Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues, for your indulgence this afternoon. I just had a couple of other questions I need to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services.
I know she spoke earlier of the CHRs providing this necessary service at the community level. I want to ask the Minister what level of training and expertise the CHRs have in inspecting the installation of car seats for children. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding is that these community health representatives distribute car seats. They know how these car seats are used; they work with parents on how to use car seats safely. We are already doing that work. It’s part of what they do with parents and young moms. I would be happy to look into the further details of the program, but that’s the information I have now.
Do these CHRs at the community level have any training to look at the safe installation of car seats for children?
The CHRs have been distributing car seats to families. They have distributed 125 car seats all across the Territories. My information is that they know how those car seats work, and they teach the parents how they work. They are qualified to provide this. If there’s a need for Yellowknife, I am willing to look at helping Yellowknife social services authorities see if we could have similar programming.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s one thing to be handing out car seats to people; it’s another thing to make sure that they’re installed properly and functioning properly and that the children are being transported in a safe fashion.
I don’t think the Minister answered, and I’ll ask it again. Have the CHRs themselves received training in the safe installation of car seats for children in the Territories?
Mr. Speaker, even the proposal that’s being put forward about this person who was to provide the training…. There is no unanimity, no agreement, on what exactly an adequate program is.
The department has reviewed the proposal, and we feel that the proposal is not the one that we need to accept at this time. If the Member wishes, I would be happy to look into seeing how we deliver these safety programs in our communities, and I would be happy to get back to the Member on the details of the programs that our CHRs provide. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
