B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union
Transmitted by CNW Group on : May 7, 2013 17:08
Government
should improve funding for community living and family services, poll shows
VANCOUVER, May 7, 2013 /CNW/ - British Columbians believe
government funding for community-based social services that support vulnerable
families should be improved, with a majority being prepared to pay more taxes
to do so, says a recent poll.
Ninety percent of those surveyed said community-based social services
for youth, women fleeing violence, people with disabilities and special needs,
and addiction services are important.
But current government funding levels are too low, 57% of survey
respondents said, with 53% supporting increased funding for the not-for-profit
social service agencies, even if it means raising taxes a little to provide
these valuable services.
Those are some of the key finding from a recent poll conducted by
Strategic Communications (Stratcom) on behalf of the Roundtable of Provincial
Social Service Organizations of BC. The BCGEU is a member of the Roundtable,
representing over 8,000 community living and family service workers across the
province.
"We believe that the provincial government must reinvest in
community living and other critical services that support vulnerable families
across British Columbia. We need a long term funding plan for this critical
sector, and British Columbians agree with us," said BCGEU President
Darryl Walker.
Community social services are provided not-for-profit agencies that
support youth-at-risk, women fleeing violence, people with disabilities,
immigrants, people with mental health and addiction challenges, First Nations,
and many others.
Three quarters of British Columbians have used community-based social
services, or knew someone who had, the survey reveals. Eighty percent believe
these services have a positive impact on their community, according to the
survey.
"Community living workers who support adults with disabilities
can't take care of their own families," says Walker. "Our caring
professionals recently had to resort to three months of rotating job action to
get a modest wage increase. Sectoral starting wages are below 2002 levels, and
below the living wage. That is not right."
Community-based not-for-profit agencies receive provincial government
funding for programs and services, adhering to strict accountability and
reporting requirements. Many agencies operate on shoestring budgets and must
secure other revenue sources to finance their programs, including social
enterprises, gaming grants, foundations, and individual donations.
The Stratcom poll used a representative sample of 802 British
Columbians. Margin of error is not reported for online polling, as it is not
derived from a probability sample.
The B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union represents 8,000 caring
professionals working at not-for-profit social service agencies in communities
across BC
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