Children's ministry funding cuts may prove short-sighted and harmful
Vancouver Sun
Oct 28 2009

By: Hillel Goelman and Mari Pighini, in the Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Program at the University of British Columbia.

The Ministry for Children and Family Development has decided to change the way that early intervention programs for vulnerable children will be delivered in the province and families, children and the staff in these programs will be worse off.

The province is eliminating the positions of provincial adviser in the Infant Development Program of B.C., the Aboriginal Infant Development Program of B.C., and the Supported Child Development Program of B.C. The ministry claims that by doing so they will eliminate "administrative costs" and dedicate more resources to "front line workers." This narrow view demonstrates that these provincial officials do not really understand the essential role that the provincial advisers play in ensuring the quality of early intervention services.

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