The government has finally agreed to remove the cap and move these services out of the child protection system. It has been a long and draining fight but I am relieved that families will no longer be forced into such impossible choices. We will keep watching to ensure these changes …
As residents of Ontario, we have the right to expect that our taxes are being used for the benefit of all. Yet parents of a severely handicapped child who are financially unable to provide the necessary around-the-clock care for the child, risk having to forfeit the custody of that child to the Childrens Aid Society in order to secure the needed care. This is unconscionable! But, in addition to the inhumanity inherent in this situation, there are serious administrative questions. Why is an essentially medical matter being administered by the child protection division of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services Further, why has the Special Services at Home (SSAH) program—which has been the vehicle for providing assistance (maximum $10 000/year) to both children and adults who are disabled—received no funding since 2006 Applicants are now told that the program has been “capped”. There are 17 000 persons on a “waiting list” of which 480 are infants!
This petition demands that the government of Ontario remove the “cap” on the SSAH program, and immediately implement the recommendations of Ontario’s Ombudsman that “the government re-legislate the power to make special needs agreements so that they are mandatory and administered outside of child protection matters.”
The silence from the ministry is heavy but it only proves they hope we will simply go away. I have spent the last few days reading through your stories and the weight of what families are living through is exhausting. We are not turning back until this system stops forcing parents to choose between custody and survival.
August 5, 2009
Seeing the momentum grow behind this demand proves that people are finally recognizing the cruelty of forcing parents to choose between custody and care. I am exhausted by the silence from those in power but the fact that so many of you see this injustice keeps me moving forward.
Reached 100 supporters
August 5, 2009
6 Comments
J
Jessica Osei
17 years ago
Featured
ridiculous that parents are forced to give up custody just to get basic care for their kids. how is this even legal in 2014???
L
Lisa Lee
17 years ago
Featured
SSAH funding has been a joke for years. My neighbors are struggling so much and getting zero help. Unacceptable.
S
Sarah Turner
17 years ago
Featured
My heart breaks for these families. No one should ever have to pick between keeping their child and getting them the help they need. Fix this now.
R
Robert Duncan
17 years ago
Featured
TOTAL DISGRACE. Take the medical decisions out of child protection hands and start funding these families like you promised.
D
David Gutierrez
17 years ago
Featured
The government needs to wake up. These kids deserve support not red tape.
M
Mark Wang
17 years ago
Featured
17,000 people waiting is just insane. Ontario can do way better than this. Stop playing games with kids lives.
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The government has finally agreed to remove the cap and move these services out of the child protection system. It has been a long and draining fight but I am relieved that families will no longer be forced into such impossible choices. We will keep watching to ensure these changes …
As residents of Ontario, we have the right to expect that our taxes are being used for the benefit of all. Yet parents of a severely handicapped child who are financially unable to provide the necessary around-the-clock care for the child, risk having to forfeit the custody of that child to the Childrens Aid Society in order to secure the needed care. This is unconscionable! But, in addition to the inhumanity inherent in this situation, there are serious administrative questions. Why is an essentially medical matter being administered by the child protection division of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services Further, why has the Special Services at Home (SSAH) program—which has been the vehicle for providing assistance (maximum $10 000/year) to both children and adults who are disabled—received no funding since 2006 Applicants are now told that the program has been “capped”. There are 17 000 persons on a “waiting list” of which 480 are infants!
This petition demands that the government of Ontario remove the “cap” on the SSAH program, and immediately implement the recommendations of Ontario’s Ombudsman that “the government re-legislate the power to make special needs agreements so that they are mandatory and administered outside of child protection matters.”
The silence from the ministry is heavy but it only proves they hope we will simply go away. I have spent the last few days reading through your stories and the weight of what families are living through is exhausting. We are not turning back until this system stops forcing parents to choose between custody and survival.
August 5, 2009
Seeing the momentum grow behind this demand proves that people are finally recognizing the cruelty of forcing parents to choose between custody and care. I am exhausted by the silence from those in power but the fact that so many of you see this injustice keeps me moving forward.
Reached 100 supporters
August 5, 2009
6 Comments
J
Jessica Osei
17 years ago
Featured
ridiculous that parents are forced to give up custody just to get basic care for their kids. how is this even legal in 2014???
L
Lisa Lee
17 years ago
Featured
SSAH funding has been a joke for years. My neighbors are struggling so much and getting zero help. Unacceptable.
S
Sarah Turner
17 years ago
Featured
My heart breaks for these families. No one should ever have to pick between keeping their child and getting them the help they need. Fix this now.
R
Robert Duncan
17 years ago
Featured
TOTAL DISGRACE. Take the medical decisions out of child protection hands and start funding these families like you promised.
D
David Gutierrez
17 years ago
Featured
The government needs to wake up. These kids deserve support not red tape.
M
Mark Wang
17 years ago
Featured
17,000 people waiting is just insane. Ontario can do way better than this. Stop playing games with kids lives.
ridiculous that parents are forced to give up custody just to get basic care for their kids. how is this even legal in 2014???