PC MPP Christine Elliot

Ted McMeekin (@TedMcMeekin)

2013-05-16 12:38 PM Pleased PC MPP Christine Elliott has put motion before the Legislature to est a Standing Committee on Development Services #hamont #onpoli

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

Ontario Budget Press Release – May 3, 2013

Ontario Budget Press Release – May 3, 2013

TORONTO, May 3, 2013 – OASIS congratulates Premier Kathleen Wynne and the Liberal Government on recognizing the needs of Ontarians with developmental disabilities and their families.

Families are in crisis. The level of unmet need for community supports and services for Ontarians with a developmental disability and their families has never been as high as today. The budget, if approved, takes a positive step by providing an additional $42 million annually to reduce waiting lists and provide better supports for those with complex needs.

OASIS supports the transformation of social assistance in Ontario. The proposed changes will assist in addressing the poverty of individuals living on ODSP. For recipients who are employed the proposed budget would have an immediate positive impact on their monthly income, by allowing them to keep the first $200 of employment earnings before they face a reduction of their ODSP benefit.

OASIS is also encouraged that the Government of Ontario has asked the Law Commission of Ontario to undertake a broad based consultation and review the legal capacity, decision making and guardianship laws in Ontario.

“Hundreds of families who are facing extremely challenging circumstances will be greatly relieved by the services that the $42 million investment will provide. Yet, thousands more remain on waiting lists in communities all across the province,” said OASIS President Jane Joris. “There is still work to be done to address the operating pressures faced by transfer payment agencies that have not had any funding increases in the last four years in the face of rising costs,” Joris continued. “We recognize the difficult choices the Government of Ontario is faced with in this economic effort.”

OASIS will continue to work with the Government to ensure the maintenance of a strong, responsive and stable non-profit transfer payment agency system both as the Province’s primary service delivery mechanism and as the backstop for the initiation of funding directly to individuals and families under the transformed Developmental Services sector

Ontario Budget begins to tackle huge crisis for families in Ontario

Ontario Budget begins to tackle huge crisis for families in Ontario

Thursday, May 2, 2013

The Ontario Budget included $42 million per year for support to people who have an intellectual disability. New funds will be invested to help families and adults in urgent need, reduce waitlist pressures and better support those with complex needs.

Many families who are facing crisis will benefit from these new funds but unfortunately, it will not stretch nearly far enough to prevent many more exhausted parents reaching the crises point Amanda Telford reached earlier this week. Amanda dropped her son off at an Ontario government office Tuesday morning because she and her husband could not care for him any longer.

For 19 years, the Telfords supervised their severely autistic, non-verbal son, Philippe, guarding him against what is for him a dangerous world. He is a wanderer: the police have had to search for him more times than Amanda can count. Even at home, little is safe. Because of his diabetes, even a loaf of bread on the kitchen counter is a hazard.

We have seen several similar stories over the last few months – Denise Hastings and Wilma Arthurs and the Chauvin family. And after this budget, there will be more.

Many families caring for disabled children struggle to get enough help, in the form or respite care or funding for personal workers to spend time with their son or daughter. Ministry statistics are reported to show waiting lists for residential supports across the province at close to 12,000. Families, with a son or daughter who has an intellectual disability, if they are lucky, receive funding for a few hours of respite care. This may allow them and their son or daughter some critical support and augment the constant care they need to provide.

This budget won’t avoid the very real crisis that is upon us fuelled by the lack of funding of supports for people who have intellectual disabilities and their families. Incremental investments in support funding over the years have not kept pace with the demands and a lack of recent investments along with recent changes to provincial funding for families for a few hours of care for their adult children who have intellectual disabilities are causing the crisis.

More and more families are reaching a breaking point. We have no doubt that there will be more sons and daughters who have an intellectual disability whose parents will reach the end of their ability to continue providing day by day supports without some help.

The crisis caused by the lack of funding is compounded by that fact that as parents age, their ability to support their adult children who have severe disabilities becomes more and more difficult. Aging parents are developing their own health issues and simply not as able to care for their adult sons and daughters. A recent study by the Institute of Disability and Human Development showed a 10 per cent higher incidence of chronic health conditions by older caregivers of adults who have an intellectual disability.

Community Living Ontario represents over hundred Community Living associations across the province, and advocates for people who have intellectual disabilities and their families.