EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Community Initiatives fund family-centred early childhood services and programs for young children 0 to 6 and their families, while Supportive Services fund additional programs and services for children 0 to 6 who require extra supports to reach their full developmental potential.
Eligibility criteria for HCI funding include:
Proposals offering services for children from prenatal to 6 years of age
Proposals offering family-centred services involving parents in programs
Proposals having cultural relevance
Proposals building on existing strengths of children, parents, and community
Proposals enhancing rather than duplicating existing services
Proposals having an interagency approach
Proposals having a letter from a health professional for Supportive Services
The Healthy Children Initiative is administered through the regional education offices by the early childhood officers and regional Healthy Children Initiative committees.
The regional HCI committees are made up of representatives from Education, Health and Social Services, regional Inuit organizations, and elders/cultural advisors.
The regional HCI committees review and approve/deny proposals based on the proposals meeting the necessary criteria.
If proposals are approved, contribution agreements are signed with the appropriate organization.
Parental Subsidies (Daycare User Subsidy and Young Parents Stay Learning)
The Department of Education has two parental subsidy programs that assist in paying for child care: daycare user subsidy and Young Parents Stay Learning.
The Young Parents Stay Learning program and daycare user subsidy are administered through the regional career and early childhood offices in Cambridge Bay, Rankin Inlet, and Pangnirtung.
Daycare User Subsidy
The Daycare User Subsidy Program (under Income Support) is a needs-based parental subsidy that pays child care fees for parents who are attending school or working.
The day care subsidy provides financial assistance to families to help with the costs of child care.
The daycare subsidy also helps to ensure that children have access to child care so that parents who are not working can participate in academic or training programs and take advantage of employment opportunities.
Information regarding daycare user subsidy can be found at community income support offices and at licensed child care facilities.
Eligible candidates must:
Be at least 18 years of age and live in Nunavut
Have one or more children age 11 or younger
Be employed or enrolled in a training and/or education program
Have their financial needs assessed by an income support worker
Send in a completed application that includes
proof of child care expenses (signed by the daycare or private caregiver)
proof of school or training course enrolment signed by the program instructor
proof of employment and hours of work (i.e. pay stub/employer’s statement)
proof of living expenses (i.e. rent/mortgage, utility costs)
For 2012-13, $502,000 has been allocated for the daycare user subsidy.
Young Parents Stay Learning
The Young Parents Stay Learning Program (under Early Childhood) is a child care subsidy program to help young parents with the cost of child care while the parent attends school.
It pays licensed child care fees (where available) for parents who are attending school to achieve their High School Diploma or are attending post-secondary school in Nunavut and are under the age of 18 years.
Information regarding Young Parents Stay Learning is sent to all licensed child care facilities, all schools, and all health centres in Nunavut annually.
Not receive the daycare user subsidy funded by the Department of Education or from a regional Inuit organization
Be the parent or legal guardian of one or more children needing care
Be enrolled in a full-time program of study for middle or high school in Nunavut or under 18 years of age and enrolled in a full-time post-secondary program of study in Nunavut
Prepare a letter of why this subsidy is important to them
Submit an application form signed by a school counsellor or principal
Sign an agreement to attend full time and to commit to progressing in studies
Have space available at a licensed child care facility or with a private unlicensed caregiver (only with approval from the department when licensed child care is not available)
Have evidence of satisfactory attendance at school
Have evidence of satisfactory progress in school
For 2012-13, $140,000 has been allocated for Young Parents Stay Learning.
Early Childhood Training
The early childhood officers provide informal workshops to licensed child care facility staff and board members when requested.
The department also has a budget of $200,000 for post-secondary institutions to provide early childhood education courses in Nunavut.
For 2012-13, an early childhood education certificate course is being offered in Baker Lake.
Early childhood education course modules are also being offered in Qikiqtarjuaq and Pond Inlet.
That return to oral question will be entered into the record.
Return to Oral Question 440 – 3(3): Status of Implementation of Nunavut’s Education Act (Aariak)
I have a return to oral question from the Member for Nanulik, Johnny Ningeongan, on the status of implementation of Nunavut’s Education Act.
Can the minister provide an update on what progress has been [made] in implementing the made-in-Nunavut Education Act which came into force in 2009?
There has been much progress in the implementation of the Education Act since it was brought into force in 2009.
The department has been implementing the Education Act as a phased-in, multi-year project.
This phased-in approach will allow for a smooth implementation and ensure that the capacity is available to achieve change by school staff, district education authorities (DEAs), and the Department of Education as a whole.
The phased-in approach is also allowing the Department of Education the time it needs to conduct meaningful consultations with its partners and stakeholders when developing the required regulations.
The cabinet-approved regulations development timeline provides for all Education Act regulations to be complete by the fourth quarter of the 2014-15 fiscal year.
There will be 14 regulations under the Education Act in total, each of which will be consulted on, 6 of which have been completed to date, including:
Inclusive Education Regulations,
Administration and Finance Regulations,
Early Childhood Program Regulations,
Inuuqatigiitsiarniq Policy and Discipline Regulations,
Language of Instruction Regulations,
Dispute Resolutions Regulations.
The Department of Education is continuing to develop the regulations this school year. Three additional regulations will be complete by the end of the school year on the topics of registration and attendance, DEA administration, and school calendars.
The remaining five regulations on the topics of planning and reporting, student records, home schooling, staff certification, and private schools are scheduled to be complete over the course of the next couple of years.
In addition to regulation development, the department has been busy implementing the various requirements of the Education Act and regulations, including enhancing positive school environments, implementing bilingual education, procedures for the employment of certified elders, reporting requirements for principals, and district education authority responsibilities like early childhood education programming that promotes the Inuit language and culture.
Schools also began to meet new regulatory requirements in 2010-11 and 2011-12, such as delivery of 20 minutes per day of physical activity in grades kindergarten to 9 and a focus on the responsibilities of teachers in carrying out the Education Act.
Principals have been submitting monthly reports to DEAs and the department regarding the activities in the schools as well as two reports on the effectiveness of the school program.
I will be tabling an annual report on the status of the Nunavut education system in the near future, which will include highlights on the K-12 section, including those which relate to the Education Act, for the 2009-2010 calendar year.
Return to Oral Question 452 – 3(3): Operations of the Qulliq Energy Corporation (Kusugak)
On October 31, 2012, Mr. Elliott, MLA for Quttiktuq, asked the following question: “Can the Minister responsible for the Qulliq Energy Corporation indicate if he approved the QEC’s action plan prior to it being tabled in the Legislative Assembly?”
The response is:
In April 2012, QEC developed a draft action plan in response to the recommendations in the 2012 Report of the Auditor General on Procurement of Goods and Services.
I was provided a copy of this draft and discussed it with the corporation.
An updated version of this action plan was provided to me for review and approval during the June Assembly.
I also had an opportunity to review and approve the updated action plan as tabled in this House during the fall 2012 Assembly.
In its 2012-13 corporate plan, QEC stated that it “operated within the content of Article 24.”
As a result of the OAG audit on procurement practices, the corporation discovered that it may, in fact, be exempt from Article 24, as stated in section 24.1.1 of the NLCA.
Mr. Speaker, the GN NNI Policy is to be applied per 5.1(b), where the Government of Nunavut provides directly more than 51 percent of the total contract funds, or 5.1(c), where the Government of Nunavut directly 51 percent of the annual operating funds of the parties.
QEC funds its capital and O&M through both debt and equity.
If, at any time, the Government of Nunavut does provide 51 percent of the funding towards a QEC initiative, the corporation will apply the NNI provisions.
The QEC Act states that QEC is to produce economic and affordable energy.
If directed to fully apply the NNI Policy, this will increase the cost of operating the utility. This cost will be passed on to customers in the electricity rates or borne by this government directly.
Hon. Peter Taptuna: Thank you, Mr. Speaker and colleagues.
I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and congratulate the people who stand here within the Gallery, the folks from the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation, for their hard work in getting this entity to where it stands today.
I want to recognize the Chairman, Greg Cayen, Ms. Sherri Rowe, the CEO, and her staff, Angela McPherson, Damian Lachance, and Priscilla Kuksuk.
Member for Cambridge Bay, Minister of Finance and Health and Social Services, Minister Peterson.
Although they’re not quite in the Gallery, they’re very close to the Gallery. I would like to recognize the interpreters from Cambridge Bay who keep the Kitikmeot MLAs company and keep us up to date on what’s happening in Cambridge Bay and elsewhere in the Kitikmeot. James Panioyak, Attima Hadlari, and Gwen Angulalik, I would just like to thank them for being here and tell the folks back home that they are doing a great job.
I would like recognize two Iqaluit residents who are in the Gallery, Archie Angnakak and especially Franco Buscemi.
Some of the members may be aware of his previous work, as he produced the blocks with syllabics that children can play with that show the i, pi, ti, ki symbols.
There are no more of these blocks available, which is unfortunate, as I now have a grandchild who wants these kinds of blocks.
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery. Member for Iqaluit East, Ms. Aariak.
I would like to recognize someone from my constituency who just left, Archie Angnakak, who is the CEO for Nunasi Corporation.
Question 474 – 3(3): Government of Nunavut’s Legislative Agenda (Elliott)
My questions are for the Government House Leader.
In just 321 days, the current Legislative Assembly will be dissolved.
During the current fall sitting, only one non-financial bill has been introduced by the government.
Can the House leader indicate what the government’s legislative agenda is for the remainder of our term of office?
The question is directed to the Government House Leader, Minister Kusugak.
Question 475 – 3(3): Social Worker for Coral Harbour (Ningeongan)
Mr. Speaker, on several occasions in this House, I have raised the need for a full-time social worker in the community of Coral Harbour.
It has been over two years since this position has been permanently filled.
Can the minister provide an update on the staffing of the social worker position for Coral Harbour?
I thank Mr. Ningeongan for the question.
Mr. Speaker, social workers are, as we discussed in this House for the last couple of weeks, very important positions in all communities and we endeavour to have social workers, either casual, indeterminate, or agency social workers.
I must apologize to Mr. Ningeongan. We do have an agency social worker in the community. She’s doing a very good job and we appreciate what she is doing down there.
I have talked to my staff and I said, “Make it a high priority to fill this position with an indeterminate social worker.”
So I will follow up with the staff on that and make sure it is getting done.
Thank you for the response from Minister Peterson.
Can the minister clarify what specific challenges arise when trying to fill the position in Coral Harbour?
Is it the location that deters potential candidates or is it simply that potential candidates are hard to find?
I again thank Mr. Ningeongan for the question.
I don’t think it’s the location. I believe it’s a combination of a number of factors. One would be housing, which we lack in most of the communities, housing for government employees, and then it’s the length of time for recruiting social workers.
I don’t think it is anything to do with the community.
The Premier has indicated that the Minister of Health and Social Services is taking the leadership role in determining the activities of the new Department of Family Services.
Can the minister clarify whether the new department will be taking a new approach to filling social worker positions in those communities which have been without a full-time social worker for extended periods of time?
Yes, Mr. Speaker, we hope that with the creation of the new Department of Family Services, there will be a much greater focus on children, family, and youth programs and the people who support those folks in the communities by taking it away from the bigger Department of Health.
They will have a minister and all the staff that can focus on those types of activities and the legislation and other programs that help people in the communities.
Of course, as I said, social workers are a high priority for our government, and I’m very hopeful that there will be a concerted effort to support them.
Actually, I hope also, going forward in the coming years, that we will get additional resources to support that department and those folks in the communities.
Thank you, Minister Peterson, for your responses.
Although I heard you mention that you will put high priority over those communities that have been without social workers for the last couple years, at the present time, we are depending on term positions to fulfill these positions in Coral Harbour or other communities.
As we have found out before, the government expends more money because of term positions that are put in these communities.
Will you commit to increasing efforts once again to make sure that communities like Coral Harbour do get, in fact, a full-time position for social workers?
I thank Mr. Ningeongan for his question. I understand perfectly well what Mr. Ningeongan is asking.
It is very expensive when we have to use agency nurses or agency social workers. Although the staff is very well qualified, we do seek continuity in the positions. People get to know the communities, get to know the local traditions and culture, and they understand just how the community dynamics work.
I will give Mr. Ningeongan my commitment that I will make it a high priority to have the department staff this position in his community.
Question 476 – 3(3): Emergency Preparedness Plan for Kugaaruk (Ningark)
My questions will be directed to the Minister of Community and Government and Services.
First of all, I would like to thank him for (interpretation ends) the Nunavut Emergency Management Annual Report 2011-12 (interpretation) that he tabled on November 1.
I have more understanding from the report.
In Repulse Bay, the hamlet has to make some plans and they said that they already have a response plan.
They have a report for that and I thank the minister. I congratulate the community of Repulse Bay and they apparently had their plan, but Kugaaruk has not completed their plan.
Can the minister work with the community to make an emergency response plan? It seems that they need to complete their emergency response plan. Maybe you can encourage them in completing it.
I thank Mr. Ningark for asking that question.
All communities are required to draft up an emergency response plan that provides clear direction and roles to ensure that people don’t panic or become confused during an emergency.
Further, during an emergency, frontline workers are the first to respond and they must have a very clear emergency response plan.
In this area, we are working with all the hamlets to develop these plans.
Some of the issues can only be dealt with by the hamlet, especially local resources that are listed in the plan. We assist the hamlets with the work, both support and sometimes we walk the hamlet through the plan. This is to ensure that the emergency plan is comprehensive.
We are working with the hamlets, and we will continue to work with the Hamlet of Kugaaruk to ensure that their emergency plan is worked on and completed.
With my first supplementary question, let me first thank the minister.
You stated that there are 21 completed emergency response plans, which is commendable and enviable to have the communities that have completed them here in Nunavut.
This means that only four communities have to complete their plans, perhaps to say it in English, (interpretation ends) pending.
(interpretation) With that the case, Kugaaruk is one of these four communities in this position. Additionally, they get funds for programs from the federal government, the territorial government, and base funding for operating the hamlet.
I hope that you collaborate with the Hamlet of Kugaaruk to complete their emergency plan, as communities that have completed their plans are in an enviable position.
Some of the templates ensure that certain parts of the plans are not very complicated to draft up. All it requires is for the council to pass the emergency response plan.
I believe that there aren’t any further barriers to complete the last few sections of the plan and it is obvious that most of the work can be completed in the upcoming months. I don’t believe that there are any obstacles that would stop this process.
I will keep you informed if there are any problems that crop in down the road or in a few months.
It is obvious that these plans will be completed in Kugaaruk and the other communities that need to complete these plans.
Question 477 – 3(3): School Community Counsellor Training (Rumbolt)
Earlier in this session, the minister announced a new training program for school community counsellors.
Our school counsellors play a very important role in helping our students get the most out of their educational opportunities and I support any initiative that will give them more tools to do their job.
Can the minister provide an update on how this training will be delivered? Will instructors be travelling to each community or will the counsellors come together at a central location to receive their training?
Hon. Eva Aariak: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for the question from the member.
The first session of the new School Community Counsellor/Ilinniarvimmi Inuusilirijiit training program was held here in Iqaluit on October 15, 2012 and there are 20 counsellors attending the program right now.
All the training programs that will be offered will be held in Nunavut. The program consists of 11 courses taught over 8 sessions from October 2012 to March 2015.
The minister described this course as a three-year, part-time certificate program with eight sessions.
Can the minister clarify whether it will take counsellors three years to finish the training and if this means that they will have to travel out of their community eight times in order to do so?
Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Rumbolt. Minister responsible for the Department of Education, Minister Aariak.
Hon. Eva Aariak: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t have the particular details as to where the training programs will be held at this time. Under the Education Act, it is a requirement that these individuals in the schools receive certification.
Some counsellors work half time, some work full time, and some communities have two.
So in terms of the actual location and frequency of their training program, I don’t have that information yet, but I would be happy to provide it when I get it.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister Aariak. Your second supplementary, Mr. Rumbolt.
I appreciate the minister getting back to us with more information.
Mr. Speaker, in her Minister’s Statement, the minister indicated that the training would focus on many areas.
Can the minister confirm that the training will also give counsellors the skills to assist students in career planning?
Hon. Eva Aariak: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, this is a very important program that our community school counsellors will be receiving because they offer very important subject areas in the schools.
The areas that they will be learning and enhancing the skills that they already have are such things as building partnerships between our students, their parents, school staff, district education authorities, and our communities.
This is a very important component where, collectively, the counsellors will be working within the community.
The program content includes such things as Inuit societal values, Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, traditional child socialization, counselling skills, counselling skills development, understanding the Nunavut school system, communication skills, leadership skills, and personal development.
Mr. Rumbolt: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the minister provide an estimate of how much this three-year, eight-part course will cost to train all of Nunavut’s 43 school counsellors between 2012 and 2015?
There are 20 counsellors attending the program right now. There are seven vacant positions at this point that will need to be filled. There are about 12 counsellors who have already been in the system since the ‘90s and who have received training at that time.
In saying that, I don’t have the dollar figure that the member is requesting at this point.
Again, I would be happy to provide that when it’s available.
Speaker: Thank you, Minister Aariak. Oral Questions. Member for Baker Lake, Mr. Aupaluktuq.
Question 478 – 3(3): Baker Lake Hospice Society (Aupaluktuq)
Mr. Aupaluktuq (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I send my greetings to the people of Baker Lake, especially the ones in the hospice, and also to the young people and my relatives.
I am pleased that the Minister of Health and Social Services, Minister Peterson, along with Iqaluit’s new mayor, John Graham, was visiting the elders centre and the elders were very grateful for that.
Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services, Hon. Keith Peterson.
As the minister is aware, the Baker Lake Hospice Society does wonderful work in caring for our community’s elders.
Can the minister describe what support and funding his department provides to the Baker Lake Hospice Society?
Mr. Speaker, the Baker Lake Hospice Society, I believe it’s a contract with the Department of Health and Social Services.
There’s an annual contract at a bit over $1 million.
They receive support from our Kivalliq regional office, our executive director, and our social workers, who regularly visit and discuss the operational services that they provide to the elders who are being assisted by that facility.
The residents of Baker Lake are very grateful for that information because the elders have to be looked after in Baker Lake. I’m sure that they are listening to our debate right now.