Mr. Speaker, Return to Written Question 5-13(4), asked by Mrs. Groenewegen to the Minister of Health and Social Services concerning the identification of initiatives dealing with FAS/FAE and attention deficit disorders.Identification of Initiatives Dealing with FAS/FAE and Attention Deficit Disorders
The Department of Education, Culture & Employment and the Department of Health and Social Services are aware of the diverse needs of children in the Northwest Territories.
Specific initiatives presently undertaken by both departments to provide supports to children with FAS/FAE and Attention Deficit Disorders include:
- Assisting various communities in the development of project proposals which incorporate a FAS/FAE prevention component. Funding for these initiatives is being assessed through community wellness resources, such as Brighter Futures and Aboriginal Head Start.
- Assisting various communities to make contact with existing FAS/FAE projects in other regions of Canada. Materials and other supports are being shared with NWT community-based projects.
- Both departments are providing support to the Yellowknife Association for Community Living. The Association has an advisory group made up of concerned citizens and representatives from various agencies. It is developing strategies to address FAS/FAE concerns and providing coordinated support to families.
- Both departments are providing support for the development of a public information video related to FAS/FAE, in co-operation with the Yellowknife Association for Community Living and for the development of a best practices support document for teachers. Both the video and the support document will be shared with our partners in the social Envelope.
Other initiatives presently supported by both departments in providing supports to children who may be at risk or children who are already experiencing developmental delays include:
- The Department of Education, Culture & Employment and the Ministers of Education in the Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan are working together to share resources that provide support and raise awareness for teachers and students.
- Educational programs about lifestyle choices also serve to raise awareness. The revised NWT Health curriculum includes a section on alcohol and Drugs for Grades 7-9, as does the Career and Life Management course offered in senior secondary Schools.
- Schools work with their School-Community counsellors, program support teachers, and community agencies in an integrated approach. As part of their training School-Community counsellors have learned strategies for dealing with a diversity of student needs.
- In NWT early childhood programs, the child care user subsidy may pay the fees for licensed developmental care for children that are identified by a health care professional as being at risk. Children in several communities benefit from this support. Licensed child care providers receive enhanced operations funding for children at risk for developmental delays.
Both departments have recently developed an Early Childhood Intervention Framework entitled The Healthy Children Initiative. This initiative refers to support for children from 0 - 6 years, and their families, who are at risk for or who are already experiencing developmental delays.
The Framework will provide direction for early childhood intervention programs by adopting a preventative and health promotion approach to programs and services which will address the needs of all preschoolers, some of whom may exhibit tendencies typical of FAS/FAE and Attention Deficit Disorders.
Upon approval of the initiative, funding will be directed towards community level programs and services. The Healthy Children Initiative may include parenting programs, home based support services, therapeutic services or enhance existing early childhood programs. Funding for these initiatives will begin in April 1997.