Caring for kids?
October 30, 2009
Sunshine Coast Reporter
By: Cathie Roy, Editorial

Why would a group of women be out on a cold dreary October morning, waving placards or, some would say, tilting at windmills? And certainly, we ask, why would they have two tiny girls with them, each barely able to see over the signs they hold with such glee?

The answer is both simple and sad. The women are there because of cuts that will directly affect the quality of life of the tiny tots and the legions of special needs children in our province.

In an effort to save money in an ever-increasing medical/education budget, the government has decided to do away with intensive intervention programs for autistic children. The provincial staff that provides direction for community infant development programs will soon be history. And so will the supported child care office, which was only recently created to resolve problems in consistency in local programs. And the bully boys and girls in Victoria are in such a hurry to get rid of this service staff that they have been given only one month’s notice ...

Special Olympics have taken a hit — perhaps the ultimate irony in the pre-Olympic frenzy whipping our province these days. Child protection and childcare have had budget cuts. And a program to decrease the number of children born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is on the chopping block.

And other much-needed services to assist children with Down syndrome and support for young adults who, by an arbitrary IQ measurement, are not eligible for added assistance are falling by the wayside — a stab in the back for the hard-working Community Living folks who live in our province. In spite of all the best efforts of these advocates, we continue to treat developmentally challenged adults as second-class citizens…

Do we want to be known as a society that places such low value on children and at-risk young people? We hope the answer isn’t blowing in the cold October wind.

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