Toronto – OPSEU President Leah Casselman has condemned yesterday’s announcement by Ontario’s Ministry of Community and Social Services of its schedule for closing the province’s three regional centres for people with developmental disabilities.
Documents released yesterday show that the Ministry will start shutting units at the three centres in September, with the final closure of all three facilities scheduled for March 2009. However, the Ministry still has no plans in place for where residents will be housed or how they will be provided with equivalent services when they are
transferred to the community.
“Closing the regional centres will be a huge blow to some of Ontario’s most vulnerable citizens,” Casselman said. “Most residents have severe developmental disabilities and many have multiple diagnoses, physical disabilities or behavioural problems. The majority have lived in the centres for 20 years or more.”
“It is heartless to announce artificial deadlines for closing the centres without first providing firm plans for how each resident will receive the services they need in the community,” she said. “This announcement puts the lie to the promise Dalton McGuinty and his Liberal government made to rebuild Ontario’s public services.”
Together the Rideau Regional Centre in Smiths Falls, the Huronia Regional Centre in Orillia and the South-West Regional Centre in Blenhiem, Ont., provide residential care to more than 1,000 adults with developmental disabilities. The centres offer a wide range of specialized services, from on-site medical and dental care to behavioural
therapy, speech and language training, feeding specialists and recreational programming. Staff at the centres have extensive training in working with people with developmental and physical disabilities and behavioural issues.
The plan to close the regional centres has met with widespread opposition from residents’ parents and family members.
“My brother David has lived at the Huronia centre for 48 years,” said Jennifer Sutton. “He’s loved by the staff, and I know he gets the care and support he needs.”
“A change like this will really hurt David,” she continued. “The specialized medical attention he needs just doesn’t exist in the community, and I’m worried that the same level of care won’t be available.”
Parents whose children are already waiting for community-based services are also concerned about the impact of closing the centres. Barb Grenier’s 35-year-old son John has been on a waiting list for a group home for three years and has been told it will be at least six years before there will a space for him.
“Does this mean that the people coming out of the Regional Centres are going to be put ahead of my son?” Grenier asked.
“Everyone will lose if the regional centres are closed,” Casselman said. “The government’s plan will put the residents at risk, increase the strain on their families and put additional pressure on community services that are already struggling to meet current demands.”
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For more information, please contact:
Myles Magner, OPSEU Communications: 416-443-8888, ext 8777
