Cutting social services won't pay benefits

Slashing government programs will push up health-care costs

By Jennifer Charlesworth, Special to Times Colonist

February 17, 2010

An economist with one of Canada's big banks commented to media last month that health-care spending is the budgetary equivalent of Pac-Man, "eating everything else in people's budgets."

In B.C., health-care spending has risen almost 50 per cent in the last eight years and accounts for more than 40 per cent of all provincial expenditures. In Canada, the $128 billion a year spent on health care consumes 12 per cent of the national GDP.

Is that simply the price we have to pay for good health?

In a word, no. For many years, researchers have studied the factors in a person's life that determine good health. They concluded long ago that a good health-care system is by no means the only requirement -- in fact, it's just a quarter of the story. Read more

MOMs marks Children’s Day, 20^th year of UN Convention, with petition urging BC Premier to honour promises to kids

NOV. 19, 2009:—This Friday, Nov. 20 marks the 20^th anniversary of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child – a date that is also celebrated annually in Canada and elsewhere as universal Children’s Day.

The MOMs provincial family support network, which has staged a series of actions in recent weeks to draw attention to BC families’ concerns about new cuts and ongoing gaps in critical services for children at risk, is marking the occasion by officially launching an online petition urging BC’s Premier to start living up to commitments made to BC’s vulnerable children.

The UN Convention, a legally binding instrument, states that “in all actions concerning children …the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.” Article 23 notes the obligation of signatory states to provide special supports for children with mental and physical disabilities “in a manner conducive to the child's achieving the fullest possible social integration and individual development.” Article 29, which deals with the right to a free public education, re-emphasizes the right to “development of the child's personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential.” Elsewhere, the Convention addresses the obligation of signatory states to support parents in meeting the needs of their children where families are unable to do so themselves.  

While the Convention acknowledges that state support will be shaped by available resources, nowhere does it suggest these supports should be way down on the list of national priorities, after political leaders and senior bureaucrats have enjoyed exorbitant pay and benefit increases and spent billions on hosting lavish events and costly physical infrastructure projects.   

Under Great Goal #3 of his Strategic Plan for BC, Premier Campbell implicitly acknowledged these commitments when he promised to “build the best system of support in Canada” for children with special needs and those at risk. It was a truly laudable goal – but one that was never honoured and that has now been forgotten.

While BC enjoyed record budget surpluses, waitlists for crucial supports grew longer, both in and out of school. Now Children’s Minister Mary Polak has cut millions, eliminating key programs for autism, FASD, infant and child development and Aboriginal children at risk. Other cuts include youth programs (mental health, addiction treatment), Special Olympics and funding for community-based children’s services. Polak also cut critical monitoring and oversight roles that assure children’s welfare and safety, and cut out important delivery options like direct funding. There was no risk assessment of impacts and these cuts accompany yet another major ministry re-structuring that will further strain capacity to support children at risk.

Just this week, a leaked Ministry memo revealed that the Ministry is already planning even deeper cuts targeting early intervention and community-based intervention for vulnerable children and youth in BC for 2010-11, in order to meet budget reduction targets.

Professionals, disability groups, families, community organizations, staff and ordinary citizens have pleaded with Premier Campbell, Minister Polak and their colleagues to reconsider the damage they are causing. Decades of research affirm the cost benefits of intensive early intervention and support for at-risk children – this offers real hope to struggling children and saves us all far more than it costs. For example, if families cannot cope with severely challenging children as a result of the cuts limiting access to therapy, the Ministry will be forced to assume professional 24/7 care for them, at a cost of $150,000 per child per year or more, possibly for the rest of their lives.

These cuts are not necessary – they’re about priorities that dishonour both the UN Convention and the Premier’s commitment under Goal #3. The revised BC budget commits $14 billion in new capital spending. Alberta spends twice as much on autism for fewer kids – and hasn’t cut this despite a far higher deficit. BC’s cuts will impose far higher costs on other ministries (education, housing, justice & social services). But Polak says this is the best we can do to help BC’s vulnerable children.

We disagree. These cuts are foolish, short-sighted, dishonourable and heartless. MOMs does not believe that denying supports to children in need and children at risk is consistent with the values that we hold as British Columbians. Since BC’s vulnerable children can’t speak up against these cuts, it is our job as parents and citizens to stand up for them. If enough British Columbians choose to speak up, government will have to respond. Remaining silent means turning our backs on each child in need.

We are therefore appealing to all British Columbians to join us by signing and circulating our petition urging Premier Campbell to honour the promises made to BC’s children by acting immediately to restore, protect and strengthen vital supports for all children in need and at risk.

Details of cuts, affected programs and our ongoing campaign at MOMs: http://MomsNetwork.ca 

MOMs media contacts: Cyndi Gerlach: 604 987-6608 h./ 604 831-6608 c. or momsonthemove@telus.net

Dawn Steele: 604 874-1416 h. /778 235-4998 c. or dawns@telus.net

The "North Region STOB 80 Reduction Planning Process and Principals" (sic) document refers to a process for "cost recovery" for the current year and outlines planning, roles, principles and provincial direction guiding a second process that is also now underway to determine further reductions for 2010-11 in order to meet Ministry budget targets.

While the document specifically refers to the process underway in BC North Region, Children's Minister Mary Polak has confirmed that this is a Ministry-wide initiative that affects all regions.

The leaked document refers to management teams being informed of budget targets at the outset of this process but does not stipulate what the funding reduction targets are for 2009-10 and for 2010-11. Minister Polak told Public Eye Online today that there were no targets and that this was just a discussion document, which is not consistent with what the Ministry document itself states (the Minister has also repeatedly claimed that there are no cuts, which is not consistent with any grasp of reality)

This process appears to be the same one cited in an earlier memo leaked via Public Eye in August, which cited a provincial budget reduction target of $3.6 million for 2009-10 for the contracted agencies under one provincial grouping.  

The STOB 80 Reduction document states that contract funding reduction plans for 2010-11 must be submitted by December 15 and approved by December 18, so that the Ministry can give notice to impacted contractors by January 31, 2010.

The document also outlines the provincial direction guiding the funding reduction planning process now underway:

• These reductions are consistent with the $32 million in cuts or "streamlining" being implemented internally by the Ministry.
• Consultation and collaboration with partners such as the Federation of Community Social Services of BC (Federation) and the BC Association of Child Development and Intervention (BCACDI) in exchange for the Ministry agreeing not to meet its reduction targets via across-the-board funding cuts.
• Non-discretionary services that already face significant cost pressures to be exempted: Children in Care (permanency planning), Delegated Aboriginal services, Child Care, Autism, Medical Benefits and Nursing Support
• Budget cuts will primarily affect community-based intervention and early intervention services and non-residential services, whether the contracts are managed by the MCFD Regions, provincially or under CLBC
• Cuts "required for 10/11 fiscal year may involve some service reductions after all other opportunities for savings have been exhausted."

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REDUCTIONS

1. Funding services outside the Ministry Mandate (NOTE: MCFD's legislated mandate cover a very narrow range of child protection services, so this is a very broad range)
2. Uncommitted Funding Review
3. Discretionary funding
4. Contracts  that have Repetitive  Surpluses
5. Resolve any commitments that are greater than allocated budget
6. Reorganising contracts to provide efficiencies
7. Programs not Providing any Direct service

 GUIDANCE

1. A communities vulnerability must be considered when planning reductions
2. Non Aboriginal Agencies First
3. Reductions to Agencies must not affect their financial Viability
4. Large contractors have the potential to manage some reductions through efficiencies

Moms shared this information earlier today with community groups, agencies, Ministry staff, media and the Opposition critic, calling for a transparent public process to review where BC is going with regard to services for vulnerable children in this province.  Other concerns raised:

• That Minister Polak and her senior staff have consistently and repeatedly denied to family stakeholders, the public, the Legislature and the media that budget cuts are in store or occurring within our sector, while discussing budget cuts for the current year and further cuts in the year ahead with staff and contracted agencies. 
• The extent to which some or all contracted community agencies have helped government to keep families and the public in the dark about budget cuts expected to negatively impact vital early intervention services for thousands of at-risk children in this province.

This Friday, we mark the 20th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which committed us all to putting the interests of children first.

MOMS calls on all those who still believe in that commitment to join us in making it clear that budget cuts to ANY services, programs or sectors that serve vulnerable children in BC are not acceptable - NOT when existing budgets already deny vital services and supports to so many children with special needs and children at risk in our province and NOT when this province can simultaneously afford to spend BILLIONS on other "priorities".

In addition to shaking up the morning commute, people around the province called MLAs and the premier, sent emails and letters and delivered balloons. Here, sad-face balloons being delivered to Burnaby MLA Richard Lee.

Below is an updated list of media reports on the October 28 day of action and the continuing campaign against cuts to programs for children with special needs.

Print media:

24 Hours/The Tyee: Media...ignore cuts to vulnerable children

Langley Times: Parents keep up pressure over autism funding

Abbotsford News: Moms protest on autism issue

Georgia Straight: Mothers of special needs kids to protest program cuts across BC

Invermere Valley Echo: Moms speak out against cuts

Kamloops this Week: Honk for autism funding

Kelowna.com: Kelowna moms protest government cuts

Kelowna News: Protesters march on MLA's office

Kelowna Capital News: Families protest cuts to autism programs

Merritt Herald: Moms protest special needs cutbacks

Prince George Citizen: Parents protesting cutbacks at MLA's office this morning

Opinion 250 News Prince George: Morning protest in PG

Vernon Morning Star: Parents protest special needs funding

Radio & TV:

CKFR Radio Kelowna

Sun Radio Vernon

CBC Radio: The Early Edition

CFAX: Joe Easingwood

CBC TV: English and French News

CTV TV News (Surrey group)

City TV: Morning, Noon and Evening News

A Channel News: Vancouver Island

CHEK TV Victoria

Prince George Free Press: Moms on the Move protest at MLAs office

If you can't make it in person, you can still participate by emailing a letter to Premier Campbell urging him to honour his promises to BC's children. Or call your MLA on Wednesday to express your support.

Communications:

Media Release: click here

Letter to Premier Campbell: click here

Fact Sheets: Backgrounders on key program cut: EIBI (autism), IDP (Infant Development)

Oct 28 Action flyer: For information about the event, click here. 

MOMs Op Ed: For a summary of issues & concerns, click here

Action Kit: For sign-making tips, click here; for suggested slogans, click here. 

Photos/video: Reminder to all groups: please take digital photos & brief video clips to help us compile a U-tube video for further distribution.

Media contacts: 

• Vancouver: Dawn Steele: dawns@telus.net, 604 874-1416 h./778 235-4998 c.
• Victoria: Catherine Turnquist: catherine.queeb70@gmail.com 250 686-3953 c.
•  (or local coordinator - see below)

Confirmed Locations:

Vancouver Island

 Victoria: Five locations - all from 7:30 - 8:30 am

• A: #1 H/way overpass b/tween McKenzie & Helmken: Catherine Turnquist: 250 686-3953
• B: #1 H/way: Town & Country Walmart overpass: Coordinator Hollie Davis: 250 882-6450
• C: Pat Bay Highway - Royal Oak Bridge: Coordinator Chris McIntosh: 250 588-3061 
• D: Blanchard/Caledonia - SaveOnFoods Arena:  Contact Cher Sherwood 250 881-3996
• E: Sooke Bridge: Coordinator Kathleen Forget: 250 589-2890
• F: Bay Street Bridge area:  Coordinator Nicole Strong 250 217-9797

Victoria participants will later assemble at the Legislature to deliver balloons to Premier Gordon Campbell and MLAs . Victoria coordinator Cher Sherwood: 250 881-3996 c. or vwcher@hotmail.com

Campbell River: Tamarac Street  Bridge (new bridge over the Campbell River), 7:30 - 8:30 am. Local coordinator Coralee Boyce: 250 204-1200 c. or CBoyce@viic.ca

Mayne Island: March from the school to the bakery starting at 12 noon. More details from Mayne Island coordinator Annette Witteman: 250 539-5011 or annettepmw@shaw.ca

**NEW: Sunshine Coast

*NEW! Sechelt: In front of St Mary's Hospital, 8:30 am. Contact Merrily at merrilyc@dccnet.com

Lower Mainland

North Van - Lions Gate Bridge: North Van side, from 7:30 - 8:30 am.  Extra signs available or bring your own. Further details from Cyndi Gerlach, North Van MOMs Coordinator: 604 831-6608 cel or MomsOnTheMove@telus.net

Vancouver Burrard Bridge: South end from 7:30 - 8:30 am (opposite Molson & Seaforth Armoury at Burrard & Cornwall - see map for details of roadworks & parking) .  Extra signs available. At noon, Vancouver groups will reconvene at Premier Campbell's Constituency Office, 3615 West 4th Avenue, to deliver balloons and a statement asking him to live up to his promises to BC's children. Further details available from Dawn Steele, Burrard Coordinator: 778 235-4998 or dawns@telus.net.

Vancouver Oak St. Bridge: Vancouver side (see map), from 7:30 - 8:30 am. Extra signs available or bring your own. At noon, both Vancouver groups will reconvene at Premier Campbell's Constituency Office, 3615 West 4th Avenue, to deliver balloons and a statement asking him to live up to his promises to BC's children. Further details available from Barb Laird, Osk St Coordinator: barb@telus.net or 604 910-9990 cel.

* NEW: Burnaby: Burnaby parents will deliver messages & balloons  to local MLA offices to symbolize vulnerable kids who are waiting for help.

Surrey: Highway #1/176th overpass, 7:30 - 8:30 am. Local coordinator Chris Doucette: 604 307-6346 c. or cjdouce@yahoo.com

Langley: Highway #1/Langely overpass, 7:30 - 8:30 am. (UPDATE!!!Consolidated with the Surrey action at the 176th overpass - please join Chris's group there instead!)Local coordinator Chris Doucette: 604 307-6346 c. or cjdouce@yahoo.com

Abbotsford: Clearbrook overpass on Highway 1, 7:30 - 8:30 am. Extra signs available or bring your own. Contact Karen Davis: 604 302-6949 or kayceda@mac.com

Interior & North

Kamloops: Sahali & Columbia St. intersection, 7:30 - 8:30 am. Parking in Superstore & Sahali Mall. Signs available or bring your own. Local coordinator: Samantha Warden: 250 371-7541 or swarden@gmail.com

Kelowna: 2121 Ethel Street (outside MLA Steve Thomson's office at the corner of Ethel &  Springfield/Cadder) starting at 9:30 am.  Signs available or bring your own. Local coordinator is Lisa Watson: 250 212-4075 c. / 250 762-3076 h. or kellylisa@shaw.ca. Kelowna area residents who can't attend are urged to telephone Kelowna  area MLAs on Oct. 28 to voice support for the MOMS campaign:

• Steve Thomson - Kelowna/Mission: 250 712-3620
• Norm Letnick - Kelowna/Lake Country: 250 765-8516
• Ben Stewart - Westside/Kelowna: 250 768-8426

Vernon: Polson Park at the Fountain (32nd Street & 25th Avenue), 7:30 - 8:30 am.  Local coordinator is Craeg Pohorelic: 250 260-1758 h. /250-308-9851 c. or craegp@shaw.ca or craeg@noyfss.org

Merritt: Corner of Vogt & Nicola (across from 7-11), from 7:45 - 8:45 am. Local coordinator Lynn Krausert 250 315-8118 c.

Prince George: 770 Central Street (MLA Pat Bell's office - across from Spruceland Shopping Centre), from 7:30 - 8:30 am. Local coordinator Milanka Pavlic: 250 552-2040 c./ 250 596-1407 h or mpfortuneaw@hotmail.com or Heather Allison 250 962-9680

Invermere: Local coordinator Susan Kurbis: 250 342 3056 h. or susan_kurbis@hotmail.com.

Questions/info about locations or to register additional groups: Cyndi Gerlach, 604 987-6608 h./604 831-6608 c. or MomsOnTheMove@telus.net 

Children's cuts - in the media:

Kelowna Daily Courier: Parents of autistic children not giving up

The Tyee: In BC, suffer the children: Premier Campbell's forgotten promise to BC's youngsters with special needs

The Medical News: Health Sciences Association: BC's autism cuts not good for kids

Langley Times: Strange priorities

Kamloops This Week: The problem is Campbell, Polak don't get it

Click here for more...

Children's cuts - other groups speak out:

Health Sciences Association: Statement

 BC FamilyNet: Letter to Minister Polak

BC Association for Community Living: Press release

BC Coalition for People with Disabilities: Letter to Minister

Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion: Letter to Minister

Provincial Advisor, IDP: press release

Provincial Advisor, SCD: press release

MP Keith Martin: letter of support

One mom's petition re autism cuts: sign here 

(Please distribute widely, with apologies for cross-postings!)

Vancouver, October 13, 2009

Premier Campbell's  forgotten promise:

BC government's 2006 - 2009 Strategic Plan: 5 Great Goals for the Golden Decade:

Goal #3: 'Build the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, those with special needs, children at risk, and seniors.'

Three years later, the BC government has forgotten all about about Great Goal #3. We've seen no improvements in supports for children and youth with special needs. Existing systems are being dismantled and services cut, with no effort to resolve long-standing service gaps:

• Intensive intervention programs for autism axed, despite overwhelming need & evidence these programs work well & expert advice that direct funding is not an effective alternative for many.
• Parents who effectively manage autism funding forced to switch to Ministry-administered payments. This will create new problems, including delays and higher costs
• Provincial offices that provide direct services including oversight, coordination, training and standards for community Infant Development Programs and Aboriginal IDPs to be axed.
• Axing of the provincial Supported Child Care office, which was recently created to resolve problems from the lack of oversight, coordination, training & consistency in local SCC programs.
  • URGENT NOTE: A month's notice won't allow SCC staff to properly transfer roles. Pls. urge govt to at least extend these roles to March 2010 to permit an orderly transition.
• Healthy Choices in Pregnancy program, which focussed on reducing FASD - axed
• Budget for children in care - reduced
• Youth mental health programs cut, along with programs for youth fighting addiction
• Capital grants and funded spaces for childcare programs - reduced
• $32 million in cuts to Ministry staff who manage & deliver programs and supports.
• Front-line agencies that deliver programs ordered to make further cuts totalling $3.6 million.
• Roots of Empathy program cut
• NO risk assessment or consultation with families & agencies about impacts of cuts!

Savings from these cuts are NOT being used to expand services to children currently waitlisted or denied access to services & family supports (e.g. children with Down Syndrome). 

• Young adults still denied services on the basis of IQ, contrary to promised policy change.
• Thousands of children still denied urgently-needed services or waitlisted. Govt has failed to document waitlists and service gaps or to demonstrate any progress in resolving these despite years of promises.
• MCFD has spent over a year restructuring services for children with special needs - again! - with no effort to consult families who are the primary partners in delivering most children's supports.

We can afford to do better

The BC government argues this "belt tightening" is needed because of tough economic times. Yet:

• Premier Campbell failed to strengthen front-line services and supports for children and youth with special needs and their families despite record budget surpluses in recent years.
• His government continues to waste millions on endless restructuring of children's services 
• The Premier has committed $14 billion to new capital spending in his 2010 budget at the same time that vital children's programs are being cut.
• Premier Campbell remains committed to spending $20 million on bricks and mortar to help construct a new autism building in Vancouver, after BC families overwhelming stressed in a MOMS survey last year that maintaining and enhancing services was by far the top priority.

MOMS get Militant again

Concerned BC parents formed Moms on the Move (MOMS) in 2001 to fight drastic cuts to children's services and we've become the largest family network supporting children with special needs in BC. Parents have urged MOMS to speak up again, and an expanded MOMS advocacy committee met October 10 and agreed that:

• MOMS will re-organize and work with other groups to lead a broad-based campaign to alert families, the public and MLAs about growing gaps and new cuts affecting children & youth with special needs, contrary to govt claims that it's protecting/enhancing services.
• MOMS will put the 'Militant' back in our name to convey families' frustration over the province's failure to address serious gaps and further erosion of support. BC's moms and dads are determined to hold Premier Campbell accountable to his promises to BC's children.

Advocacy campaign: Phase 1:

ACTION 1: Urge the Provincial Budget Committee to reverse these cuts and address serious service gaps for BC's most vulnerable children and youth

Please join those speaking up for BC's vulnerable children. The Finance & Government Services Committee is accepting public input on budget priorities for the 2010 BC Budget. Anyone can email comments or simply complete a quick online survey until the October 23 deadline. 

Answer the quick online survey here:

Or e-mail your comments to: FinanceCommittee@leg.bc.ca (Please include your contact information)

ACTION 2: If you haven't already done so, copy your comments to your local MLA - or to every BC MLA at once, by copying and pasting the email list below. Ask your MLA what he/she will do to respond. Ask to meet in person if you have time. Let them know how many voters in your family and circle of friends agree that BC's vulnerable children deserve better.

MOMS is setting up a new Web site and provincial organizational structure and connecting with provincial and community partners to support families in ongoing advocacy - stay tuned for more. We're also seeking volunteers from across BC, so please let us know if you wish to get more involved in supporting further advocacy initiatives!

Dawn Steele & Cyndi Gerlach, for

Militant Moms on the Move

MLA Email list