Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I spoke about the long-running Growing Together program in Hay River. It is a successful program that, unfortunately, is going to lose a significant amount of funding and, subsequently, will have to make programing cuts because ECE has re-profiled the funding pot that has been funding this organization for 22 years. I would like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment: since the department did fund these parenting programs for 22 years, is it still the position of the department that parenting programs like Growing Together are valuable and provide a vital service? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Most definitely. When we look at the results of our early development instruments, our EDI, it shows that children's vulnerabilities are increasing. The research shows that earlier intervention such as parenting supports will have a positive effect on that. I am totally on board with supporting as many parenting programs as we can. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
That is good to hear. Since the department is supportive of this notion, what pots of money are available to support parenting programs?
Through the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, the major pot of funding for parenting programs would be what is currently known as the Healthy Children Initiative monies that will be changing into the Supporting Child Inclusion and Participation. That is within Education, Culture and Employment. That is where our pots for parenting are. I should also say that Health and Social Services also has the Healthy Family Program that goes throughout the territories.
Now, you can see the problem. The pot of money that supports parenting programs is no longer going to support parenting programs. That is the only pot of money that there is. I understand the reasons why they want to re-profile this money; there are other areas that also need money. This is a proven program that needs to be supported. Right now, the way I understand it, going forward, only licensed childcare providers will be eligible for this pot of money.
Understanding that maybe there needs to be some tweaks to the Growing Together program so it fits in here a little better, can I get some assurance from the Minister that this funding won't be limited only to licensed daycare centres? Because there are some programs that just can't, by their very nature, fall into that system. Can I get some confirmation that, going forward, unlicensed programs like Growing Together will also be eligible for this funding?
It is not acceptable that we would limit this funding to only licensed daycare centres. If we had licensed daycare centres throughout the Northwest Territories, I might be more willing to go that route. However, we don't. We need to provide as much parenting support as possible. Within that funding, though, I do want to say that the funding stream isn't going to be open for everything. We do have some agencies that are using it for operational, et cetera, and not actually providing support to parents. The funding will be for one-on-one support or one-to-multiple-children, group support for parenting. It will also be the support training. It will also be for parent-and-tot education programing. Those would be the parameters around it.
Basically, it is going to be for parenting supports, training, or support one-on-one for children, because there may be other organizations that don't do the parenting. We need to make sure that parenting supports are there in each community, as many as possible. I can give my commitment in the House today that parenting supports, as long as they are having parenting for parents, will be supported.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister is giving me all the right answers today, and I appreciate it. This is the $1-million question. Well, it is not a $1-million question. I think this is probably a $50,000-a-year question. Can I assure the people over at Growing Together and all the parents and the children who rely on this service that, come April 1st, there won't be a reduction in their funding and that their programming can continue? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I want to thank the Member for clarifying because, if it was a $1-million question, I couldn't support that, of course, because I don't have $1 million to give to one parenting program. I will give a commitment that, although we may be changing the program, any program that is currently providing parenting support will actually be either getting the full amount through the Healthy Children Initiative or they will be supported in applying for the application for the new program called the Supporting Child Inclusion and Participation. Anyone that is providing parenting support to community members will have their funding as is. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
