By Angela Brown

Organizers hope more people take advantage of funding program to help FN children

May 10, 2018 | 4:29 PM

There was a full house for an information session in North Battleford about a federal funding program called Jordan’s Principle to benefit Indigenous children. 

About 140 people attended the event at Third Avenue United Church hall in North Battleford, hosted by Battle River Treaty 6 Health Centre on Thursday.

The Jordan’s Principle initiative came out of challenges many Indigenous children face. First Nations children often must wait for service they urgently need, or are denied services available to other children – including mental health, speech therapy, health and education.

Jordan’s Principle is based on a tragic incident involving a Indigenous child named Jordan who couldn’t access the services he required. He ended up dying in hospital because of the long challenges in determining who would cover his needs. Jordan’s Principle aims to prevent that from happening again. 

Event facilitator Sherry Jimmy, with consulting firm Morris Interactive, contracted by The First Nation and Inuit Health Branch of Indigenous Services Canada, said the aim of the information session was to raise awareness of the Jordan’s Principle federal government initiative. Similar events have been held across Saskatchewan.

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“The Jordan’s Principle initiative is designed to ensure First Nation children don’t experience gaps in health, education or social areas,” Jimmy said. “It’s to create substantive equality with non First Nation children.” 

Funding available

Jimmy said over three years there is $382-million federally committed to Jordan’s Principle Initiative.

“The objective here is to get information out because the applications have been slow coming in to access funding and services under Jordan’s Principle,” she said.

Jimmy said the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal indicated there is a gap between the services FN children can access compared to non FN children, so Jordan’s Principle was designed to try to fill that gap. 

“We’re hoping to get feedback from people about what’s working for them, what isn’t working for them,” she said. “Our goal is to write a report that combines the information from all these sessions, in terms of how Jordan’s Principle can be improved as we go forward.”

A representative from Indigenous Services Canada presented information about the benefits of the Jordan’s Principle program to support Indigenous children with specific health, educational and related needs, as well as the process to apply.

Pamela Peterson, Battle River Treaty 6 Health Centre Early Childhood director, said the turnout for the information session was significant, and included parents, caregivers, educators, health professionals as well as band chiefs and councillors.

“It’s truly amazing, but it’s also I think an indication of the help that our people need for their children,” she said. 

Peterson said that it’s “barriers that are in place by the systems that are here” that present challenges for First Nation children accessing the health and educational services they need.

She said she hopes the information session will help educate parents of the different avenues available so they can receive support for their children’s needs.

Peterson said she also hopes parents won’t focus on the barriers to access care and services for their children, but instead see that “there is light,” through the Jordan’s Principle initiative.

“This is the path you need to walk to get there,” she said.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW