Debates of March 10, 2009 (day 26)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to follow up as well on Mr. Bromley’s questions and some of the questions asked by Mr. Hawkins relative to funding for daycares in the NWT. I’ll go back. I spoke to this issue at least a year ago, I think. At that time, the Minister indicated that there was some possibility to look at different possibilities of funding for daycares. I’d like to ask the Minister now, and I apologize if it’s already been answered, but what is the basis for the funding that daycares currently get? He mentioned that they’re funded for O and M, that they’re funded for staffing, et cetera, but on what is that based? Is it per child or is that a lump sum payment contribution?

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. There are different pots of funding that we provide to daycare establishments, whether it be for profit or not-for-profit organization. I can certainly share that information with the Members on the criteria of the funding. I don’t have that information with me right now, but I can certainly provide the detailed information on the program, the criteria, the funding distribution to the organizations.

When I spoke to this issue last, I asked the Minister if there was a possibility to look at a different funding model. At that time I asked the Minister whether or not it was possible to look at a model similar to the way that we fund our schools, where schools are funded based on the population from the year previous. I’d like to ask the Minister, since I seem to remember at that time that he said they were going to look at that, whether or not any changes have been made to the way that daycares are funded in the last 12 or 13 months.

I did highlight the additional funding that’s included to provide for base rent and mortgage expenses. That’s new programming dollars that we’ve offered to the daycare establishments. I would reiterate that we are continuing to work with FMB to work with NGOs in the communities because we need to continue working with them in this respect. The Member has talked about similar funding or contributions we provide to the schools based on enrolment. Those are the types of discussions that we’re having currently with FMB. Although it’s taken some time, we want to have a good model that we can certainly continue to live with.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the answer from the Minister that they’re looking at this. I guess it goes to the question which I think Mr. Hawkins asked, but I didn’t really hear an answer. If the Minister is looking at alternative models, when might we be able to see some sort of proposal? If they’ve been working on these models since 13 months ago, is it going to take another 13 months before we get a proposal?

Certainly, as I stated, we are discussing this with various departments and within our own department and other departments as well, that we’re expecting to see some results based that we can certainly share with the standing committee after session. Probably, we’re hoping that before next session or springtime, or even at the earliest the summer, that we can certainly have a draft documentation saying that this is what we can probably pursue with and then share that with Members of the standing committee.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. Summer, I guess if that’s what it is, that’s what it is. I wonder if the Minister could advise how much of a priority this change in funding model is for the department. I would appreciate an answer on that. I would also like to know, if it is a priority for the department, how many staff are working on this particular change to the funding for daycares.

We do have dedicated staff within the department that we have specifically for early childhood. Dealing with the daycares, whether they meet the funding criteria that’s based on, the contribution agreement, we need to relook at the whole mechanism for a number of past years and where we are today. How can we move forward on how we can improve in those areas? Certainly we don’t want to see any disruption in the operation of a daycare establishment in the Northwest Territories. We will continue to discuss the various models that we can certainly deliver. We’ll do that and provide that information to the standing committees on a going-forward basis.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The time for oral questions has expired. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bob McLeod.,

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to item 3, Members’ statements.

---Unanimous consent granted

Item 3, Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bob McLeod.