Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Committee will continue the consideration of Health and Social Services.

Mr. Chairman, I move that we report progress.

---Carried

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister direct his staff to contact and work the daycare programs in Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution to review their needs? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Within our work with the Committee on Sustainable Rural and Remote Communities we have allocated money to early childhood development. Can the Minister of ECE advise me if any of that money will be targeted to daycares?

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about daycare programs in Lutselk’e and Fort Resolution. Mr. Speaker, we know how important it is for preschool children and those from K to 6 to have a positive nurturing environment to grow up in. The Tinkers and Tots program in Lutselk’e and Little Darlings Daycare in Fort Resolution provide this atmosphere for the children. Mr. Speaker, these programs are doing a great service in each of these communities. These programs are operating on minimum funding but yet it is still providing a fun, structured, positive environment for the children...

I would like to thank the Minister for that answer. I think for the interest of time here, I will ask two quick questions. One is that to get a little bit of a reason as to why home care almost dropped by a million dollars when what I am seeing in the communities I represent is a greater need for home care and also something of a family shelter. Right now it is difficult to set up any sort of family shelters in very small communities because of the nature of that type of work. It is difficult to place families in a shelter in the community and there is no actual infrastructure in place for...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, currently the Standing Committee on Social Programs is undertaking a review of the Child and Family Services Act. I’m looking at the budget in this area and from our meetings that we’re having so far with the stakeholders and staff, it’s apparent that stakeholders don’t feel that there’s enough money in the system to help all the people that come to them. And it’s fairly evident that social workers are handling too many cases at one time and it’s causing, certainly causing some problems for the delivery of services that are necessary for family and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 21.

---Unanimous consent granted.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

How many visits did client service officers make to Lutselk’e in the following years:

2007-2008

2008-2009

2009-2010 (to date)

How many clients were seen during these visits broken down by approvals and refusals?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister advise me if his Department of Education, Culture and Employment has done any assessments pertaining to school success and its direct correlation with daycares in those communities?