Statement from NSMTC Chiefs on Jordan’s Principle Operational Changes

Click here to download the Statement from the Chiefs

On February 11th, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) Minister Patty Hajdu released a statement and bulletin announcing substantial changes to the Jordan’s Principle program. We understand these changes may reduce the services covered under Jordan’s Principle and affect the support many community members rely on. We want to assure you that the North Shore Mi’kmaq Tribal Council (NSMTC) is here to support you in understanding these changes and ensuring the federal government meets its obligations.

Key Changes

The following changes will take effect on April 1st, 2025:

• Statement required for Substantive Equality: Moving forward, all requests will require a statement describing Substantive Equality, provided by an individual within the child’s circle of support (e.g., a medical professional, knowledge-holder, or service coordinator). This means that all requests must explain how supports or services are needed to ensure the child has the same opportunity to thrive as their peers, addressing any barriers they may face due to unmet needs, systemic gaps, or historical disadvantages.
  
• No more requests spanning multiple fiscal years: Requests will no longer be approved spanning Canada’s March 31st fiscal year-end. Funding that starts before and extends beyond this date will need to be approved as two separate requests.
  
• No more cash-managing requests: In the past, the North Shore Mi’kmaq Tribal Council has “cash managed” Jordan’s Principle requests. This means the tribal council provided funds for Jordan’s Principle requests ahead of approval from Indigenous Services Canada. This was done to ensure the well-being of our families, by reducing funding wait-times. With these changes from Indigenous Services Canada, we will no longer be able to do this, and families will no longer have as quick of a turnaround for funding requests.

What to Expect

We encourage everyone to manage their expectations for what will be approved through Jordan’s Principle moving forward.

• Limited approvals: Indigenous Services Canada has stated that they will continue to approve any supports necessary to achieve substantive equality. However, we expect the range of supports provided under Jordan’s Principle to be more limited. Although requests for health-related supports are likely to continue to be approved, we anticipate that requests for educational and social supports will receive additional scrutiny. We expect that supports relating to income (e.g. food subsidies) and P-provincial education (i.e. non-Band schools) will be more difficult to obtain.
  
• Longer wait-times for funding: We hope that Jordan’s Principle requests will be processed more quickly by Indigenous Services Canada. However, since we are no longer able to cash-manage funds, families will not receive funds as quickly as they have in the past.

Staying United

It is important to remember that ISC alone is responsible for approving Jordan’s Principle requests. We understand that these changes may cause frustration, but we hope to move forward with patience and understanding as we navigate these changes together.

Moving Forward Together

The main priority of the Jordan’s Principle program is to ensure First Nation children receive the essential care and services they need, without jurisdictional barriers. At the same time, we recognize the importance of keeping the program sustainable and equitable for future generations, and processing requests in a timely manner. The NSMTC commits to being a strong advocate for our First Nation families, as we have in the past. With your support, we will continue to do our best to work within the guidelines of ISC.

Contact Our Team

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to our Jordan’s Principle team – they are here to support you. Any Member Band Offices interested in holding an Information Session on these changes are also asked to contact our NSMTC Jordan’s Principle team.

North Shore Mi’kmaq Tribal Council, Jordan’s Principle Office
506.352.2411 | jordansprinciple@nsmtc.ca

More Information

Please take the time to learn more about Jordan’s Principle and ISC’s operational changes by visiting the links below:

About the NSMTC’s Jordan’s Principle Program

ISC’s Bulletin about Operational Changes

What is Substantive Equality?

Statement from the First Nation’s Caring Society