inc. for their continued support, both in providing service coordination for our communities over the last few years, and their guidance during this transition.

Jordan’s Principle is a child-first principle that aims to eliminate service inequities and delays for First Nations children. 

It ensures that there are no gaps in publicly funded health, social and education programs, services and supports for First Nations children.

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Communities Served

Beginning in February 2024, the Wolastoqey Tribal Council Inc. will provide navigation services for the Jordan’s Principle Initiative for its five member First Nations communities: Matawaskiye (Madawaska), Bilijk (Kingsclear), Sitansisk (St. Mary’s), Welamukotuk (Oromocto), and Wotstak (Woodstock) First Nations.

Bilijk
Wotstak
Matawaskiye
Sitansisk
Welamukotuk

What is WTCI’s Role?

WTCI will be providing Jordan’s Principle Service Navigation to WTCI Member communities.

The Navigators role is to provide information, support, and guidance to clients seeking services through the Jordans Principle Program. This assistance may include explaining available options, helping with paperwork, connecting individuals with providers, following up with requests or denials, and ensuring a smooth and efficient process for accessing approved services.

Contact the WTCI Jordan’s Principle Service Navigator in your community:

Melissa Sark

Jordan’s Principle Program Manager

Celia Wilson

Jordan’s Principle Assistant Navigator

Abby Bear

St Mary’s Service Navigator

Janet Francis

Bilijk Service Navigator

Kelly Poirier

Madawaska Service Navigator

Bonnie Polchies

Woodstock Service Navigator

Angela Munn

Oromocto Service Navigator

Dillon Paul

Service Navigator (Specializes in Childcare, Group Requests, and Transfer of Service Navigation)

Learn More about Jordan’s Principle

Who applies History Importance Coverage

Who does the Jordan’s Principle Initiative apply to?

The Jordan’s Principle Initiative applies to all First Nations children living on and off reserve who are between 0 and 19 years old.

It is not limited to children with disabilities.

More specifically, the Jordan’s Principle Initiative applies to:

  • First Nations children registered under the Indian Act who live on or off reserve.
  • First Nations children entitled to be registered under the Indian Act who live on or off reserve.
  • Applies to any Indigenous child who is ordinarily resident on reserve (including indigenous children without status).
  • First Nations children who are citizens of a self-governing First Nation who live on or off their territorial lands.
  • First Nations children who do not have status under the Indian Act or who are not eligible for status under the Indian Act who live off-reserve but are recognized as members by their nation, who have urgent and/or life-threatening needs.


Where did Jordan’s Principle come from?

The Jordan’s Principle Initiative was created in memory of and honours Jordan River Anderson, a First Nation child from Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba. Jordan was born with complex medical needs and multiple disabilities. He spent his first two years of life in a hospital and then, doctors said he could move to a special home. But the Province of Manitoba and the federal government argued over who would pay for his home-based care. So while this jurisdictional dispute was going on, Jordan stayed in the hospital. He died when he was five years old without ever having spent a day in his family home.

In 2007, the House of Commons endorsed the Jordan’s Principle Initiative in memory of Jordan. It was a commitment that First Nations children would get the products, services and supports they need, when they need them. Payments would be worked out later.

Today, the Jordan’s Principle Initiative is a legal obligation, which means it has no end date. While programs and initiatives to support it may change over time, the Jordan’s Principle Initiative will always be there. The Jordan’s Principle Initiative will support First Nations children for generations to come.

Why is the Jordan’s Principle Initiative important?

Payment disputes or funding gaps within and between federal and provincial or territorial governments over services for First Nations children are common. But until these disputes/gaps are solved, First Nations children are frequently left waiting for services they desperately need or are denied services that are available to other children.

The Jordan’s Principle Initiative calls on the government of first contact to pay for the services without delay and seek reimbursement later.

This allows children to get the services or supports they need as soon as possible so they are not caught in the middle of government red tape.

When a First Nations child needs a publicly funded health, social or educational service or support that other Canadian children normally receive and cannot access it through existing programs in the community, then the child is eligible for service or support through the Jordan’s Principle Initiative.


What services are covered?

The services covered by the Jordan’s Principle Initiative are as diverse as the First Nations children it serves. Any government-provided service available to all other children is included in the Jordan’s Principle Initiative’s coverage, including service assessments.

If a service is not necessarily available to other children or is an exceptional service, the First Nations 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.

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General inquiries:

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Hours of Operation:

We are open Monday – Thursday 8:30-4:30

Staff is on call Fridays from 8:30-4:30

After Hours:

If you require assistance after hours, please call:

1-855-JP-CHILD (1-855-572-4453)

Please note: If immediate or urgent care is required for a child, please call 911 or your local emergency services number, or visit the nearest health facility.