First Nations Health Consortium

Jordan’s Principle is a child-first principle that aims to eliminate service inequities and delays for First Nations children. The Principle states that any public service ordinarily available to all other children must be made available to First Nations children without delay or denial. 

It was named in memory of Jordan River Anderson, a young boy from Norway House Cree Nation, who spent more than two years unnecessarily in hospital while Canada and Manitoba argued over payment for his at-home care.

In response to this tragedy, in 2007, the House of Commons unanimously passed Motion-296, enacting Jordan’s Principle. 

In 2016, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ordered the federal government to immediately stop applying the discriminatory definition of Jordan’s Principle and to immediately take measures to implement the full definition of Jordan’s Principle.