MOMS restores leaked ministry document disputing claims re PAFC plans, benefits

Several days ago, MOMS removed links to leaked Ministry documents discussing the proposed Provincial Autism Family Centre (PAFC), at the request of Ministry officials who claimed that we were violating confidentiality requirements.

After further investigation, we have declined the request, as the documents do not violate the privacy of any individual and further, because we believe that sharing the contents is in the public interest. We have restored the links and the Ministry briefing notes can now also be accessed directly at this link .

However, we wish to emphasize that the best way to ensure that families and the public are fully and accurately about the Province's plans to address major gaps in services for children with autism and other special needs is for Provincial authorities to demonstrate greater transparency and openness than has been true to date.

Background: We received these documents last summer. After months of further research and investigation, we requested in an Open Letter dated Oct 7, 2010 that the Province clarify several issues and concerns raised in the documents.

In particular, we noted contradiction relating to claims by Provincial authorities that public funding support for PAFC would improve services for children with autism. The leaked Ministerial briefing notes discussed plans to reallocate budgets for existing autism programs to cover PAFC's operating expenses, despite warnings from provincial policy advisers that this would negatively impact access to diagnosis and assesment, for example.  In our open letter to Premier Campbell, MCFD Ministry Mary Polak and Rich Coleman, Minister responsible for BC Housing (the source of the promised $20 million capital contribution to PAFC) we raised the following questions:

1) Immediately address the contradictions noted above and to clarify the status of the Province's planning and intentions around this project.

2) Cancel any further provincial funding and technical support for PAFC until the Ministry's own consultations demonstrate whether this project is consistent with province-wide community priorities for improving services and supports, as demonstrated through open, objective and transparent Ministry consultations.

3) Commit to families that there will be no reduction of current eligibility or access to autism services for children, youth or adults with ASD and their families.

4) Before allocating any further provincial capital or operating funding to PAFC, commit the new Provincial dollars required to expand eligibility and access to early intervention and family support services for children and youths with other developmental disabilities based on individual need, as specified under Pillar #3 of the 'Strong, Safe and Supported' Ministry Action Plan, and without any forced reduction in current access or eligibility for individuals with autism.

Six months later, Provincial officials have not answered any of these questions. In a public ceremony, Premier Campbell again claimed that the province's investment in PAFC would benefit children with autism. MOMS again challenged this claim. This time we provided a link to the actual ministry briefing documents that underlay our questions, in response to claims that we were misinforming and unduly alarming families.

We again urge the Province to act in a transparent manner and to demonstrate responsible governance principles to restore confidence that the Province is acting in the best interests of children, youths and adults with autism by:

1) Commissioning an independent needs asssesment to clarify the key gaps that need to be addressed to meet the needs of children, youths and adults with ASD in the province. Committing significant public dollars to support a costly private project without undertaking an objective needs assessment or a competitive RFP process is not consistent with principles of responsible governance.

2) Establishing a provincial mechanism to consult directly with families and other autism interests on autism needs, policies and priorities, and where best to invest any new public dollars to address those priorities.

3) Setting out, in clear and measurable terms, the Province's objectives for improving autism services, and how any proposed program/policy changes and/or investments of public dollars will support those objectives.

Dawn & Cyndi, MOMS