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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Hamilton, Ontario - June 6, 2022
Balance SSCS congratulates Premier Ford and the PC party for their election victory. We again look forward to offering our advice to the government on how to best support individuals with diverse needs and their families.
While progress has been made on the development and implementation of the Ontario Autism Program (OAP), there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. Back in December, an announcement was made regarding Core Clinical Services which is the part of the OAP that gives families direct funding for therapeutic services and supports. The government stated that it is "on track to meeting its commitment of providing 8,000 children with funding for core clinical services by fall 2022". We certainly hope so. While the COVID pandemic has caused massive delays, families are hoping to finally access much needed supports.
But, we must stress that children and youths who are disabled but not autistic don't have access to a comparable program like the OAP. If this government is going to implement a true "needs based" program, then it should be for ALL needs - not just one diagnosis. Otherwise, it's simply discriminatory. There is no reason why this province can't have an Ontario Disability Program that meets the needs of children and youths of all disabilities.
Furthermore, much more needs to be done to support Ontario's disabled adults. You made a promise to increase ODSP rates by 5% and introduce legislation to tie to inflation. This is not enough as it will still keep ODSP recipients in poverty. The disabled community have always been neglected. This needs to change. It is time that this province does what is right and commits to providing the supports and services that they need.
Going forward, we hope to see more progress with the OAP's implementation and a prioritization of supporting all disabled Ontarians.
For more information, please contact our team at balanceSSCS@gmail.com
Balance Support & Self Care Studios was created with parents and caregivers of individuals with diverse needs in mind. We recognize the value of the staff and community. We are committed to striving for excellence through inclusiveness, team collaboration, quality of services, and the participation and contributions of volunteers and community members. To learn more, please check out our website
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