Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in as much of any of the organizations I have just listed has information specific to youth and children, it will be included. It will be difficult to acquire information though, in the form that you can survey adults. You obviously cannot survey children. It will be hopeful that some of these organizations will have access to children and youth.

For example, the Stanton Regional Mental Health Clinic, I am sure the psychiatry unit would have statistics with respect to children and youth and how much that service is required here.

It is important to point out the department feels that we do not have accurate information on the number of people who are affected by psychiatric illness, their needs and what the service gaps are. Hopefully this information will be compiled and it will be very critical to the mental health system, reform and funding. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again, I would like to thank Mr. Lafferty for bringing this to our attention. As the Member knows, our business plans are in the works as we speak, trying to develop the best way to address the issue of addictions.

I agree with the Member. There are certain regions which do not have adequate services available, which could provide services in their own languages, without them having to travel so far from home. It could include a family component.

Mr. Speaker, there are funds that were one-time funding that was provided to the Department of Health and Social Services for special initiatives. Certainly, the two areas that we have heard from so far who are requesting such funding for addictions treatment are the Inuvik region and the North Slave region. We will be responding to those requests. Hopefully, there may even be some significant funds available to announce at some time in the future. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I do agree with the Member, that support from community and family is very important. I think we have learned from past experience that many times when individuals go for treatment and are in treatment for 35 days, or whatever the length of the course is, and then return to their communities, that there is a significant rate of returning to the former behaviour because the community and the family were not involved in the case. The aftercare was not there at the community level.

I think what we have seen is perhaps our efforts have not been as productive as they might have been had the community and the families been involved. Yes, we do endorse that here. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the Northwest Territories, we all owe a debt of gratitude to those couples and persons who volunteered to be foster parents to the children whose lives are in crisis. Many of these children have been removed from situations involving violence or substance abuse. For aboriginal children, the problem can be compounded by the placement with non-aboriginal foster parents. We realize the department has no choice, because of the shortage of aboriginal foster parents.

Can the Minister tell the House what her department is doing to increase the numbers of aboriginal foster parents in the Northwest Territories?

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The boards are responsible for the operation of foster care services in accordance with the Child and Family Services Act and regulations that are set out by the department. I know a number of jurisdictions have foster family associations who are actively involved in recruiting suitable foster homes for children, so in the event that children need to be apprehended, there are suitable homes in the community available for them.

One of the areas I would like to see more work done, and it is not only recruiting homes, but providing training and accreditation for various levels of care that children may need to receive in those homes. I do not know if specific initiatives are being undertaken to recruit homes at this time, but I could communicate with the boards and with the foster parent associations and find out what kinds of things they are doing.

It is a very difficult task. The payment for foster parent homes and providing that service, is currently $24 per day to accommodate, feed and care for a child. There are not a lot of people interested in getting involved in that line of work. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister has touched on an issue I would like to raise and that is the amount of money the department gives foster parents. This affects the ability of the department to attract aboriginal foster parents. What the department gives foster parents is not sufficient to meet the financial requirements of raising a child. In small communities, there are many parents that would make good foster parents. Unfortunately, they cannot afford to be foster parents. Can the Minister tell the House if the department has any plans to examine the rates paid to foster parents?

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is an area of not only rates but also, like I said, of training and support services to foster parents that I would like to look into.

I have heard from numerous foster parents since taking on this role, and it is easy to see that it does not take long when you are operating at a deficit in terms of caring for other peoples' children. It is a very important thing that we find homes. If we are going to take children away from their own parents, it is very important that we find suitable homes. I do not think $24 a day is going to attract people to do this job. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister has indicated that she did not know what the department is planning to do to increase the numbers for aboriginal foster parents. I would like to ask when would she know and when will she have a plan for foster parents? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All I can do is commit that I will take this up with the department after this Session is over. We will address the issue of compensation. We will address the issue of homes that are culturally suitable for children in care and we will address the issue of training of foster parents. I cannot tell the Member when I will be able to report back on that. Perhaps in the June session. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Final supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mrs. Groenewegen.