Jackson Lafferty

This particular area consists of interdepartmental avenues with Health and Social Services and Housing and our Department of Education, Culture and Employment, through the income client service officers. So we continue to work together in that respect. There is a process in place where when inmates leave the facility, planning takes place to certain contacts in the communities. So we do what we can to provide those services from our departmental perspective.

Mr. Chairman, those are the types of discussions that we continuously are having within our department and also with the board chairs. Just a review of the K to 12 cost factor and the overall program review on how we distribute funds based on the enrolment. So, Mr. Chairman, we will continue to have our dialogue with the parties that we sponsor and if there needs to be changes, then those needs will be initiated. We will certainly get back to the standing committee if there is going to be some changes to the program, but currently, as it stands, we are following the enrolment funding formula...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Yes, the assessment the client service officers do provide to clientele is a variety. Not just on the financial aspects, but also on the individual’s needs. Whether it be providing them with more productive choices, if there’s such training opportunity for them, and so forth. It’s all based on the core needs of those individuals that are accessing assistance.

Mr. Chair, this inclusive schooling is general. It’s not student specific. It does cover a variety of areas, such as a speech pathologist or other special needs. Yes, this is part of the enrolment, the formula funding that we have initiated a few years back, and I did address this with my department on the decrease of that 0.5 percent, how it’s going to have an impact. So we currently are continuing to work with the school boards, the education councils, on specific to the inclusive schooling, because they’ll feel a minimal impact there, but how we can deal with the ongoing operations that we...

Give us a second, Mr. Chair.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. I have to my left, Mr. Dan Daniels, deputy minister; and, Paul Devitt, director of strategic business services. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair…(inaudible)…it’s been of great interest to us. When we start talking about the food basket and other areas of nutritious food delivery into the communities, to the schools, and this $400,000 was earmarked so we can identify what’s needed in the communities. As I stated earlier, Mr. Chair, the $400,000, the majority of it will be going to the community, it will be going to the organization so they can distribute it to the students that are without food or the breakfast program in the morning, because we did listen to the Assembly Members about no more studies. So we’re saying...

When we talk about the early childhood spaces, we do have some throughout the Northwest Territories. We have roughly... I have a number here of 1,800 as a number. But it does fluctuate, the population on these spaces that we have. But I can certainly provide that detailed information for the Member that we have on hand on the early childhood development programming and the needs of these individuals in the communities. That can be available to the Members.

Mr. Chair, one of the mechanisms would be, of course, we need to closely monitor the funding that’s been allocated and making sure that it is fully expended. There has been some improvement over the last several years with the schools. They have expended their funds to the best of their ability. Unfortunately, there are some funds that lapse. But those are areas that we’ve identified where we can improve. My deputy will be meeting with the staff to deal with the matter at hand because this is of importance to us. It’s a very serious issue. Mr. Chair, we will continue to monitor as part of our...

Yes, Mr. Chair.