Reinstate Hamlet food vouchers
Petitioners ask to reinstate Hamlet food vouchers and the Early Years program in Nunavut. The government responds that Inuit Child First now funds child-specific requests case-by-case and no longer covers universal community vouchers.
Why we would sign this petition
- Reinstating hamlet vouchers would resume direct food support for Inuit children in communities facing high food insecurity.
- Restoring the Early Years program would provide nutrition and early-childhood supports that help reduce child poverty and developmental risks.
- Prompt reinstatement would reverse a cancellation made without replacement and restore predictable local assistance.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- The government indicates Inuit Child First now limits funding to child-specific, case-by-case requests, so universal vouchers may fall outside federal scope.
- Reinstating community-wide vouchers could duplicate or displace territorial income-assistance programs and may not be sustainable long-term.
- Broad reinstatement may conflict with new documentation and case-by-case requirements, creating eligibility and administrative challenges.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Minister of Indigenous Services Whereas: Food security in Nunavut is a critical issue, with rates of food insecurity significantly higher than the Canadian average. In Nunavut, 57% of households experience food insecurity, compared to a national average of 12.7%. Child poverty in Nunavut is the highest in the country at 42%, compared to 18% nationally, and it continues to rise. Nutrition North has failed to lower grocery prices in Arctic communities. The Hamlet Food Voucher program and the Early Years program, funded through the Inuit Child First Initiative (ICFI), kept Inuit children fed, but was canceled without notice and without replacement during the federal election campaign. Restrictions placed on applications to Jordan's Principle/ICFI in February 2025 are making it harder for Inuit families to receive support. Therefore, we the undersigned, Citizens of Canada, call upon on the Minister of Indigenous Services to reinstate the Hamlet Food Voucher program and the Early Years program in Nunavut communities.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Indigenous Services Signed by GINETTE LAVACK Thank you for your petition asking to reinstate the Hamlet Food Voucher program and the Early Years program in Nunavut communities, both of which received funding through the Inuit Child First Initiative. The Inuit Child First Initiative aims to ensure that Inuit children have equal access to essential government-funded products, services and supports. Requests for Inuit children can continue to be made to the Inuit Child First Initiative for both individual and groups. In February 2025, the government introduced updates to the operational procedures of the Inuit Child First Initiative to make sure resources are used in line with the Initiative, to improve transparency, to ensure consistency in processes, and to make the decision-making process more efficient. Under the new guidelines, each request must be assessed on the basis of the individual child and include documentation from a licensed professional that clearly links the requested support to that child’s specific needs. While the types of requests that can be approved have changed, the eligibility of who can apply has not. As a result of the updated procedures to the Inuit Child First Initiative, any large-scale group request, such as the Hamlet Food Voucher program and the Early Years program, will be assessed on the basis of each individual child and must meet all of the below criteria in order to be eligible. Going forward, any request must show: How the requested product, service or support meets the distinct needs of the Inuk child, and; How the child either: experienced gaps or delays in accessing government services, or; was denied an existing government service because of their identity as an Inuk child. The Ilitaqsiniq Early Years Program in Rankin Inlet and Arviat, Nunavut has been funded through the Inuit Child First Initiative since 2021 and received $ 20,273,783 in funding. For the November 2025 to March 2026 period, the organization is receiving $1,324,926 to run the Early Years program through the Inuit Child First Initiative. Indigenous Services Canada did not have a specific food program component under the Inuit Child First Initiative; all funding is request-based. In 2023-24, the Inuit Child First Initiative started to receive group requests for funding to support community-based food security initiatives, such as the hamlet food vouchers in Nunavut. These initiatives were intended to support families with children who were experiencing food insecurity on an as needed basis. In total, 24 communities in Nunavut were approved for $89,505,730 in funding to support an estimated 15,017 Inuit children between 2023-2025. The Inuit Child First Initiative provides funding on a case-by-case basis, including for temporary supports towards rent, groceries, or utilities to address immediate needs of Inuk children. However, it is not intended nor structured to displace provincial and territorial government income assistance programs through “universal” programs such as food vouchers or income supplements. Universal or community-wide programs, such as the hamlet food vouchers that were implemented by various communities in Nunavut, no longer fall within the scope of the Inuit Child First Initiative. Budget 2024 provided program enhancements worth $124 million, to ensure Nutrition North Canada can continue to make nutritious foods more accessible and affordable in Northern communities, which prioritizes harvesting, local food production and community food programs. Inuit Treaty Organizations received $59,058,000 over three years starting in 2024-25 through Budget 2024 for Nutrition North Canada’s Harvester Support Grant and the Community Food Programs Fund. Through an Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami Board of Directors resolution, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated was provided with $29,588,058 for 2024-25 to 2026-27. Budget 2024 also announced $1 billion over five years (2024-2029) for a National School Food Program, including investments for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities as well as Self-Governing and Modern Treaty partners. All provinces and territories have reached agreements with the federal government through the Program, and on February 28, 2025, Canada and Nunavut announced a bilateral agreement on school food which will see Canada invest approximately $7.6 million over three fiscal years (2024-25 through 2026-27). Through the National School Food Program, Inuit Treaty Organizations received $36,770,422 over five years (2024-2029) for the Inuit Nunangat School Food Program. Through an Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami Board of Directors resolution, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated was provided with $18,421,981. As announced in Budget 2025, the Government of Canada will spend $216.6 million each year to make the National School Food Program permanent. The Government is working directly with Indigenous partners on the rollout of that funding. Indigenous Services Canada will continue to work with Inuit partners to co-develop a long-term, Inuit-specific approach that strengthens sustainability, meets growing demand, and addresses the unmet needs of Inuit children. The department will continue to collaborate with Inuit, territorial, and federal partners to strengthen efforts that address food insecurity through programs such as Nutrition North Canada and the School Food Program and forums including the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee, while making sure that individual child-specific needs continue to be supported on a case-by-case basis.