Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When the Department of Education, Culture and Employment received the child day care program from the Department of Social Services on April 1, I announced that we would be reviewing the program and holding a symposium to consult with child day care providers and individuals using and interested in child day care services. I would like to bring you up to date on my department's progress on these initiatives.
Through the interim child day care program, the Government of the Northwest Territories provides subsidies for users of day care and support to child care providers through start-up and operating subsidies and training.
The child day care program provides linkages to other programs offered by my department, by assisting some parents in taking advantage of employment and training opportunities and by creating employment and training and business opportunities within the child care field for residents of the Northwest Territories. The Child Day Care Act and regulations establish standards of safety, health, program content and staff qualifications for child day care facilities and a system of inspecting and licensing to enforce these standards.
In late September, a first-ever Northwest Territories symposium called, Caring for Our Future, was held in Yellowknife for child day care providers and people concerned with child care from across the territories. It was well-attended, with 86 delegates participating. These people were from communities both with and without licensed child care facilities. This enabled broad consultation with virtually every community in the Northwest Territories.
The symposium was designed to serve a number of purposes. First and foremost, we wanted comments on the existing program and recommendations to develop a new program policy.
The symposium also furnished opportunities for professional development on topics identified by child day care providers.
These included, first aid by St. John Ambulance, cross-cultural program planning, self-esteem, family day homes, creative art ideas and storytelling. I was impressed with the enthusiasm, hard work and commitment demonstrated by all attending the symposium.
The policy development workshops addressed program philosophy and standards, culturally relevant training and programming, levels of funding and access to funding, attracting and retaining qualified staff, and partnerships.
Some of the recommendations from these workshops can and will be implemented immediately. These include, coordinating activities between day care centres and agencies such as public health and St. John Ambulance and the development and distribution of a child day care newsletter. Other recommendations will be considered in the development of a permanent child day care policy proposal for the Northwest Territories. These include, recommendations relating to eligibility and funding assistance for parents and day care facilities, as well as recommendations concerning training and standards.
Finally, there are recommendations that are long-term in nature, such as the construction of child day care facilities, which require careful thought and will be considered in the development of the department's strategic plan. I will table a copy of the summary of recommendations later today.
In addition to consulting on the program through the symposium, the department is currently reviewing the history and administration of the existing program. This review will give a detailed account of the patterns of program funding since 1989, and will help to confirm or identify problem areas in funding.
Analysis of recommendations from the policy workshops, as well as information from the program review, will be used to develop a new child day care policy for the Northwest Territories. Consultation with interest parties will continue throughout the policy development process.
Mr. Speaker, I had hoped to table a proposed child day care policy during this session. However, a thorough review of the program and public consultation is essential if we are going to develop a policy that meets the needs of Northwest Territories residents. The process is well under way, and I plan to have a new policy proposal finalized this winter, which will be ready to be tabled at the winter session of this Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause