Influencing the Provincial Government Budget Decisions
"Face the Facts” Fridays, November 2007
The fact is that children and youth with special needs, adults with developmental disabilities and their families are in crisis.
The time to act is now.
We are advocating government to increase funding for community living supports and we need your help.
Scroll below to understand our strategy for "Face the facts" Friday and know what you can do.
Here are the facts: visit this section for some background information that might help clarify the issue.
Resources: visit this section to access resources that will help you in the process.
Updates: visit this section to read BCACL's updates on this initiative through the month of November.
Use the five Fridays in November to inform MLAs about the lengthy and unacceptable waitlists for community living supports and services and ask them to support increased funding in the provincial government budget to address these needs.
Why Fridays in November?
- Fridays are the MLAs' constituency days.
- Even though the budget is announced in February, most decisions are made now.
- The Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services will release its report recommending spending priorities to the legislature by November 15.
- Treasury Board is currently reviewing submissions received from Ministries and Community Living BC.
Every voice counts! Whether you have all the supports you need, or whether you are on a waitlist, please contact government and ask them to increase supports for community living. Even the simplest message will make a difference.
1. Contact your MLA
- Call your MLA and request a meeting on a Friday in November.
Meeting with your MLA is very important because your personal stories are powerful tools. Tell your MLA how important it is to have community living supports in place or tell them how difficult things are without support. Share your experiences whenever possible. Tell your MLA that you need her/him to support an increase in funding to address the waitlists for community living supports and services. Ask your MLA to make this commitment to you. Feel free to repeat or use some of our key messages if you find them helpful.
- If you can't secure a meeting, send a letter or email to the MLA.
- Email a photo of you or your family with the caption "We are counting on you to increase supports for community living”.
- If a letter is too much, simply call the MLAs office. Give your name and phone number and leave a message saying you want the MLA to support increased funding to address the long waitlists for community living services. Ask the MLA to call you back and confirm their support.
2. Write a letter to the Minister of Children and Family Development, the Minister of Finance and the Premier. The Minister of Children and Family Development is responsible for providing funding to Community Living BC.
3. Encourage your family members, friends and co-worker to deliver the same message.
What can you do from an association level?
- Support self advocates, families and your volunteer leadership to meet, call or write to their MLA.
- Offer to attend the meetings with them to provide support and take notes.
- Invite people to come to your office and use your computers to send emails, write letters, use the phone.
- Host a Friday “lunch and learn” session in your association to share information and walk people though this strategy and the key messages.
- Let your local media know that there are meetings happening with the MLAs.
- Send a letter to the editor about waitlists in your community.
- Organize a Friday “walk” to the MLAs office so self advocates and families can drop off their letters, photos and stories as a group.
- Host a community meeting and invite MLAs to meet with self advocates and families.
- Post flyers in your front entrances encouraging people to send a message to their MLA in November.
- Post messages on your website and/or distribute in newsletters.
- Tell BCACL what you are doing so we can share your strategies with others.
