Parents protest lack of support: Long wait lists mean their daughter may never get help
Burnaby Now
By Jennifer Moreau
September 11, 2010

A Burnaby family is organizing a gathering for parents frustrated with long wait lists to get support for their children with special needs.

Marc Adams and Wendy Seet are trying to get help for their three-year-old daughter, Kate, through the provincial government's Supported Child Development Program. Because their daughter has Down syndrome and has extra needs, she qualifies to have an extra support worker at her daycare through the program. But because of long wait lists and not enough funding, Kate will be out of daycare by the time her number comes up.

"She's going to pretty much be in school by the time it happens. She'll be out of daycare. There's not much point in having a program if it's not really available to most people who apply for it," said Adams.

In June, the program's wait list for Burnaby alone had 74 children, and Kate was at 62. Her parents expect to wait about two years before her number comes up.

And demand is rising: In 2003, the Burnaby program was helping 128 children. By March 2009, that figure grew to 275.

Kate attends Burnaby's Variety Hotelier House Children's Centre, and her parents want to raise her in a fully inclusive community. Adams is worried that without extra help, Kate's safety is at risk, as well her chance to develop alongside other kids in an inclusive environment.

"It's not just specifically for us," Adams said, adding government funding hasn't kept up with program demand….

"We have a finite budget for extra staffing support. Once the dollars are used up, children go on the waitlist," said Angela Kwok, the centre's executive director.

Adams and Seet wrote a letter to Children and Family Development Minister Mary Polak, urging the government to put more funding towards the program.

"The amount of time that Kate will be without extra support is too long, jeopardizing her safety, denying her inclusion and limiting her development," they wrote. "Specifically, we ask that funding be made available to reduce her time on this wait list or eliminate the wait list altogether."

Polak responded by saying that, unfortunately, the government was unable to fulfill the request and that the budget for the region was already committed to existing contracts.

"I am assured by regional staff that should funding become available, ensuring access to service is a priority," she wrote.

The couple responded on Aug. 29, stating they were disappointed.

"Our three-year-old daughter, Kate Adams, has Down syndrome and requires extra support to participate in child care," they reiterated. "Inclusion and access to quality early learning is a child's right, not a privilege. ... Our daughter can no longer wait because every day that passes without support is a precious day lost."

For the Sept. 13 meeting, the family wants to connect with other parents with the same problem and send a message to the government for more funding for the program. They plan to gather with other families, discuss the problems around the wait list and work towards solutions….

Spitz said she organized a chance for the parents to make a presentation to the provincial government's select standing committee on finance and government services, which is touring the province, listening to organizations and people and what they want the government's budget priorities to be for 2011/12.