Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty announced February 26 the federal government will budget $1.55 billion to renew Jordan’s Principle funding over the next year. The investment intends to protect access to essential supports for First Nations children.
“As a First Nations Minister, I understand what it is like to be a client of Indigenous Services Canada,” Gull-Masty told the Nation. “I have friends and family who regularly apply to Jordan’s Principle and, as a young mother, I would have applied to Jordan’s Principle had it been around when my children were young.”
The child-first principle was established in 2007. It is named after Jordan River Anderson, a five-year-old boy from Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba. He died in 2005 during a two-year dispute between the provincial and federal governments over which would pay for home care costs associated with his complex genetic disorder.
Jordan’s Principle ensures that governments provide necessary health and social services to First Nations children without delays due to their identity or where they live, then resolve jurisdictional matters later. Gull-Masty said at its core, it is about “fairness and dignity.”
Determining which services qualify as “necessary” has resulted in legal battles over the years as some have called its policies discriminatory. Gull-Masty was criticized for an operational bulletin released last year that limited the scope of services covered. Some First Nations leaders said their kids could no longer access educational and mental-health supports.
Randy Littlechild, president of the First Nations Health Consortium in Edmonton, said funding has decreased over the past fiscal year from almost $40 million to $12 million. People are making fewer Jordan’s Principle requests as they see applications aren’t granted, he noted.
In 2024, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ordered Ottawa to address a backlog of about 130,000 Jordan’s Principle cases following a non-compliance motion filed by Cindy Blackstock, who heads the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society.
Gull-Masty responded that Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) has made significant progress in addressing the backlog of urgent requests. She said that number has fallen from 5,000 urgent requests in June 2025 to now approximately 250. Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) is prioritizing assessing requests more efficiently.
“This work is focused on making sure requests have complete information at the start and that request records are accurate,” said Gull-Masty. “As a result, the number of requests pending intake has been significantly reduced – from 7,316 in June 2025 to about 500 today.”
Gull-Masty is communicating with First Nations leaders and families to better understand the challenges they face and improve their access to services.
“Ensuring timely, convenient and empathetic care is critical,” Gull-Masty said. “We work alongside First Nations each step of the way. My commitment is that every First Nations child grows up safe and supported.”
The Cree Health Board (CHB) guides families through the Jordan’s Principle application process at its Disability Programs Specialized Services (DPSS) department. Children aged up to 17 living on or off territory are eligible; they don’t have to have a disability to be covered.
“We’re kind of the middle person between ISC and the family or professional,” explained Arnaituk Gagnon-Auclair, the CHB’s Jordan’s Principle coordinator. “We help ISC understand the unique needs of each of the communities. We’re able to answer them without having to go back to the family or professional.”
For example, Gagnon-Auclair will inform ISC that Whapmagoostui applicants live in an isolated community unlike others in Eeyou Istchee. Discussions with the family, and health or school professionals help specify a child’s need, making applications more successful.
A year ago, applications faced delays of nearly a month, but the response time has significantly improved since mid-November. Completed applications sent to ISC’s Quebec office now typically see a response within five to 10 working days. Urgent requests can be handled within 24 hours.
Jordan’s Principle is particularly beneficial for Cree children with special needs who require support unavailable in the region. The initiative has contributed to summer camps and other resources for these children.
The CHB provides unique benefits, such as booking air travel and hotels. Other First Nations members generally have to cover their own costs and then get reimbursed. The CHB’s many departments also address certain needs without having to contact ISC.
“Some of the kids had required diabetes readers and then the pharmacy department were able to fill that gap,” Gagnon-Auclair said. “It’s the collaboration with our partners in Eeyou Istchee that’s benefiting a lot of kids. We can find solutions without it actually coming through Jordan’s Principle.”