Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I described the revealing back-story that gave rise to a recent CBC request for daycare inspection reports. Instead of seizing the opportunity to demonstrate compliance with the law, the department put a hefty price tag on that information that is freely and publicly available in many other jurisdictions. My questions today are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
In 2010, in response to the Auditor General’s criticism on daycare inspections, the department said it was short on staff. Can the Minister indicate what has the department done to address the staff shortage since 2010? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Since the Auditor General’s recommendations came out, we have done a considerable amount of work following through with those recommendations. Within my department we have increased the number of regional early childhood consultants to better serve the smaller communities. Not only that but we also created and hired a territorial inspection coordinator. Those are just some of the key aspects of how we remedied the situation at hand. Mahsi.
Can the Minister indicate what significant improvements have been made in daycare facilities since the Auditor General’s unsatisfactory grade in 2012? Thank you.
As I stated earlier, we have made significant improvements within my department on those recommendations that were brought to my attention. As a department,we are in compliance at all levels, and all annual inspections are completed in all licenced daycares and also all the day homes in the Northwest Territories. Those are front and foremost importance for my department to follow through with all the inspections that are happening. It’s in place, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
My question is to what significant improvements were there. We still didn’t hear what they were. Can the Minister clearly assure the public, does the department have corrective actions and plans for daycare facilities which were found to have blocked fire exits, uncovered electrical outlets and chemicals within reach of small children? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
HON. JACKSON LAFFERTY: All these inspections are completed, and if there were any deficiencies found during the inspections, they were followed through with by regional early childhood consultants who are in regular contact with the contractors and also in communication with the licenced operators.
We’re doing what we can to work with the operators so there’s a safe environment for our children in care, and also my department is working very closely with the regional health inspectors, as well, and not only that but the fire inspectors ensure compliance with all the regional centres and the community centres as well. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. “Doing what we can” seems to be a common response these days. The governments of Alberta, Quebec, Ontario and Nova Scotia provide online links to daycare inspection status reports or the reports themselves. Clearly, ATIPP is not a barrier to this transparency.
But to the question, will this Minister follow suit and make daycare inspection reports freely and publicly available? Thank you.
Since that information came to light in my department, we have been working very closely on ways to share relevant inspection information in a format that allows parents to make informed decisions on child care while, at the same time, protecting the privacy of child care staff. My department is also committed to making inspection information available to the public, and this will be available starting 2015-16. We’re making improvements within our department and we’re moving forward on that. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
