Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, I'll pass to the deputy minister in a moment here to provide more information on regional staffing. But these staff are to support our early learning and childcare system users across the territory, so people setting up day homes or people setting up childcare facilities. And through yourself, Mr. Chair, if you're comfortable, I'd like to pass it to the deputy minister.
I'll go to the deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And those -- the need for those positions is based on the workload that they're responsible for, so not having the details in front of me that would be the basis for it being a part-time versus a full-time position. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from the Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. How many communities does this program service? Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Sorry, Mr. Speaker. Can the Member please repeat the question.
Thank you. I'll go back to the Member from the Deh Cho.
How many -- thank you, Mr. Chair. How many of the communities in the Deh Cho does this program service? Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, can I pass to the deputy minister, please.
Thank you. I'll go to the deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the position serves all of the communities in the Deh Cho, but the workload is based on how many early learning childcare centres or the demand on that position, so what that might be telling us is that we need more early learning childcare centres in the Deh Cho, if I can put it that way.
And, Mr. Chair, if I might add (audio).
Sorry. The Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. These regional allocations, of course, are based on the regions as the GNWT does and not our electoral boundary regions. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Deh Cho.
Thank you. So there's quite a bit of communities in the Deh Cho if you look at the whole Deh Cho as Nahendeh and the Deh Cho together. For half-time position for all of those communities, it must be -- it really must be a lot of work for this part-time individual. So the question is if you were to add another position in there, hypothetically, would it be -- can the person -- well, right now because people -- everybody is centered in Fort Simpson, and I would like to have some jobs put in the communities in my riding in the Deh Cho riding, not so much the whole of the Deh Cho but is there a possibility for that to happen if should there be another position put in place? Thank you.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, as like with every department, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment also adheres to the remote work policy and if there was an opportunity to staff a position and it could be done from another place, then the department would certainly consider it.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from the Deh Cho.
Nothing further, Mr. Chair. Thank you.
Okay. Thank you. Any questions from Members? I'm going to go to the Member from Monfwi.
We know that early learning is very important in -- especially in small communities because the education outcome is really poor. It's not good. It's not good compared to the larger regional centres. So I see here for 2023 to current, there's a huge jump for grants and contributions. If the Minister can explain why there's a huge increase.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, those are tied to our Canada-NWT Canada-wide early learning and childcare agreements, and both the childcare agreement that handles wage subsidy and operations costs and also the one for the infrastructure funding, and those dollars flow directly from education, culture and employment into day homes or childcare centre providers. So those are the grants and contributions that are happening as directly to the childcare providers.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Monfwi.
I know that in the regional centre they have -- you know, like, listening to my colleagues, there's a lot of issues with early learning and childcare, especially childcare, you know. I, you know, listening to them, there's a major issue. So how much of this are being spent in the regions? Like, for example, the region I represent and there's the Deh Cho, Sahtu, and Delta, because we've all been saying that, you know, education outcome is not really that good and then early learning is really important. Is there a breakdown somewhere in the budget where how much of that money is being spent to the region? Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, any licensed operator of an early learning or childcare facility, whether it's a day home or a daycare, would have access to this funding. And I should say this, the grants and contributions also does include the $3.5 million that was negotiated by Regular Members in the fall, and so that money is included in there as well. I have -- I don't have a breakdown that would tell me exactly what portion of that is going to Tlicho on hand with me here today but can say that, you know, anywhere where there's a licensed childcare provider, they're receiving funding from this pocket. Thank you.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Monfwi.
Similar to what my colleague said about the Deh Cho and Sahtu, they have position for the active positions, and there's nothing here shown for Tlicho. Is it because of the agreement between GNWT and Tlicho government with regarding staffing?
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the individual who would be my subject matter expert on that one is waiting in the dark little room to my right.
Can I ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to switch the witnesses from the dark room.
Thank you. Thank you for switching out the witness. And I'm sorry for keeping you in the dark. I'd like to go to the ADM.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, and as the ADM was coming into the room, she did mention to me that those staff are housed in the North Slave office. So that would be here in Yellowknife.
Okay, thank you. I'll go to the Member from Monfwi.
Is there any plan in the future, maybe within this, to transfer any of those positions to Tlicho region? Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this point there's no specific plan to move staff around to regions. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Monfwi.
Well, thank you, that's good to know. But you know and I know and the ADM does know about the education outcome in small communities, and especially in Tlicho region, you know, and we've been saying that, and the early learning is very important. So it would be nice in the future to see if we can have one of -- or a position from North Slave region be transferred to Tlicho region. Yeah, but here you identify regional allocations and Tlicho region, you identify Tlicho region so it would be nice if we can have one of the -- this position transferred to Tlicho region. Or if not, give the position to Tlicho government because they are dealing with early learning and childcare too as well. That's more of a comment, so it's up to her.
Okay, thank you. I'll go to the Minister to her comment.
I absolutely heard the Member and very much appreciate her comment.
Okay, thank you. Any further questions? Okay, I'm going to go back to the Member from Monfwi.
Okay. So if you agree with me, then hopefully next fiscal year we will see one of these North Slave region -- North Slave positions transferred to Tlicho region, in the near future, within the lifetime of this 20th Assembly. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, as I said, appreciate the Member's comment. As far as staffing that's not something that we, as Ministers, you know, ask for that to be moved around, but certainly the deputy minister and the assistant deputy minister are here as well. The positions do work to serve multiple communities. There are three early childhood consultants in Yellowknife, and they are responsible for visiting Tlicho communities and my understanding is they do visit frequently. And these are staff who help set up daycares, help set up day homes, and I understand through conversations with the Member, even in our last Assembly about the childcare facility that is in Behchoko, that is very well used by members of the community, and the Member does speak very highly of that facility.
Okay, thank you. Is there any further questions from Monfwi?
I'm sure my colleague over here from traditional use Nedhe-Wiilideh would probably see -- like to see one of those positions in his riding, and I would like to see one in my riding, and then I think there's only, like, Yellowknife. Yellowknife is supposed to be a headquarter. But I would like to see one of those positions, and I'm sure he would like to see one in his riding as well, so. And, you know, I mean, this is a really important for early learning, especially for children in JK. We will benefit. Our students will benefit from it. So that's why I'm just asking that. I think we need -- I would like to see those positions transferred to outside of Yellowknife. Thank you.
