MKO Responds to Federal Government Announcement on Jordan’s Principle Funding

Press Release

February 26, 2026

Treaty One Territory, Winnipeg, Mb – This announcement is long overdue. Jordan’s Principle has been heavily burdened with delays, denials, inconsistent decision‑making, and widespread confusion for families and service providers. For years, First Nations leadership has requested a genuine partnership to co‑develop the long‑term framework required to fully implement the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) rulings. Despite these repeated calls, governments have continued to design and amend the program without adequate First Nations involvement, resulting in systemic failures and harmful gaps in services.

The “Back to Basics” approach under Jordan’s Principle provided robust, meaningful, and culturally grounded supports to children and families. While governments have pointed to isolated examples of misuse, the overwhelming majority of requests met real needs and gave First Nations children their first equitable access to services that other children in Canada receive without question.

MKO does not accept the narrative that Jordan’s Principle funding was broadly abused. Rather, the program exposed the true cost of achieving substantive equality for First Nations children, something the Tribunal has repeatedly affirmed as a legal obligation, not an optional expenditure.

The backlog is the clearest evidence of this ongoing failure. By late 2024, the federal government reported approximately 140,000 backlogged applications, including 25,000 urgent cases. These figures have not been updated publicly, despite repeated requests from First Nations leadership for transparency, timelines, and a credible plan to clear the backlog.

MKO also reiterates that Jordan’s Principle must be First Nations–led. Government‑run models have not worked. First Nations possess the community relationships, cultural knowledge, and direct experience necessary to deliver services that are effective, trauma‑informed, and grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing.

While the federal government’s recent commitment of $1.55 billion provides stability for the transitional year ahead, it does not resolve the long‑term sustainability crisis facing Jordan’s Principle. Stable, predictable, multi‑year funding aligned with a child‑first principle is the only path forward.

As the federal government works to redesign the Jordan’s Principle service delivery model, MKO emphasizes that co‑development with First Nations is essential. Past reforms imposed without First Nations leadership have consistently failed. The future success of Jordan’s Principle depends on First Nations being at the table from the start, shaping both the design and implementation of the system intended to serve their children.

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