Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I today, too, want to comment on the government’s response to the Child and Family Services Act review report. On first reading of those responses, I was disappointed. Although the majority of recommendations are accepted, they are not accepted unconditionally. To paraphrase Mr. Bromley, those responses indicate, yup, we agree, but can’t do anything because there is no money; and yup, we agree, but there is no change required.
The government’s response was determined by examining each recommendation in light of two criteria. One, will it improve service delivery and make a difference to children, family and youth? Two, will it strengthen community and stakeholder confidence in the system? After using these criteria, several extremely important concepts reflected in the Child and Family Services Act review report’s recommendations have been ignored by the government or they have chosen not to act on them.
Firstly, the principle of prevention and early intervention is basic and crucial to improving child and family services in the NWT. Yet the government’s response to that recommendation is do not accept. I am unable to understand how this
principle fails the test of the criteria I already mentioned.
Secondly, the concept of having child and family service committees in our communities is also basic and crucial to improving the implementation of the Child and Family Services Act, but a recommendation to actively pursue establishment of these committees is accepted only if and when money is available. The department did not indicate any willingness to begin work on establishing these community committees in the 2011-12 fiscal year. What value accrues to our child welfare system if we wait 15 months until the start of the 2012-13 year? I say none.
Lastly, most of the committee’s recommendations to make amendments to the act are rejected by the government. Committee suggested the amendments because we felt certain aspects of the child and family services system needed to be mandated, not just implied or allowed. The changes to the system are important enough that the act must require them, not just say they can be done.
Mr. Speaker, I’ve got many other specific concerns with the government response but not the time to speak to them. The CFSA review report was a good one and the recommendations properly implemented can have significant impact on the NWT child and family services system. I hope the government will reconsider its approach to our recommendations and implement some of them in the upcoming budget year, not leave them all for the next Assembly. Thank you.