What does an Accessible First Nation Mean to You?

February 8, 2017 – Ottawa, ON – Health Canada

OTTAWA – The wellbeing of First Nations children and families is a priority for the Government of Canada. We recognize that there are situations where First Nations children are not receiving the full breadth of services they would be receiving if they lived in urban areas, or if they were not First Nations children. It is through the full implementation of Jordan’s Principle that we are working to close these service gaps.

To that end, we have expanded Jordan’s Principle so that it applies to all First Nations children, and includes health and social services supports. To date, more than 3,200 children have been approved for coverage under this program. This includes coverage for a broad range of short- and long-term services, such as respite care, mental health supports, mobility aids, transportation to appointments, addictions treatment and education support.

The Government of Canada has allocated $382.5 million over three years to Jordan’s Principle and we intend to meet this commitment. Funds are being allocated to support children as soon as they are identified and to ensure arrangements are in place to provide access to needed services. Expenditures will continue to grow as more children are identified across the country.

The initial implementation of Jordan’s Principle will vary across Canada, reflecting different on-the-ground realities across the country. For many months, Health Canada has been working swiftly to proactively identify as many First Nations children in need as possible, and to ensure they are approved for needed services.

The Department is working closely with its First Nations partners to build the capacity in communities, which has not historically been in place, to both systematically identify children in need and ensure they get well-coordinated care.

First Nations children must have access to the same publicly funded health and social services as other Canadians, and so we are working side-by-side with First Nations leadership and communities as well as the provinces and territories to make sure that every child receives the care they need.

Contacts

Media Relations
Health Canada
613-957-2983

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613-957-2991
1-866-225-0709

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