Debates of June 6, 2006 (day 6)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my last round of oral questions, I heard the Minister of ECE reference that there was some old federal commitments for cash for childcare. I am wondering if the Minister could elaborate on that and let me know exactly how much cash we are talking about here. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 70-15(5): Funding Support For Day Care

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The amount of money we are proposing to include in the supplementary appropriation is based on the contribution we got from the federal government last year and that is some $940,000. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 70-15(5): Funding Support For Day Care

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like the Minister to provide a breakdown of how that $940,000 is going to be spent on childcare initiatives. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 70-15(5): Funding Support For Day Care

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department is proposing that we put $200,000 of that money into the Language Nest Program. That program was started as a three-year pilot project and when we brought it forward three years ago, we proposed that the funding would decrease over time because we believed that the operators would find economies of scale and there wouldn’t need to be as much training each year and the cost would go down. As it’s turned out, almost all of the operators are using the funding to pay salaries. So the reduction, which is about $200,000 this year, is something that would impact on the delivery of the program. So we are proposing for this year to put $200,000 of that money into the program to bring it up to its former level.

We are proposing that there be a $500,000 program of grants to existing operators to help them with minor capital, whether that’s safety improvements or for toys or other needs for the programs to help them improve the program delivery. We are going to take $240,000 and use that for training for operators of licensed day care operations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 70-15(5): Funding Support For Day Care

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the $940,000, I didn’t hear the Minister say there was any money going to try to open up additional day care spaces. What is the plan to try to get some additional day care spaces? I think we have an opportunity with the $940,000 to at least get a program off the ground or establish some type of program to get more spaces. People need day care spaces and I think it’s incumbent upon the government and Minister to come up with a plan to address that need. How are we going to get more day care spaces? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Time for question period has expired; however, I will allow the Minister to answer the supplementary. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 70-15(5): Funding Support For Day Care

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, first thing we have to do is make sure the existing day care operators are well supported. We know a lot of them are struggling, so we think the first thing we have to do with this money, since it’s one-time money, we can’t count on it being ongoing, in fact, we know for sure it won’t be ongoing money, we were looking for opportunities to help existing day care operators to better survive. If we create new day care spaces without having resolved the ongoing operations concerns, that isn’t helpful in the long run. The Member is right; we need to look for ways to improve how we can get more day cares in operation. One of the things we are hoping to do is, through the money that’s coming from the federal government, the $100 a month, we expect that that can be turned into fees. We are hoping to increase what we provide for user subsidies, that on top of what we provide now for operator subsidies, start-up grants. We think at that point we will have a program that will be sustainable and will lead to more spaces in all of our communities, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 70-15(5): Funding Support For Day Care

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I agree with the Minister that it’s important to shore up the day cares that we do have and I know the Minister has heard me stand up in the House in February and again today talking about inequities that exist between operators, some are in government-owned facilities and some aren’t. I would like to ask the Minister, of the $500,000 that he has suggested will go to grants to assist operators, is some of that money going to be earmarked for operators here in Yellowknife to level that playing field that I talked about earlier? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 70-15(5): Funding Support For Day Care

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The money is proposed to be allocated on a regional basis. So, yes, there will be some money available for operators in Yellowknife. We believe that this money will help the operators. If they are facing a financial challenge, for whatever reason, this money will be available to them to defray other expenses that they would otherwise have to take out of their operation. So, yes, we think that this money will help the operators in Yellowknife. Thanks.