Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. At this time, I would like to recognize Morris and Marie Lafferty, both my parents are here.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize all the employees and concerned citizens that are in the gallery today with regard to the Territorial Treatment Centre issue, and three constituents I'd like to point out: Pat Doe and Pat and Carmel Sullivan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can't see everybody from where I'm sitting, but I understand one of the groups in the gallery is my constituent Laura Johns, and everyone else from Territorial Treatment Centre. I'd like to welcome them to the gallery. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To my knowledge, I don't have a constituent in the gallery, but I will recognize...

---Laughter

...Charmaine McLeod, I believe that's Charles Dent's constituent, of the affected Territorial Treatment Centre that we've been talking about here earlier today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize three constituents: Leanne Liske, Anita Metcalfe, and Jim Lynn from Detah. I'd also like to recognize all of the Territorial Treatment Centre people, and the other parents who are here. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to acknowledge and recognize everyone who's visiting us today from the Territorial Treatment Centre, especially my constituents Stephen Norn, and, Mr. Speaker, a very honoured former Member of the NWT Legislative Assembly, Lena Pedersen. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. I would also like to welcome everyone in the gallery today. If we've missed anybody there, welcome to the gallery. It's always nice to have an audience. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are directed to the Minister of Health and Social Services, and it's with regard to National Foster Family Week, which is being recognized this week. Mr. Speaker. From time to time, children in our society require the temporary care of people who are not necessarily their family or their parents, and we rely on the services of families who will take these children into their home and look after them as if they were their own. Mr. Speaker, as the Minister knows, I was personally involved in an endeavour which saw me taking children into my home for a couple of years. Most of you probably can't imagine me with 10 children in tow, but that happened a lot, nine of them teenagers. For a couple of years, that was the case.

---Applause

I have to say that I found it to be one of the most challenging but most rewarding things that I've ever done in my variety of careers. But one of the obstacles, as I see it, to encouraging more families to opening their homes, is the remuneration that foster families receive for caring for these children. I understand right now the rate may be in the neighbourhood of $25 a day, but I was wondering if the Minister could confirm the rate for me. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the range of foster care rates goes from about $24 a day up to as high as $118 a day, depending on the individual child. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Then that being the case, I would say that the minimum rate of $24 a day for a child that wouldn't have any special needs or special medial needs has been in place for quite some time now. When's the last time that these rates were reviewed? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in point of fact, they're under review as we speak, and I expect to have that document available for my consideration by the end of December to address a number of issues, one of them being the adequacy. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm sure that the people who undertake this labour of love are not in it for the money, however, I think it shows respect to them, and to the care of the children, that people be adequately remunerated. When Mr. Miltenberger looks at the rates being paid for foster parents, will that incorporate recognition of training which may be available to foster parents through different associations? Would that be recognized in the type of child they could take in, and the pay that they would receive for that care? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the review of the rates will deal mainly with the cost and the per diem rates, but we're also doing, as I indicated in my statement earlier today, a review of practice standards and requirements, and in that component of the review, there will be closer attention

paid to the criteria and the training requirements, as well, of foster parents. Thank you.