Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last year the honourable colleagues on the Standing Committee on Social Development released Lifting NWT Children, Youth and Families: An AllTerritory Approach to Keeping Families Together wherein in the committee makes 19 recommendations. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to ask the Minister of health the following question:
The committee's first recommendation calls for a wholeofgovernment approach to child and family services. What concrete steps, for example policies and instruments, legislation, intergovernmental MOUs, has the Minister taken to this approach? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Tu NedheWiilideh. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. We responded to the standing committee's report on October 13th last year. And just to recap briefly, we thanked the committee for their research, recommendations, and engagement. We think that they are positive and will contribute to the wellbeing of children and youth in our territory. We responded to each recommendation separately. In some cases we were able to act on them in our next quality improvement plan, which will be tabled in the August 2023 session. Other recommendations require funding and so they would go into the business planning process.
And it's worth noting as well, Mr. Speaker, that the department has been reporting and will continue to report annually on the progress of each of the committee's recommendations on system improvement. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister provide this House today with an accurate update on number of children in the temporary, permanent, and foster care system in the NWT. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As of May 30th this year, there are 133 children and youth in temporary or permanent custody. That compares to 169 children and youth in temporary or permanent custody on September 1st, 2018. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, in the health and social services quality improvement for planning for child and family service people that are 67 of its 70 actions items are either completed or on track. This is significant progress, but can the Minister tell me how many children are in care today compared to 2018 when the plan was started? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on May 30th this year there were 133 children in temporary or permanent care and custody of the director of child and family services compared to 169 youth in the temporary or permanent care or custody of the director of child and family services on September 1st, 2018. So that's 36 fewer children.
This is really been the result of a change in approach by the Department of Health and Social Services. We have provided family preservation workers to assist families with keeping children in their homes and providing services to them in their homes and communities, and that has made all the difference in terms of cultural continuity and cultural safety for these families.
We've made a big investment since 2018, a total of $9.5 million to add 59 new positions. So in total, there are 169 people working in the child and family services system to care for the most vulnerable people in our population which is, of course, children. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, the proposed amendment to the Child and Family Services Act has been moved down the road to the 20th Assembly. Can the Minister advise why her department didn't prioritize this work in the life of this government when there are so many children that are in desperate need of care? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. And mahsi, Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is time to revise the Child and Family Services Act to bring it into alignment with Bill 92, the federal act respecting First Nations, Inuit, and Metis children and families, youth and families. This will align things that are already being done in terms of cultural safety. And so while the legislation has not come up for review in this session, the changes have been made in standards. And it's worth noting as well that we have a limited number of staff to do this policy and legislation work and the staff who would normally be involved in revising the Child and Family Services Act, have negotiated an agreement with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation to devolve services for voluntary services agreement for children to the IRC, and more details of that will be coming at the end of the summer. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
