Funding for Simcoe County developmental services sector lagging
Seven family support service organizations are advocating for sustainable funding so they can continue to support individuals with developmental disabilities.
Developmental services sector organizations in Simcoe County, including Catulpa Community Support Services, Empower Simcoe, Camphill Communities Ontario for South Simcoe (CLASS), CLH Developmental Support Services, E3 Community Services, Community Living Association and Karis Disability Services, are ringing alarm bells over shortages in funding.
The developmental services sector, funded by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS), is facing critical challenges. Organizations, such as Empower Simcoe, have received less than a 4 per cent increase during the past 30 years.
While costs have increased substantially during this time, organizations have continually been required to do more with less. Since the pandemic alone, costs for necessities such as housing expenses, transportation, and program delivery have increased by over 16%, with no additional funding to offset the added costs.
"Historic funding disparities have led to significant wage discrepancies in developmental services, as compared to health, education and long-term care. Developmental services simply cannot compete with these other sectors, which are offering higher wages and consistently drawing workers away from people, families and agencies in developmental services," said Empower Simcoe CEO Dr. Claudine Cousins.
Cousins is a member of the Strategic Operations Committee (SOC), an organization comprised of the CEOs and executive directors of the developmental services agencies in Simcoe County.
"Our local MPPs have been approached to bring awareness to this issue. We are advocating for an immediate 5% boost to developmental services agencies' core funding and the indexing of future developmental services sector funding to inflation," said Cousins.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
Developmental services-funded agencies have been offsetting the cost of service delivery through fundraising and one-time grants, but more is needed to sustain operations on an ongoing basis.
Developmental services agencies across the province are asking the community to share their social media posts with the hashtag #5tosurvive (5 per cent increase) and to tag their local MPP.
"It is important that our politicians know that our community believes in sustainable support for people with developmental disabilities, who are some of our community's most vulnerable citizens," said Cousins.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Killer who stabbed victim 'at least 52 times' dies in B.C. prison
A 72-year-old inmate serving a life sentence for a brutal murder that happened in Chilliwack in 2016 has died, according to the Correctional Service of Canada.
Israeli airstrikes hit the southern suburbs of Beirut after another strike destroyed buildings
The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut on Friday in a series of massive explosions that targeted the leader of the militant group and levelled multiple high-rise apartment buildings.
American woman gets SUV stuck in elevator bay at B.C. casino
A U.S. driver somehow squeezed her vehicle through a parkade hallway at a Metro Vancouver casino Thursday, before getting stuck at an elevator bank.
Hurricane Helene kills at least 44 and cuts a swath of destruction across the Southeast
Hurricane Helene left an enormous path of destruction across Florida and the southeastern U.S. on Friday, killing at least 44 people, snapping towering oaks like twigs and tearing apart homes as rescue crews launched desperate missions to save people from floodwaters.
After decades-long search, northern Ontario man finds vintage vehicle in Larder Lake
A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.
2 people caught illegally crossing the International Railroad Bridge into the U.S.: border officials
Two Italian citizens have been apprehended after allegedly illegally crossing over the International Railroad Bridge to the United States.
Former military reservist sentenced for shotgun video calling Liberal MP a 'communist agent' for China
A former Canadian military reservist has been sentenced to house arrest after posting a video of himself firing a shotgun at a picture of a member of Parliament whom he accused of being a 'communist agent' for China.
P.E.I. shellfish festival gastrointestinal illness outbreak largest in province's history: health officer
More than 550 symptomatic people responded to an online questionnaire about a gastrointestinal illness at a Prince Edward Island shellfish festival last weekend.
Family of man who died in incident involving Calgary police issues statement
The family of Jon Wells, a man who died in an incident involving Calgary police earlier this month, say they are seeking time to grieve their loss.