“Yesterday’s announcement from the Government of Canada extending funding for the Inuit Child First Initiative is a welcome signal that the federal government understands how important these supports are for Inuit children and families. Any extension that brings greater certainty in the short term is better than leaving families, educators, and service providers in limbo, and I appreciate the recognition that these programs matter.

While this announcement provides short-term certainty in terms of funding for Inuit Child First, that certainty has not yet been extended to Jordan’s Principle, and there has been no indication that the guidelines for Inuit Child First or Jordan’s Principle have changed in a way that improves access in the Northwest Territories. We do not expect this to represent a reprieve for education bodies or frontline service providers under either program. We continue to await clarity from the federal government on how both Inuit Child First and Jordan’s Principle will be applied in the North, and what this means in practice for schools and students.

In the North, Jordan’s Principle and Inuit Child First have never been “extra.” They are critical programs that help close long-standing gaps in services and give students the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive, particularly in small and remote communities where options are limited and supports are already scarce and stretched. We are cautiously optimistic that this announcement reflects a growing awareness in Ottawa that territorial realities require territorial solutions, and that similar announcements will follow for our schools and communities. Territories are not provinces, and while Jordan’s Principle and Inuit Child First were established based on provincial–federal relations, the need for a distinct arrangement with territorial governments remains.

The federal changes to Jordan’s Principle and Inuit Child First have real impacts: fewer adults supporting students with complex needs, fewer services available in schools, added strain on educators who already give so much of themselves, and, as a result, lower education outcomes for Indigenous students. Short-term extensions and temporary fixes are not enough. Families, communities, and service providers need stability, predictability, and long-term approaches across Inuit Child First and Jordan’s Principle that are co-developed with Indigenous partners and territorial governments, with respect for how services are actually delivered in the North. Concerns raised by Indigenous leaders and parliamentarians about one-year renewals and shifting administrative rules being little more than stopgaps resonate here as well. Children and families deserve better than a cycle of uncertainty.

We also continue to urge the federal government to protect and strengthen Jordan’s Principle and Inuit Child First funding, and to ensure that recent administrative changes do not undermine access for children who rely on these supports. These programs exist to prevent children from falling through the cracks because of jurisdictional lines or procedural barriers. That principle is just as important today as it was when Jordan’s Principle was first established.

The Government of the Northwest Territories will continue to advocate for a longer-term, more stable approach that reflects territorial realities. But engagement alone is no longer enough. For nearly a year, we have been clear about the impacts of recent federal changes to Jordan’s Principle and the consequences for students and families across the Territories. In the meantime, the GNWT has had to step in with temporary territorial funding to stabilize classroom supports for the current school year and prevent immediate harm to students. That stopgap is not sustainable, is not a permanent solution, and does not fully cover the extent of the gap.

We need the federal government to move beyond signals and short-term extensions and to follow through with concrete action, predictable funding, and a permanent, regionally appropriate model that works in practice, not just on paper. Children and families cannot wait another school year for certainty. The time for decisions is now.”

    - Hon. Caitlin Cleveland, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment

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