Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last October there was a lot of talk about respite services in the Northwest Territories. We had a gallery full of people who were very concerned about the future of the YACL and their delivery of respite services.
As a result of that -- I believe that the Minister and her department actually heard what the people had to say -- the Minister is moving forward with the development of a comprehensive territory-wide respite program, which I think is fantastic. To that end, the department is holding regional respite care focus groups over the next couple of months, through February, that are going to involve the department and stakeholders and NGOs and people that have children that are in respite. I think that’s a great approach and I hope that information is going to be used in the development of this territory-wide respite program.
I do have one concern and that is the current program in Yellowknife. The development of a respite program is not going to be done by the end of March. We’re still going to need respite services while that program is being developed. I understand that the Minister has been in touch with the families in Yellowknife, as it gave them some assurances that they would continue to receive respite services over the 2011-2012 fiscal year as the department moves forward with the development of this comprehensive respite program. I think that’s great. The families needed to hear that. They needed to know that there’s some certainty there. But I don’t know fully what that certainty means. Later today I will be asking the Minister some questions on what that means for the 2011-12 fiscal year. Does it mean that those 29 families in Yellowknife can expect to receive respite services from the Yellowknife Association for Community Living?
The Yellowknife Association for Community Living has been successful. They have demonstrated that they can provide high quality respite services. Until we do have a territorial respite program, which may change how we deliver respite throughout the Northwest Territories, can we get some assurances that YACL will continue to provide during the 2011-12 fiscal year?
Just for the record, in the development of a comprehensive territorial respite program, my thoughts are we need a program that is flexible, that will address the realities that communities, towns and cities are different and our delivery mechanisms are going to need to be different in those communities. So as the Minister moves forward, my plug is for, obviously, an incredibly flexible program that meets the needs of our residents regardless of where they live and one program does not fit all. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
