Mr. Speaker, the foundation for learning and for developing life skills is built during early childhood years. Research has shown that children who participate in quality preschool programs perform better in school, and later on show greater productivity in the workplace and have greater earning potential. Early childhood programming results in a notable improvement in the development of language and thinking skills, as well as reading and mathematics. It is clear that early intervention with high-risk infants and young children is critical in the prevention of serious problems in later life.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring this Assembly up to date on work my department is carrying out in early childhood programming and early intervention.
The term "early intervention" generally refers to support for children from birth to six years of age who are at risk for, or are experiencing, delays in their development caused by social, emotional and/or environmental factors. Intervention can range from family education and support services to specially-designed child development programs.
The goal of early intervention is to enable children to be born healthy and reach their full potential through a variety of wellness programs.
Early intervention services are currently offered through a number of territorial and federal departments. However, there is need for better integration of services and a closer working relationship of all partners to make our resources go as far as possible.
Mr. Speaker, quality child care plays an essential role in ensuring children have the opportunity to develop to their full potential. The early childhood program supports quality child care in the NWT by licensing facilities, by offering training sessions for child care operators, supporting certificate or diploma programs at the public colleges, lending resources and providing written information to child care operators and publishing a newsletter.
One role of the early childhood program is to administer the user subsidy, which helps parents complete their education or training, and participate in the labour force. The subsidy also provides access to child development programming for children who specifically need it.
I am pleased to inform this Assembly that over the past fiscal year, the administration of the user subsidy has been decentralized to Education, Culture and Employment's regional offices. Each regional office has identified how to administer the subsidy in a way that best suits the needs of people in the region. The decentralization has resulted in a number of benefits, including better client service and better communication with clients. It has also improved controls and the accountability of the program.
Mr. Speaker, quality early childhood services play an important role in helping children develop the skills they need to succeed in school, in advanced education and in the workplace. I am pleased that the decentralization of the user subsidy has resulted in better service to parents. I look forward to improvements in early intervention services as the work of the social envelope progresses. Thank you.