Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  That's correct.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  It's what we sit down and talk about.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  The 6% is then fed into the part of the formula on core operations. The public accounts committee also specifically looked at directive 20-1 and said that we really need to look at this, because it's the funding formula with only two components. There is scope for prevention dollars, but there's very limited scope for prevention dollars, because the formula is prior to the shift to prevention.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  For the funding formula, under the enhanced prevention model there are three components, as we mentioned. There's the operation of the agency--figuring out the salaries for that and the salaries for the caseworkers. There are protection services, and as Ms. Cram mentioned, the costs are continually increasing.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you for your questions, Mr. Bouchard. The program is in transition, so to speak. We have talked a lot about the prevention focused approach and about the funding announced in the budgets. The formula used applies to five provinces. However, the old formula, if you will, is still in place and funding is provided for operations and for protection services.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  As to comparability, since 2007 the government has been regularly putting additional funds towards first nations child and family services. That incremental funding is going to the prevention model. We conduct these discussions with the provinces and the first nations organization in the province.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  That's absolutely correct. Some time ago, the provinces started moving to a prevention model. That's where the best lessons learned, the best practices, were presented to us, starting with the Province of Alberta. Even though there was quite a shift some years ago to prevention, I'd say that in the last two years many of the provinces have adjusted their legislation as well.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  For children in care, there are basically two aspects in child and family services. One is protection; the other is prevention, the model we're moving toward. On the protection side, when children are removed from the home, they are referred to as “children in care”. They're taken out of the home.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you for the question. The government, with the Government of Alberta and the first nations in Alberta, started implementing the enhanced prevention model in 2007. We work on a province by province basis because, as you mentioned, the provinces are different and their legislation is different.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We will review the situation after five years and pursue our initiatives. This is not merely a five-year program.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I will try and answer your question. A total of $60 million over five years has been allocated to agencies in the province of Quebec. We arrived at this figure in consultation with the Assembly of First Nations and the Province of Quebec. When we engage in discussions with the provinces and with First Nations, we always have letters of support.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Minister Strahl's announcement came in August and the amount was made public. However, agencies are still in the process of developing their plans. Once these have been drawn up, the funds will be transferred. As I said, the announcement was made and the funds will be allocated to the agencies.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I'm sorry, but I guess I didn't make myself clear initially. A total of $20 million is being allocated over two years, with a grand total of $60 million over five years.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Indeed. The announced funding is earmarked for prevention activities. Two year ago, we launched a number of pilot projects in a few Quebec communities to help them better prepare for the prevention approach. The prevention system produces better results that the protection system.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you for the question. We are familiar with the issue and I believe our deputy has written to the first nation. He did meet with them and he had a concern about the size of what some of the first nation agencies would be, given that there are some issues around size and how those agencies could attract and keep staff and do that kind of thing.