Milton families of those with developmental disabilities took their concerns over programs and government funding to their local MPP’s doorstep this morning (Thursday).
Led by Elaine Cray and Mary Barnes, the advocacy group gathered outside Zee Hamid’s consistency office – demanding to know what progress he’d made on certain promises.
The pair and other advocates have spent years calling for reforms to developmental services — in particular, more choice and oversight in day program providers like Community Living North Halton (CLNH) – but feel their concerns aren’t being addressed.
They’re calling for Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services funding for such institutions to be diversified, either dispensed directly to caregivers or transferred to a wider variety of agencies.
Advocates say CLNH is currently the only ministry-funded day-program provider in Milton, limiting options for families.
“We’re here because our adult children do not have a choice as far as what program they attend,” said Barnes, a mother of a neurodiverse daughter and author of This Way Forward who believes families should have developmental day program options available the same way they do for post-secondary education. “Universities are a choice when [applicants] are given OSAP or grants. Our demographic does not have that choice.”
Echoed Cray, “You might not want to attend one university for whatever reason, you might want to go to another one. And that’s your choice. And you should be able to have that choice.”
The ministry spends roughly $3.7 billion annually on developmental services supports, including day programs. It does not operate day programs directly; instead, it funds approved service providers through transfer payments based on enrolment levels, staffing and other criteria.
Participants take part in programming such as social activities, life-skills training and recreation. For parents and other guardians, day programs can provide time to work, run errands and take breaks.
But Barnes and Cray are among those less than satisfied with the quality of services at agencies like CLNH. Pivot Point is another option in Milton, advocates noted, but it is not approved as a ‘transfer-payment agency’— meaning families have to pay out of pocket.
“The only place that has any funding where her (daughter) costs are subsidized is this one organization. They’re not happy there, but they don’t have a choice,” Cray said.
According to emails provided by Cray and Barnes, about a year-and-a-half of communication has resulted in only a few meetings.
At Thursday’s rally, the MPP met the attendees at the door of his constituency office at 159 Main St. E Milton.
The meeting was cordial. At one point he welcomed Barnes, Cray, one other advocate and the media into his office. Hamid promised to provide an update from his government on the matter by next Thursday (Mar. 19).
“It’s not always as straightforward, and things do move a lot slower in government than I realized before I got into the role,” Hamid told MiltonToday when asked to provide a reason for the delay in a meeting, adding the ministry had been conducting a pilot relevant to developmental services.
Asked how she felt about Thursday’s meeting, Barnes said, “I feel that he did what he felt he had to do. I think he was very pleasant. I think he received us well, but we’ll see what happens.”
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