‘Humanitarian crisis’ if Inuit Child First Initiative expires, advocate warns

By Jeff Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News The end of the Inuit Child First Initiative on March 31 would have a severe, immediate impact on thousands of Nunavut children, one advocate says. Taya Tootoo, who works for the Arctic Children and Youth Foundation, joined Nunavut MP Lori Idlout and Qikiqtani General Hospital pediatrician Dr. Holden Sheffield on Friday to call on the federal government to extend the program’s funding beyond its scheduled March 31 expiry while a long-term solution is in the works. Inuit Child First Initiative gives Inuit children access to health and education supports. It runs parallel to Jordan’s Principle, which is a federal commitment to provide the same type of support to First Nations children. Jordan’s Principle was created in 2007 in response to a…

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