Canada says it will fund Jordan’s Principle for First Nations kids through 2026

Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu takes part in a panel during the Assembly of First Nations Special Chiefs Assembly in Ottawa on December 5, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

MONTREAL — The federal government says it will continue to fund Jordan’s Principle to support First Nations children through 2026.

Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu announced the extension about 24 hours before a federal election campaign is expected to kick off.

No specific spending amounts were provided in the latest announcement, but Hajdu says the government has poured $8.8 billion into the principle since it was established in 2016.

The principle is intended to assure that Indigenous children can access government-funded health, social or educational services regardless of where they live and without seeing their cases bogged down in jurisdictional disputes.

It is named after Jordan River Anderson, a Manitoba boy with multiple disabilities who died in hospital waiting for the province and Ottawa to decide who should pay for health supports that would allow him to go home.

Hajdu also says she has asked Indigenous Services Canada to review the contribution agreements of First Nations recipients to make sure expenses incurred under the principle in 2024-2025 will be considered for funding.

Last month Canada announced it would bar funding approvals under the principle for non-urgent matters like home renovations and sporting events.

However, the First Nations Family and Caring Society has accused the government of failing to provide evidence of misuse, shirking legal obligations and creating a backlog of cases.

Joe Bongiorno, The Canadian Press