Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe that this is Foster Family Awareness Week and I would like to use my Member’s statement today to recognize foster families in the Northwest Territories.

Ideally every child would be raised in their own home by their own parent or parents in a safe, secure and nurturing environment, but, Mr. Speaker, we know that circumstances in life do not always allow that to happen. In those situations, Mr. Speaker, it’s very important that we have parents and families that will come forward and take children into their home and treat them and raise them as if they are their own. Mr. Speaker, without

this resource, we as a government would be very hard pressed to provide a solution or a suitable alternative to these homes that these children are able to be placed in.

Mr. Speaker, I know firsthand the rewards and challenges of fostering and I would like to, today, extend a heartfelt thank you to the homes, to the parents, to the families who open their hearts to children who need temporary families, whether it be for a short time or a long time, and for this really working together as partners with us as a government to ensure these children are taken care of. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.