Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in honour of National Foster Family Week, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the enormous contributions of foster families toward the healthy growth and development of our most precious resource: our children and youth.

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Foster families are an important part of the system of services that care for our children. Their work goes beyond providing children with food and shelter. These families give children a safe and nurturing home environment while also caring for their educational, medical and developmental needs.

Today's foster parent is a key member of a team of people dedicated to helping children and youth. Working with child protection workers, mental health professionals, teachers and the community as a whole, foster parents provide children and youth with a safe and healthy environment designed to meet their health, developmental, emotional, cultural and spiritual needs.

The NWT has a proud and committed group of foster families who open their hearts and homes to children and youth. Last year, there were approximately 450 foster homes in the Northwest Territories. This includes approximately 190 regular foster homes, 170 extended family foster homes, and 90 provisional foster homes. These homes provided much needed services to 1,035 children during the course of the year.

However, Mr. Speaker, we continue to need more foster families in our communities. Having enough homes is crucial to matching children and youth with families based on the child's needs and cultural identity. We need to recruit new families, as there are still some children who need a caring and supportive home environment.

In an effort to continually improve the system, and to improve the ability to recruit and retain qualified foster care homes, the Department of Health and Social Services, in consultation with the regional authority directors of social programs, will be conducting two major reviews in the upcoming months. An in-depth review of the current foster care and adoption practice standards will be completed by March 2006. As well, review and recommendations with respect to standardization of foster care rates will be completed by December 2005.

On behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories, I wish to thank all the foster families in the NWT for their continued support, strength and, most importantly, willingness to care for the children and youth. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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