 |
||||||||
 |
 |
|||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
The following statement was issued today by Joan Marie Aylward, Minister of Health and Community Services. It was also read in the House of Assembly: I am pleased today, to inform Honourable Members that government is providing $75,000 to high schools to allow them to provide child care to meet the needs of teenage mothers who wish to complete their high school education. This funding has been allocated as part of the implementation of the National Child Benefit Reinvestment Program. These infant care programs have four main purposes. They will provide high quality care to the infants while in the child care situation. Government is very aware of the life-long effect of the experiences children have in their formative years and of the importance of these experiences being positive. They will support teenage mothers in completing their high school education. This provides them with the opportunity to go on to further education and to enter the work force. The mothers then have the tools to support themselves and their children while also being positive role models to their children. These child care services will be provided to the mothers without personal cost. They will support and assist parents in providing the infants with the experiences they require at this crucial stage of their development. Government recognizes that young parents need support in the care of their children. The infant care programs in high schools provide such support. They will allow mothers and children to be together as much as possible during the school day. The infant care rooms are located in the high schools allowing mothers easy access to their infants as their class schedules allow thus strengthening the bond between mother and child. Two centres have been funded to provide infant care. They are Booth Memorial High School in St. John's and Queen Elizabeth High School in Foxtrap. Without this funding Booth Memorial High School Infant Program would have been forced to close. Provision of this funding has allowed the valuable service to continue to meet the needs of teenage parents attending the school. Schools and school boards in other parts of Newfoundland and Labrador have expressed interest. To date, no other proposals have been received. Government is committed to children and families. We believe that investing in these infant care programs benefits the child, the mother and ultimately has a positive effect on the community at large. We will continue to work hard to improve programs and services for our children throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. 1998 11 24 2:10 p.m.
|
