Improve the delivery of child welfare and health care under Jordan's Principle to focus on the best interests of the child.

What success looks like

First Nations children have access to the health and social supports they need when they need them, no matter where they live.

Government's narrative on progress

Significant progress has been made in recent months in the provision of health, educational and social supports. From July 2016 to February 28, 2019, Canada has approved 216,164 products, supports and services totaling $435 million for First Nations children and youth under Jordan's Principle. Actions to support Jordan's Principle, include: • In October, 2018, an additional $297.4M (over three years) was approved in G&Cs funding to fund the approved services, support, and products thus increasing the Service Access Resolution Fund from $324.2M to $621.6M over three years.; • Budget 2019 further invested $1.2 billion over three years, beginning in 2019–2020 to continue to implement Jordan’s Principle and help ensure that all First Nations children can access the health, social and educational services they need, when they need them; • Budget 2019 also proposes to invest $220 million over five years, beginning in 2019–2020, to provide services to Inuit children as work continues with Inuit and other government partners to improve local capacity to deliver services in Inuit Nunangat; • Jordan’s Principle advertising for the remainder of 2018-2019 will focus on increasing awareness of Jordan's Principle amongst: First Nations families and health, social and educational professionals living and working on-reserve; foster parents (particularly non-Indigenous) of First Nation children living off reserve; and professionals working in urban settings. This will be accomplished through a proactive and multi-faceted communications and marketing approach with a focus on Indigenous mediums (e.g. social media, radio advertisements); • Co-developing the long-term policy options for the implementation of Jordan's Principle through the Jordan’s Principle Action Table (a sub-committee of the National Advisory Committee) which will inform long term directions. The Table is chaired by the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), includes other First Nations stakeholders, and has undertaken engagement and regional focus groups since July 2017 to inform and then validate the proposed approach. In Fall 2018, the Action Table produced a document outlining its co-developed, proposed policy approach for the long-term implementation of Jordan’s Principle, which was shared with stakeholders and partners, and discussed at the Assembly of First Nations’ Summit on Jordan’s Principle, held in Winnipeg in September 2018; • Launching of the Jordan’s Principle National Call Centre to help First Nations children access the products, services and supports they need. 1-855-JP-CHILD (1-855-572-4453). As of March 17, 2019, a total of 5,136 calls were received, 1,753 of which generated a request for services; • Continued participation of all interested Canadian Human Rights Tribunal parties at the monthly Jordan’s Principle Operations Committee, a committee established to increase dialogue and timely advice on Jordan’s Principle implementation and planning activities; • Results were received from the Client Satisfaction Survey created in consultation with the parties to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal decision to help assess the impact of Jordan's Principle. Most respondents reported: an improvement in their child’s well-being (82%); that they were satisfied with all Jordan’s Principle products/services/supports (91%), and that they received all Jordan’s Principle products/services/supports (81%). Almost all respondents (99%) stated that they were treated with respect and dignity; and • A series of case studies have been completed on service delivery models in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. Efforts are being undertaken to reform the delivery of Indigenous Child and Family Services, including: • To address the funding pressures facing child and family service agencies, while also increasing prevention resources for communities so that children are safe and families can stay together, Budget 2018 provides more than $1.4 billion in new funding over six years, starting in 2017–2018, for First Nations Child and Family Services to address funding pressures facing First Nations Child and Family Services agencies, while also increasing prevention resources for communities so that children are safe and families can stay together. This builds on investments made through Budget 2016 of $634.8 million over five years for First Nations child and family services.. The government will continue to work with First Nations, Inuit and the Metis Nation, as well as other partners, to advance the reforms to child and family services that are needed and develop Indigenous-led solutions that put the well-being of children first. • The federal government’s commitment to continue to fully implement the orders of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, in consultation with the parties, including funding on actuals for retroactive and ongoing agency expenses in areas such as prevention/least disruptive measures, intake and investigation, building repairs, and legal fees. • Canada signed a Consultation Protocol on March 2, 2018 with the Assembly of First Nations, the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, Nishnawbe-Aski Nation, Chiefs of Ontario and the Canadian Human Rights Commission to fulfill the Canadian Human Rights Tribunals (CHRT) orders and to promote transparency, mutual understanding and cooperation amongst the parties and to ensure that immediate, mid and long term relief measures are developed and implemented in an effective and cooperative manner to eliminate the discrimination outlined in the CHRT decision. Since its inception following the signing of the Consultation Protocol, the Consultation Committee on Child Welfare has held seven meetings and continues productive discussions on the program and implementation of the Tribunal's orders. • Canada has continued to implement the six points of action on Indigenous child welfare and introduced Bill C-92 *An Act respecting First Nation, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families* in Parliament on February 28, 2019. With regards to the six points of action, Canada is fully implementing all the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal orders, in consultation with partners, to truly develop child-centered, Indigenous-led and prevention-focused solutions. Canada is also committed to shifting the focus of the program from protection to more prevention and early intervention services, empowering communities through community-based initiatives, and by supporting the exercise of jurisdiction through potential federal legislation. Bill C-92 is consistent with the Government of Canada's ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Bill seeks to: • affirm the rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis to exercise jurisdiction over child and family services; and • establish national principles such as best interests of the child, cultural continuity and substantive equality to guide the interpretation and administration of the Bill. These principles would guide Indigenous communities and provinces and territories on the delivery of child and family services to keep families together and reduce the number of Indigenous children in care.

Note: this is the government's own description, not an independent assessment.