Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that the Minister's passionate about the issue of early child care, and I know that because I know the Minister. But the reality is that the Children's First Society in Inuvik are now using their contingency funds to make payroll. So I'm looking for a commitment from the Minister to say that they will provide at least up until up to the amount that they were provided through last year's financial statements to ensure that they can continue moving forward. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Minister for Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know that the department is doing their best to work with stakeholders in the sector in order to determine what those numbers are going to look like. I know that in some instances, the department is actually working through individual numbers with individual organizations and actually sitting down with people and comparing so that they know exactly what the other is talking about, what the other is going through and what one another's goals are, because there's a real desire both not just with myself but within the department to see not less child care providers but more across the territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that the department is working on that. From what I've heard from speaking with Children's First in Inuvik that they've asked or requested timeline. They don't have the funding numbers, nor do they have a timeline to when that funding will be provided. Can the Minister provide a timeline when they expect to find out when that funding will be available.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. And I think it's a fair question. And in acknowledgement of the fact that the sector and stakeholders are working with the department, I want to say absolutely as soon as possible with a target of early March so that they have that information before going into the next fiscal year and renewed kind of funding agreement piece is there. But I want to be respectful of the fact that they're still in conversations together, still working through it and want to give them that time to really be able to come those agreements together. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank the Minister. One final question. I'm assuming this is in there, but I'll ask the Minister that are they taking into account obviously inflation and inflationary factors as they move forward for annual funding as years to come? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, inflation was not something that was built into the original agreement, and this is something that we are hearing across the country from all jurisdictions that have and share the same concerns. The funding agreements were signed before we saw record inflation across the territory, and unfortunately, we are all all jurisdictions are in the same boat with this one. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
