Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chairman, I move that this committee defer further consideration of the estimates for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, committee would like to consider Tabled Document 63-18(3), Main Estimates 2018-2019, starting with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, followed by the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Something that appears to go well with mobile treatment is on-the-land treatment. I would like to ask the Minister if there are opportunities or if there are some initiatives where the departments working with the communities provide on-the-land treatment near the communities or just outside of some of the communities that we have where there are cultural camps and so on near the communities?

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I speak today about the passing of Elder Violet H. Beaulieu of Fort Resolution. Violet was raised in a mission school, where she lived until she married Jonas on January 12, 1953. Violet was a very loving, dedicated woman who raised a family of nine. She also was involved in various community-focused and youth-oriented initiatives, and she worked on both committees and councils in Fort Resolution.

Violet was born in Old Fort Rae on April 5, 1932, and, sadly, passed away on October 20, 2017, at age 85. Violet was a very healthy elder, but, unfortunately, she...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Chair of Committee of the Whole leave his chair and report progress. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I think the system has improved a lot. I agree. I would like to ask the Minister if there could be something more active. By that I mean: I know that we are talking about the same people who are losing their children to the foster care system or the children are being apprehended, are using the health system more than the average individuals of the same age group who are in the correction facilities and so on. An active, integrated case-management process for individual families that have children who are apprehended, I am wondering if the Minister could just talk a little bit about that to...

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement, I talked about Child and Family Services. I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services questions on that. I would like to ask the Minister if there is a way that he could obtain income information on families with children in care or the families of children who have been apprehended. Thank you.

That being said, I also recognize the value of what foster homes provide and the outstanding service that dedicated foster parents provide as well. It is not to say that we do not need foster homes as they can provide a positive aspect in child development. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to speak about the Child and Family Services of the NWT as it relates to child apprehensions and foster care. Mr. Speaker, statistics today indicate that across Canada there are more Indigenous children in foster care than there were in residential school at the height of residential school admissions.

Mr. Speaker, half of the NWT's population is Aboriginal; however, over 90 per cent of the children in care are Indigenous. It is my belief that families where children were apprehended are families who are usually living in poverty. Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister for that. Financial support, I think, is something that the families need. It appears as though, when individuals are on income support or if they are having trouble with the justice system, that is not quite enough money to be able to provide all of the things you need to provide for children. At the end of the day, one thing leads to another. I don't think it is coincidental that the poorest people are the ones who have their children apprehended. That is not always the case, but that is often the case. I am wondering if...