Changes to Jordan's Principle unfair for N.W.T. children, some say

A woman working at a safe home in Fort Good Hope, N.W.T., says recent changes to the Jordan's Principle program will be detrimental to many children in her community. 

The federal government announced sweeping changes to the program last week intended to ensure funding requests align with the spirit of the program and to address a 367 per cent increase in demand since 2021. 

It means things like home renovations, sporting events, international travel, non-medical supports or school-related requests — unless required to ensure equality with kids who are not First Nations — will no longer be funded under the program. 

The changes come after the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal said last month that it was concerned the funds were being misused.

"I think it's unfair," said Brenda T'Seleie-Pierrot, who helps run a three-bedroom safe home that serves women and children fleeing family violence in the Sahtu region. 

"We depend on Jordan's Principle for our children's school needs," she said. 

T'Seleie-Pierrot, who has also used the program herself for her own children, said the government should consult families who use Jordan's Principle before imposing restrictions. 

Jordan's Principle was created to address gaps in government services for First Nations children. It is named after Jordan River Anderson, a Manitoba boy who died while federal and provincial officials disputed who should pay for his care. 

Under Jordan's Principle, families are to apply for and receive funding as its needed, with the provinces, territories and the federal government later sorting out jurisdictional battles over which is responsible for the bill.

In response to an interview request from CBC News, the office of Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu directed CBC News to a statement the minister made when the changes were first announced on Feb. 10. 

In that statement, Hadju said the program is "supposed to be used when necessary" and that "it shouldn't be used for requests that are outside of what it is designed for."

Change 'unreasonably' affects children, says regional chief

George Mackenzie, the Dene National chief and regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations, told CBC News in an email he is profoundly concerned for the vulnerable First Nations children in Denendeh and across Canada.

"The decision poses significant challenges for families who are already navigating systemic barriers," he said. 

"The recent narrowing of funding approvals, excluding non-medical supports and certain educational requests, unreasonably affects our children, who often rely on these services for their well-being and development," Mackenzie said.

Mackenzie said the changes also raise significant concerns — particularly in the Northwest Territories — where he said people face unique challenges and require solutions tailored to the North.

Changes are regressive, says child advocate

Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, says Canada is repeating "some of its discriminatory conduct from the past."

One of the changes she highlighted was that families will now need more than a professional letter to prove why a child requires a particular service or product.

"If you had a child with a mental health issue requiring an intervention, Canada appears to be asking for what the mental health issue is, which is a gross violation of privacy," Blackstock said.

Another concern is that First Nations families must now prove they have exhausted all other services in their area before requesting support through Jordan's Principle, which Blackstock says will create serious barriers.

She argues one of the program's strengths has been its ability to respond to urgent needs, and these new restrictions will be regressive.

"For families in the North, there often are no other services available," she said. "Imagine yourself as a parent, in a moment of panic for your child, having to think, 'what other services do we have, and how do we prove that to the federal government?'" 

Blackstock said she also takes issue with how the government has framed the change by saying some families are misusing the program. She said the government could have denied requests for things that weren't justified by professional letters — like modelling headshots.

"They would have approved some of this misuse. That requires system changes on their end, but you can't paint the whole system with a broad brush that everybody's on the take," she said.

Blackstock said she also believes the new rules will worsen the existing backlog of 140,000 funding requests.