Iqaluit food voucher program sees more than 1,000 applications
Program provides $500 to families with children under 18, additional $250 for kids under 4
The Iqaluit food voucher program aims to support Inuit families with children, offering $500 per month for each child and an additional $250 for children under 4. (File photo)
One week after registration opened for the City of Iqaluit’s Inuit Child First Initiative food voucher program, more than 1,000 applications have been received.
“We are thrilled by the community’s response to the program, with over 1,000 submitted applications so far,” Geoff Byrne, a city spokesperson, said in an email to Nunatsiaq News on Friday.
“Approved clients are already beginning to receive their funds.”
The program, also known as Jordan’s Principle, is aimed at providing financial support to Inuit families with children. Funding comes from Indigenous Services Canada.
The rollout for Iqaluit’s $5.4-million program began Nov. 1 and the program will continue until March 2025. Eligible Iqaluit residents have been able to register online or in person at city hall.
Eligible families with children under the age of 18 can receive $500 per month for food for each child, and families with children under the age of four can receive an additional $250 per month for each child for items like diapers, formula and baby wipes.
“Once a client is approved, there is a five-day processing period before they can access their funds through the vendor of their choice,” said Byrne.
Participating stores are Arctic Ventures, Bayside Foods, D.J. Specialties, Northern Shopper and Northmart.
Parents or guardians can apply online or at city hall and are not required to reapply each month.
The application process requires a Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. Inuit enrolment number from a parent or child and the child’s health card or birth certificate number.
Byrne said there is no application deadline and new submissions are accepted on a rolling basis.
This major initiative to address food insecurity among Inuit children has been rolled out in almost every Nunavut community earlier this year. What impact has it had?
Do you really care or are you just complaining, poverty is very real in Nunavut and every little bits helps especially parents who are worried where their meals going to come up next for their children. Poverty is a vicious circle as most children that go hungry can’t perform well in schools! If your point is that it is easy to get out of poverty, try living on social assistance that doesn’t help very much maybe for half the month.
Perhaps see social assistance is not the answer. What would your ancestors do when times were tough?
You could give some people a million bucks and they’d still find themselves in poverty not long after. We’ve all seen the big bingo winners somehow be broke again days after winning $25k.
The issue isn’t money it is poor decision making and lack of budgeting skills. Welfare recipients should need to do mandatory home economics courses, this would greatly benefit families.
Early signs are that this program is solving food insecurity among children.
There are families that are easily making half a million and are still getting JP money. How does that make sense?
Because it’s for the kids that’s why. Some families make good money and they have 6 children to feed. Everyone needs help, especially with taking care of young children.
the reliance on Government is unreal . instead of trying to address it long term, we just throw band aids. need more inuit to want to operate their own stores and create jobs and create wealth for themselves .
like why is there a monopoly for groceries ? how come there is only just handful of ma and pa stores?
as long as reliance on Government to eat, forever socialist life will live .
I was involved in putting program in place in Clyde River
The head nurse at local health centre ,was amazed at the change in children health,in a short period of time.
Like any other program,there are always people trying to circumvent the system,but the program has built in safe guards ,which are working well.
I’m in hopes that successful program will have continuation ,beyond March 31/25
I’m in hopes that we will soon elect a conservative government and that hand outs will only go to those who truly need them.
What baffles me is I still see people begging for food on Facebook?
The old “teach a man to fish” analogy at play