Community Living Ontario is calling on whoever forms the next provincial government to step up with supports for developmentally disabled people in the province.
Jennifer Croft, Executive Director of Community Living North Perth, says the services they provide people with developmental disabilities and their families are critical, but there is a severe lack of support province wide. Croft says the next government needs to do better to help this vulnerable population and their families.
"People with developmental disabilities can't live wholesome lives, their families can't go forward with their own independence, without adequate funding. Right now, there's more people waiting for support than receiving support in the developmental services sector," Croft said.
Oftentimes, as Croft points out, having services and money available for those with developmental disabilities is seen as a privilege and not a right, but that shouldn't be the case for a vulnerable population.
The release from Community Living Ontario claims that across the province, over 52,000 individuals are "waiting for critical supports and services due to severe funding shortfalls within the sector," according to the release.
Since 1993, the release claims that the Ontario government has increased core funding to support agencies by less than 7 percent, while the cost of living has soared by over 60 percent. Agencies like Community Living North Perth are warning that the system is at a breaking point.
Croft says locally, there are families who they can't help because there isn't enough space and additional resources.
"We've got families who are currently in crisis looking for a spot in a group living home, and we're having to tell them 'Yes, you're in crisis, but so are the other 46 families who are looking for a space in this home,'" Croft shared. "Families in North Perth are being forced to make heartbreaking choices between their own health and well-being and the safety and dignity of their loved ones. Every day, we witness the immense strain this places on individuals and their families. Without immediate action and meaningful investment, this crisis will continue to escalate, leaving even more people without the supports they desperately need."
The supports and services being asked for are not luxuries, they are lifelines as Croft points out. When they aren't there, it has an immense impact on the individuals with the developmental disability, as well as their loved ones.
"They're just really not able to move forward with independence, they're not able to move forward with supports to be involved in the community. We have 11 spaces to help people with our community supports, and yet, there are more than 30 people waiting for those supports," added Croft.
"We’ve been waiting for years for the supports our child needs, and it’s exhausting," says Ira, a parent supported by Community Living North Perth. "We love our child and want to give them every opportunity to thrive, but without proper services, it feels like we’re constantly running on empty. Families like ours can’t do this alone, we need the government to step up and provide the resources that will make a real difference in our lives. Every child has the right to live a full and meaningful life, including children with disabilities."
Croft says ideally, the next government would step up and make accessing services easier, as some families stay on waitlists for years.
"In an ideal scenario, you would be able to give people the supports they need within 1-2 years of registering for the support, rather than the 20 to even 30 years they're waiting for," Croft noted.
The Ontario government launched Journey to Belonging: Choice and Inclusion in 2020, a ten-year initiative aimed at giving people with developmental disabilities more control and opportunities in their lives.
However, the release from Community Living says that the program isn't achieving what it promised.
"It hasn’t been funded properly," points out Community Living Ontario CEO Chris Beesley. "You can create a vision and be aspirational, but unless you put the resources behind it, it’s meaningless."
For more information, visit www.waiting2belong.ca or https://clnorthperth.ca/, where you can donate to their programs and services if you wish.