Jordan's Principle

Jordan's Principle is a child-first principle named in 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 Federal Government argued over who should pay for his at-home care. Jordan died in the hospital at five-years old, never having spent a day in his family home.  In response to his death, and in honour of him, Jordan's Principle was created.

Jordan's Principle is meant to prevent First Nation's children from being denied essential services or experiencing delays in receiving them.  The principle applies to all First Nations Children on or off reserve; also providing payment for needed services by the government or department that first receives the request.

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 Nations status.  Jordan's Principle aims to include all First Nation's children, not just those with multiple disabilities and to cover all needs: health, education, social and cultural.

If a First Nation's Child needs a publicly funded health, social service or support that other Canadian children receive, and cannot access it through existing programs in the community, then it is an eligible service or support.

So far, coverage has been provided for a variety of services and supports, including:

• Respite care
• Mental Health services
• Rehabilitative Therapies
• Services for children in care
• Transportation to appointments
• Medical supplies and equipment
• Special education supports and services
• Long-term care for children with specialized needs

• Work with province/territories, agencies on the implementation of Jordan's Principle and Child's First Initiative
• Complete the Jordan's Principle Intake Form with children and families to help identify needs and appropriate referrals
• Coordinate care and link to appropriate community resources for specific professionals based on the child and family need
• Provide support and follow up with the children and families to ensure their needs are met
• To act as a resource person for agencies and individuals requiring education or information related to childhood development or child disorders
• Facilitate timely payment services
• Identifies community gaps for children's needs and monitors program operations
• Work with relevant partners to help develop longer-term solution to service access for First Nation's children

The Jordan’s Principle team at Six Nations provides support with funding requests and service delivery related to unmet health, social and educational needs.

• Eligibility
  • A First Nations child is eligible to apply for Jordan’s Principle funding when they are under the age of majority in their province or territory of residence (18 in Ontario), permanently residing in Canada and meet one of the below 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
    • is ordinarily resident on reserve
  • Documentation Required
    • Each funding request requires a 3^rd party letter of recommendation for a specific product or service with information on the gap in service. Letters should clearly connect the product or service to the unmet needs of the child, they should be signed and dated by the writer and on letterhead if possible
    • Cost of the product or service
    • Receipts if seeking a reimbursement request
    • Assessments or reports that identify child’s needs
    • Information on coverage if the product or service is not covered, partially covered or denied
    • Intake Form (see forms)
    • Consent to Release Information from the parent or guardian – signed and dated if the request will be submitted on your behalf by an authorized representative (Navigator or other identified service provider – see forms)
    • Click here for Further Information on Required Documentation
  • Forms
    • Intake Form
    • SNHS Consent to Release Form
  • Referral
    • Jordan's Principle Call Centre: 1-855-JP-CHILD (1-855-572-4453)
    • teletypewriter: 1-866-553-0554
    • Six Nations Health Services – Child and Youth Health – Jordan's Principle team: 519-445-4983
  • Submit
    • If you are referred to Child and Youth Health Jordan’s Principle team, submit your documentation to your assigned Jordan’s Principle navigator.
    • If you are submitting your funding request independently to Indigenous Services Canada, send complete documentation to:
      • E-mail: jordansprincipleon-principedejordan@sac-isc.gc.ca OR;
      • Mail:

        Indigenous Services Canada

        Jordan’s Principle, ON Region

        Sir Charles Tupper Building 2720 Riverside Drive, 4th Floor

        Address Locator: 6604D Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9

• • • • Fax: 1-833-495-1227

• After submission it may take some time for a funding decision to be rendered. If approved, you will receive payment package instructions on how to proceed with obtaining the approved supports. If you receive a denial, you will have one year from the denial date to request an appeal. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or require support.