Backgrounder - Implementation of Jordan's Principle in Saskatchewan

Jordan's Principle honours the memory of Jordan River Anderson, a young boy from Manitoba's Norway House Cree Nation, who was born with a rare neuromuscular disorder and required care from multiple service providers. He became the centre of a jurisdictional funding dispute which prevented him from leaving the hospital to receive care in a family home.

On December 12, 2007, a Private Member's Motion (M-296) stating that “in the opinion of the House, the government should immediately adopt a child-first principle, based on Jordan's Principle, to resolve jurisdictional disputes involving the care of First Nations children,” received unanimous support in Parliament. The intent of this child-first principle is to ensure that the necessary care for a First Nations child is not delayed or disrupted by a jurisdictional dispute.

The Government of Saskatchewan announced its support for Jordan's Principle in its October 2008 Speech from the Throne. Subsequently, the province of Saskatchewan, the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN), and the Government of Canada (Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and Health Canada), have agreed on a two- pronged approach to the implementation of Jordan's Principle in Saskatchewan. The first addresses jurisdictional disputes between the federal and provincial governments (Interim Implementation of Jordan's Principle in Saskatchewan) and the second seeks to support a long-term Jordan's Principle implementation plan that includes a broader examination of barriers to services and the continuum of care for First Nations children in Saskatchewan.

On June 4, 2009 the Interim Implementation of Jordan's Principle in Saskatchewan received unanimous support from FSIN's Chiefs in Assembly. Federal and provincial government officials also approved the document.

A Jordan's Principle Case is defined as a case that involves:

• a First Nations child who is a registered First Nation or eligible to be registered as a status Indian;
• a First Nations child ordinarily resident on-reserve;
• a First Nations child who has been assessed by authorized health or social professionals as having multiple disabilities requiring multiple service providers;
• normative standards of care, which are the standards of programs, services and benefits provided to children with similar needs and who live in a similar geographic location; and
• a jurisdictional funding dispute between the federal and provincial governments.

The federal government is at various stages of discussion on Jordan's Principle with the provinces of Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, Newfoundland and British Columbia.