How to Apply for Jordan's Principle in Alberta
The First Nations Health Consortium (FNHC) supports First Nations and Inuit children and families with Jordan’s Principle applications in Alberta to ensure children and youth can access required services or supports they need, in line with the Jordan’s Principle child-first legal ruling.
The FNHC provides an enhanced service coordination model which assists families in accessing Jordan’s Principle. We do this by:
- • Reducing the stress of navigating systems and Jordan’s Principle applications
- • Linking families to provincial and federal resources
- • Working collaboratively with other service providers
- • Advocating for the children, their families and communities
- • Providing assistance to families with the appeals process
- • Supporting community driven group applications
Jordan’s Principle responds to unmet needs of children and supporting documentation is required for the application process. There is also a waiting period for a decision on the application from Indigenous Services Canada – Jordan’s Principle.
Please Note: First Nations Health Consortium does not make file approval or denials.
Indigenous Services Canada Alberta regional office is responsible for application decisions in Alberta.
Who is eligible?
Jordan’s Principle responds to the unmet health, education and social needs of First Nations and Inuit children living in Canada.
Services provided under Jordan’s Principle are available to:
A child under the age of majority (18 in Alberta) in their province or territory of residence can access Jordan’s Principle, if they permanently reside in Canada and if the child meets one of the following criteria:
- • is registered or eligible to be registered under the Indian Act;
- • has one parent or guardian who is registered or eligible to be registered under the Indian Act;
- • is recognized by their Nation for the purposes of Jordan’s Principle;
- • is ordinarily resident on reserve.
On November 25, 2020, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) released a ruling about Jordan’s Principle eligibility. The eligibility above replaces the CHRT interim motion ruling of February 2019.
On February 10, 2025 ISC added additional information around “ordinarily resident on reserve” eligibility:
“Ordinarily resident on reserve means that an Indigenous child:
- lives on reserve
- normally lives on reserve even if the child or one of the members of their household (such as a sibling, parent, extended family living with child) may have been required to spend some time away temporarily from the community to access services such as health care or education where there are no other comparable services available in the community
- was ordinarily resident on reserve immediately prior to accessing Jordan's Principle
- is a dependent of a family that maintains a primary residence on reserve
- returns to live on reserve with parents, guardians or caregivers during the year, even if they live elsewhere while attending school or to receive medical care or other services
- meets student eligibility requirements in Yukon Territory
A child taken into care of a Child and family services agency or into a kinship or informal agreement is considered ordinarily resident on reserve where:
- the child's parent or guardian lived on reserve at the time the child was taken into care or
- a child goes into the care of a guardian who lives on reserve”
What can be covered?
On February 10, 2025 ISC updated the list of eligible supports available through Jordan’s Principle. Examples of the services often covered by Jordan’s Principle include, but are not limited to:
Health:
- Child-specific addiction services
- Professional mental health services
- Specialized hearing aids
- Assessments and screenings for a medical or educational need
- Transportation to child-specific medical appointments
- Medical supplies and equipment
- Therapeutic services for individuals or groups (speech therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy)
- Medical respite care (individual or group)
- Mobility aids
- Wheelchair ramps
Education:
- School supplies
- Tutoring services
- Teaching assistants on reserve
- Assessments and screenings for educational needs
- Assistive technologies and electronics related to child-specific educational needs
- Specialized school transportation
Social:
- Child-specific land-based activities on reserve
- Child-specific specialized programs based on cultural beliefs and practices on reserve
Please Note: Jordan’s Principle funding may impact other supports or supplements families receive through the Government of Alberta or other groups. It is recommended to plan ahead for any possible impacts. Jordan’s Principle is not a long-term or ongoing income supplement program.
ISC will not approve funding for the following items unless such funding is required by substantive equality under Jordan’s Principle:
- ♦ purchase, construction or structural renovations of homes
- ♦ requests to support sporting events or elite or competitive sport-related training, unless it is linked to the specific health, social, or educational needs of the First Nations child
- ♦ international travel, unless it is related to an exceptional medical need of the First Nations child
- ♦ non-medical supports such as travel costs, non-medical respite care, child care, clothing, furniture and vehicles, unless accompanied by a letter of support from a medical professional. The professional must be able to provide a child-specific recommendation based on their professional designation and their knowledge of the First Nation child’s specific needs
- ♦ school-related requests, unless linked to the specific health, social or educational need of the First Nations child. Supports to school boards off-reserve and private schools will be redirected to provincial school boards, or other existing provincial and federally-funded programs
- ♦ automatic administrative fees within group requests, including salaries, service fees and overhead costs”
Last changes to Jordan’s Principle Criteria made by ISC on February 2025
What information is required for an application?
When a family member or service provider calls the First Nations Health Consortium, they will be connected to an Access Worker who will complete an intake by gathering demographic information (name, date of birth, address, email, phone, Treaty number, Alberta Health Care number). The Access Worker will discuss the child’s needs, and will obtain a consent form, to be signed by the parent or guardian.
Note: If you are calling on behalf of a family, it is important that the legal guardian is aware you are making the referral, as we require written consent from the legal guardian to proceed with the application.
Once the intake process is completed, the file will be sent to a Regional Service Coordinator (RSC), who will support the family with the Jordan’s Principle application process. At the direction of the family, the RSC will help to identify needs and gaps in services, provide available resources, and will work with the family and service providers in compiling the necessary supporting documentation in order to complete an application.
When all the information and supporting documents are gathered, the RSC completes the application and submits it to the Regional Focal Points/National Office for review and await a decision.
Supporting Documentation
According to Indigenous Services Canada, supporting documentation is required for a successful Jordan’s Principle application.
Applications need to include appropriate supporting documentation from a professional that clearly links the requested product, service or support to the child’s specific needs.
The following criteria apply to applications:
Every request must include a letter of support that clearly demonstrates:
How the requested product, service, or support is directly linked to the child’s unmet health, social, or educational needs.
Why the support is necessary for the child’s well‑being or development.
Support letters must come from a Canadian professional who:
♦ Knows the child personally
♦ Can identify and describe the child’s needs
Is one of the following:
- ♦ Health professional
- ♦ Educational professional
- ♦ Elder
- ♦ Knowledge Keeper
If the professional is licensed or regulated by a provincial or territorial authority, the letter must be written within their scope of practice.
Examples of professionals who could provide a document to request an initial assessment:
♦ behavioural consultant or analyst
♦ community health representative
♦ early childhood interventionist
♦ educational professional
♦ mental health therapist
♦ midwife
The letter of support should:
- ♦ Letters of support must come from a health professional, educational professional, Elder or Knowledge Keeper who knows the child and can identify their needs
- ♦ Professionals providing a letter of support must do so within their scope of practice
- ♦ If you are requesting additional funding to extend services for the child, updated letters of support are required to support the child’s changing needs or to demonstrate a need for continued supports or services
- ♦ Include any relevant assessments or diagnoses
- ♦ Explains how the child experienced gaps or delays in accessing government services or was denied an existing government service because of their identity as a First Nations child
- ♦ Parent or guardian consent if you are submitting an application on behalf of the parent of guardian of the First Nations child
What additional documentation may be needed
The document could be, for example, a:
- ♦ health, education or social assessment, evaluation, report or summary
- ♦ referral
- ♦ prescription
- ♦ official diagnosis with a treatment plan
The document could:
- ♦ include the registration or professional licensing number of the professional, if applicable
- ♦ tell us what the child’s diagnosis or identified need is
- ♦ recommend the specific product, service or support you are seeking for the child
- ♦ explain how often, for example, how many times a week or month and for how long, for example, how many weeks or months, the product, service or support is needed, if applicable
- ♦ be within the professional’s area of expertise of practice, for example:
- ♦ requests for medical or health supports must be recommended by a health professional
- ♦ a social worker can recommend a child or family social service
Examples of the kinds of health, social or educational documents you can send:
- ♦ autism assessment
- ♦ behavioural therapy assessment
- ♦ dental or orthodontic treatment plan
- ♦ developmental assessment report
- ♦ educational support plan or intervention
- ♦ fetal alcohol spectrum disorders assessment
- ♦ hospital report
- ♦ individual education plan
- ♦ neurodevelopmental assessment
- ♦ neuropsychological assessment
- ♦ mental status exam
- ♦ occupational therapist assessment or report
- ♦ orthodontic evaluation summary
- ♦ physiotherapy report
- ♦ psycho-educational assessment
- ♦ psychological assessment, report or evaluation
- ♦ rehabilitation report
- ♦ speech and language assessment or report
- ♦ student support plan
- ♦ trauma-informed safety plan
- ♦ treatment plan or progress report
PLEASE NOTE: The professional who wrote the document must date and sign it.
Note:
- ♦ The more specific a letter of support is, the more it will effectively demonstrate the child’s need for the requested product, service, or supports.
- ♦ If you are unsure about which professional should make the recommendation for your child, please contact us.
Examples of the kinds of health, social, or educational documents you could send include:
Medical and Dental Assessments
- ♦ Dental or Orthodontic Treatment Plan
- ♦ Hospital Report
- ♦ Orthodontic Evaluation Summary
- ♦ Physiotherapy Report
Psychological and Neurodevelopmental Assessments
- ♦ Autism Assessment
- ♦ Neurodevelopmental Assessment
- ♦ Neuropsychological Assessment
- ♦ Mental Status Exam
- ♦ Psychological Assessment, Report, or Evaluation
Developmental and Educational Assessments
- ♦ Developmental Assessment Report
- ♦ Educational Support Plan or Intervention
- ♦ Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Assessment
- ♦ Psycho-Educational Assessment
- ♦ Student Support Plan
Therapy and Rehabilitation Assessments
- ♦ Behavioural Therapy Assessment
- ♦ Occupational Therapist Assessment or Report
- ♦ Rehabilitation Report
- ♦ Speech and Language Assessment or Report
Treatment and Safety Plans
- ♦ Trauma-Informed Safety Plan
- ♦ Treatment Plan or Progress Report
If you are requesting additional funding to extend an existing service or support:
You must provide updated letters of support
These letters must show:
- ♦ How the child’s needs have changed or
- ♦ Why continued services or supports are still required
Where applicable, include:
- ♦ Medical assessments
- ♦ Educational assessments
- ♦ Therapy reports
- ♦ Formal diagnosis
These documents help demonstrate the child’s needs and support the request.
Documentation should also describe:
- ♦ How the child experienced gaps or delays in accessing government services
- ♦ Whether the child was denied an existing government service
- ♦ How these issues were connected to the child’s identity as a First Nations child
Our Enhanced Service Coordination Team is here to support with any questions regarding advice on supporting documentation please reach out to us at 1-844-558-8748 or send us a message at www.abfnhc.com/contact-us/
Jordan's Principle Group Requests
Jordan’s Principle group requests support needs that include more than one eligible child with specific needs in the same community, organization or educational institution. Group request funding requires an added level of documentation and reporting, administered at the Alberta regional level by Indigenous Services Canada.
The process to start a Jordan’s Principle group request is the same as making an individual request. Individuals or organizations can call our FNHC toll-free number 1-844-558-8748 for assistance, or begin an application on our website: www.abfnhc.com/intakes, or reach out to Indigenous Services Canada – Jordan’s Principle unit directly at [email protected].
What Happens After I Apply to Jordan's Principle?
Jordan’s Principle was created to respond to unmet needs of First Nations and Inuit children.
Each province has a different process of implementing Jordan’s Principle and there is a waiting period for application decisions by Indigenous Services Canada – Jordan’s Principle.
Please be aware this waiting period can be significant (months) depending on the application and urgency.
FNHC supports families to apply for Jordan’s Principle services through Indigenous Services Canada. The First Nations Health Consortium does not make applications approvals or denials. Indigenous Services Canada is responsible for Jordan’s Principle application decisions.
After your application has been submitted, FNHC cannot review the status of it or speed up the decision-making process.
We understand the challenges associated with the decision timelines and our staff advocate on behalf of families to improve the Jordan’s Principle Child-First Initiative.
Please note Jordan’s Principle is not an emergency service.
To find out the status of your application please contact Indigenous Services Canada by email:
[email protected].
Resources
We’ve created a list of province-wide resources for families that includes accessible supports in the areas of basic needs, health, dental, mental health, cultural supports and education.