(Toronto, Ont. – November 26, 2025) Following the two-day Fall Chiefs Assembly on November 18-19, 2025, First Nation Leadership has formally called upon the Government of Canada to take immediate action to rectify the operational failures of the Jordan’s Principle program and that Indigenous Services Canada’s February 2025 Operational Bulletin be revised to support and enable access to essential products and services for thousands of First Nations children.
“The current system is failing our children,” said Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict. “The Chiefs of Ontario are ready to create a solution tailored to our region’s specific needs for Jordan’s Principle. It is imperative that we collaborate to ensure no First Nation child in Ontario is left without the care they deserve.”
During the assembly, First Nation leadership affirmed their direction to seek a distinct solution through an Ontario regional agreement on Jordan’s Principle. Initially passed in June 2025, Resolution 25/04A, Exploring a Regional Approach to Reforming Jordan’s Principle in Ontario, directs the Chiefs of Ontario to pursue a framework that ensures substantive equality and removes bureaucratic hurdles that leave vulnerable First Nation children behind.
“Canada must fix the broken program immediately to prevent further harm to First Nations children and families across the province,” said Regional Chief Benedict. “This includes implementing immediate interim measures to address the backlog while work proceeds on a long-term, regionally managed framework.”
Throughout the assembly, Ontario Leadership also called upon Canada to respect and adhere to the original spirit and intent of Jordan’s Principle and ended its on-going discriminatory policies against their children and families.
“Our region is home to 25 per cent of the total First Nation population across the country and has the highest backlog of Jordan’s Principle requests,” said Regional Chief Benedict. “The continual growth of Ontario’s backlog is a clear indication that Indigenous Services Canada’s Jordan’s Principle administration and unilateral policy decision-making has resulted in a slow and deteriorating process which does not address ongoing operational issues and only widens systemic gaps and fails to meet the true needs of First Nation children and families across the Ontario Region.”
The Chiefs of Ontario call upon Canada to take immediate action to rectify the 2025 Operation Bulletin and make strides toward overall national reform of the Jordan’s Principle program.
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The Chiefs of Ontario supports all First Nations in Ontario as they assert their sovereignty, jurisdiction, and their chosen expression of nationhood. Follow Chiefs of Ontario on Facebook, X, Instagram, or LinkedIn @ChiefsOfOntario
Media Contact:
Isak Vaillancourt
Communications Manager
Chiefs of Ontario
Telephone: 416-819-8184
Email: isak.vaillancourt@coo.org
