November 30, 2007
In the last of our Face the Facts Fridays updates, we want to sincerely thank you for all your efforts in working to influencing the provincial government budget. We greatly appreciate your help and simply can not do this work without your support. Thanks to the many self advocates, family members, volunteers, friends and staff who have contacted their MLA, sent letters to the MCFD Minister, the Finance Minister, and the Premier, and spoken out in the media in the past several weeks.
It is important that we continue to urge as many people as possible to contact the Premier, the Finance Minister and their MLA .
It is very important that we keep our messages focused on the long, unacceptable waitlists for community living services and the need for increased funding.
Holiday greeting cards at this time of the year provide a great opportunity to write a personal note letting your MLA know that your family is counting on them to increase funding for community living services.
The media coverage and commentary on the Ministry of Children and Family Development spending priorities is not slowing down. The Deputy Minister of MCFD continued to defend the spending on the MCFD boardroom this week, saying people who had to meet in the old board room felt disrespected.
Victoria Times Colonist, Nov 28 - "Pricey reno at children's ministry defended"
The Minister of Children and Family Development was quoted in a Surrey newspaper saying that MCFD will increase the community living budget by 15% by the 2009/2010 fiscal year.
Surrey Now, Nov 13 - "'It makes me sick'"
With an accumulated government surplus of close to $12 Billion in the past 3 years, why is the Minister making people with special needs and their families who are in crisis wait for critically needed community living services?
We know that we still have a lot of work to do and many more MLAs to contact. We believe there still time to make our voices heard. We'll continue to stay in touch, and ask that you do the same. We'll continue to track the outcomes of your meetings with MLAs and look forward to hearing from you.
Again, many, many thanks for your ongoing support.
November 23, 2007
Thank you to all those who have been meeting with and contacting your MLAs about Community Living Supports - while lots of the MLAs have heard your concerns, many more still need to be contacted.
This week, a number of BCACL delegates were in Ottawa along with 350 other Canadians to lobby MPs about the need for federal leadership for disability supports. In recognition of the International Day for Persons with Disabilities, the END EXCLUSION event yesterday celebrated the collaboration of 35 National organizations that signed on to From Vision to Action: Building an Inclusive and Accessible Canada, A National Action Plan on Disability. Delegates walked and wheeled to the parliament buildings in a blinding snowstorm – but they had HUGE spirit! We are working hard on your behalf to ensure that the Canadian Government takes their rightful leadership on disability supports.
In the meantime, back home in BC – we really appreciate your efforts to get the word out to your MLAs and to the BC Government….
After today, we have one final Friday in November to get to the MLAs in their constituency offices - write, email or call...A simple message is all that is needed – how will they ensure that the needs of children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families are addressed in the next budget? The waitlists are unacceptable. We are counting on them.
Please let us know who you have contacted and if any follow up is needed – please be in touch if we can be of assistance. Thank you for your work and dedication!
November 16, 2007
The Report does not make one recommendation about government needing to increase funding to meet the needs of thousands of people with developmental disabilities on waitlists for community living supports in our province.
The Standing Committee clearly did not hear our voice of concern.
We know that government is making its decision about how it will allocate the 2008-2009 budget right now. We have to act now to influence this process. The budget will be announced in mid February.
We all need to act, both individually and collectively.
We will be hosting a conference call on December 5, 2007to discuss this urgent situation with Executive Directors from our federation. We will use this opportunity to share strategies and confirm actions we will coordinate provincially.
If you know that families and self advocates from your community have met with, or have a meeting scheduled with, their MLA, we'd really like to hear about it. Please also pass on any actions you are taking locally.
As we wrap up the third week of our "Face the Facts" Fridays campaign, we have heard from 7 families that they have contacted their MLA about the urgent need for increased funding. Unless we are not hearing from you, this means that 71 MLAs have not been contacted about this critical issue.
How can the provincial government be building the best system of supports for people with disabilities in Canada when they do not acknowledge that so many people with developmental disabilities and their families are in crisis?
The Finance Committee's Report can be found at http://www.leg.bc.ca/cmt/38thparl/session-3/fgs/index.htm
Please be in touch with Laney Bryenton or Cindy Chapman to share your thoughts or ask any questions.
November 9, 2007
This is your second "Face the Facts" Fridays update on BCACL's November budget influencing initiative.
We are now hearing from families from across the province that they are being told by local CLBC staff that there is either a "freeze on spending”, or that there is "no new money” available for the rest of this fiscal year (until the end of March 2008).
This news is very distressing.
The media coverage and debates in the legislature on MCFD's spending priorities continue to provide us with opportunities to share our stories about why government needs to make funding for community living supports a priority in next year's budget. Last week it was the report of the MCFD $560,000 office renovation, and this week it is the $20,000 MCFD staff retreat.
The Surrey Association for Community Living has written a letter to the Minister of Children and Family Development declaring their outrage at the cost of MCFD"s redecorated board room. We are sharing their letter with their permission - click here to read it. Their letter has been quoted in the media posted below.
Today, BCACL's President has written a letter to the editor that went to the Vancouver Sun, The Province and Victoria Times Colonist. Click here to read the letter. We have also sent additional background packages to key media contacts providing more details about the waitlists and needed resources.
There are still three more Fridays in November. Thank you for helping us tell government that funding for community living supports must be made a priority. Please keep in touch and let us know how you are able to help.
We"re attached a few media links here in case you haven't seen them. Please also watch our website for updated information.
Victoria Times Colonist, Nov 9 - "After ministry reno, a resort retreat"
The Province, Nov 9 - "Families, support workers irate at extravagance"
The Vancouver Sun, Nov 9 - "Ministry under fire after Shuswap sojourn"
Please be in touch if you have information you"d like to share or if we can help in any way - contact Laney Bryenton lbryenton@bcacl.org or Cindy Chapman cchapman@bcacl.org. Thank you so much!
November 2, 2007
This is the first of your "FACE the FACTS" Friday Update on BCACL's November budget influencing initiative.
Perhaps a few facts will galvanize your resolve to talk with your MLA or speak with your local media about the state of waitlists for children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families.
In a recent announcement the Finance Minister suggested that the budget surplus for the current fiscal year (2007-2008) will be approximately $1.6 billion. FYI - the budget surplus that was announced this time last year almost doubled by year end. If that held true for this year's forecast, the surplus by year end will be $3.2 billion or more. (Actual surplus for 2006-2007 was $4.3 billion)
Also, please see the links to news articles about Ministry of Children and Family Development spending:
The Province, Nov 2, "Children's ministry drops ball on plush office"
Victoria Times Colonist, Nov 2, "What the children's ministry did with $560,000"
Clearly, there are enough resources to address the waitlists - we need to build the political will.
The house will not be sitting on the week of November 12 - 16 - your MLAs will likely be in their home constituency offices - give them a call or an email ask them what they are going to do to address the needs of individuals and families who are on waitlists for services.
Do let us know how your meetings and calls are going, if your are writing to your government representatives we would love to be copies on your correspondence. Please be in touch if you have any questions or would like more information - Contact Laney Bryenton lbryenton@bcacl.org or Cindy Chapman cchapman@bcacl.org
Thank you for your time.