Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about daycare programs in Lutselk’e and Fort Resolution. Mr. Speaker, we know how important it is for preschool children and those from K to 6 to have a positive nurturing environment to grow up in. The Tinkers and Tots program in Lutselk’e and Little Darlings Daycare in Fort Resolution provide this atmosphere for the children. Mr. Speaker, these programs are doing a great service in each of these communities. These programs are operating on minimum funding but yet it is still providing a fun, structured, positive environment for the children.
The principal of Lutselk’e told me about the amazing success story of the kindergarten class. She says the credit for those students to come into kindergarten with necessary language and social skills at a level necessary to learn in kindergarten is a credit to the work being done at Tinkers and Tots. The staff at the Little Darlings Daycare program is also doing a tremendous job in Fort Resolution, where there is limited annual funding for the staff and on many occasions they are working nine hours a day without overtime to provide a healthy, positive environment for the children.
Mr. Speaker, I have spoken many times in this House about the social, economic, even health challenges that plague many of our smaller communities. A long-term solution is to provide adequate supports and resources to those small communities to the daycares today. Mr. Speaker, we cannot afford to have these daycare programs fail. Just yesterday, I spoke about the problems of school absenteeism in these smaller communities. A well-run daycare program directly addresses this problem.
Mr. Speaker, the staff in Tinkers and Tots and Little Darlings programs and many residents in Lutselk’e and Fort Resolution are dedicated and committed to providing a positive, healthy and rich learning environment for these children.
Mr. Speaker, later on today I will have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
