Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In follow-up to my Member’s statement today, I have a couple of questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services.
The issue of child and family services is something that has been much discussed in this House. The previous Assembly did a very in-depth consultation in this topic and now the Auditor General’s report has been reported on. There is one area that I particularly wanted to zero in on today. We know that families do, from time to time, suffer from extreme challenges and from crisis, and where there are children involved, sometimes it requires an intervention or outside support.
It would be the natural thing for close family members to be aware of these situations and to step up to the plate. However, in reality this may put stress on that family that’s helping, those grandparents, aunts and uncles, may put financial stress on them.
I’d like to ask the Minister if the department has ever contemplated support for direct family members than is less invasive than having to apprehend children, putting children through the trauma of that, but finding a way to support those
related family members who could, at a time of crises or challenge, step in and help family members. Has the department contemplated that being done on a collaborative basis and seeing some remuneration available to those family members? Thank you.