Ottawa, Ontario (February 10, 2025) — The Minister of Indigenous Services, Patty Hajdu, issued the following statement today:
“When it comes to Jordan’s Principle, our top priority and our intention have not changed: making sure First Nations children have access to the products, services and supports that they need.
Since it was first implemented in 2016, requests through Jordan’s Principle have grown at an extremely fast pace, most notably in the last few years. There were 614,350 requests approved in 2021-2022, compared to almost 3 million requests approved in 2023-2024, a 367% increase.
That is why the Government of Canada is implementing new ways to process requests to expedite decision-making and address the increased demand.
In light of the increased volume, the Government of Canada has made changes to operating procedures to make sure requests align with the long-term sustainability of Jordan’s Principle. These changes provide further clarity and consistency around the services available for First Nations children through Jordan’s Principle, as well as the required documentation that is needed when processing requests.
Jordan’s Principle is supposed to be used when necessary; it shouldn’t negate provincial or territorial responsibility, nor should it be used for requests that are outside of what it is designed for (See here to learn more about Jordan River Anderson). It’s not within the spirit of why Jordan’s Principle was created in the first place.
To date, nearly $8.8 billion in Jordan’s Principle funding has been announced, and more than 8.7 million products, services, and supports have been approved since 2016.
Parents, guardians and communities should continue to submit requests to Jordan’s Principle for First Nations children.
Our work has not stopped, and we remain focused on making sure that First Nations children have equal access to the public services they need.”
