Mr. Chairman, as the Member knows, that suggestion is one of a number of proposals that have been given to me that are
under consideration. We are analyzing them and we will get back to members in committee on how and what options we have to make those happen. I am going to have to answer that in that way.
I do want to add a couple of things. The Member is right that the current legislation allows us to have children and family services committees. It is actually one of the pioneering and hallmark of this legislation that is different than many other legislations across the country. I was not aware, actually, as a Regular Member, that there was no funding that went with that. I think when we look at like committees, say there are other community justice committees, for example, I think there are budgets attached to that, but we’ve never had a budget attached to children and family service committees.
Regardless, the department has worked over the last couple of years to get these committees going. We’ve done it by contacting and communicating to community leadership, community governments, and it has been difficult. We have tried, it’s due to lack of capacity, but also we do need to have money to expense those to be able to consider paying per diems, or organizing money, setting up. So it will require some investments. So I take Member’s requests, I reiterate that it’s one of the things that the committee has asked me to look into and we are analyzing those and we will get back to the Member. Thank you.