Jones highlights the disconnection between two provincial programs for children with special needs

May 23, 2013 · 0 Comments

Last week, Sylvia Jones MPP, Dufferin-Caledon rose in the Ontario Legislature to make a member’s statement about families in Dufferin-Caledon who face many challenges when transitioning between two provincial programs when their children with special needs turn 18 years old.

“I rise today, on Community Living Day, to share the concerns and comments of my constituents in Dufferin–Caledon regarding the government’s changes to Special Services at Home and the Passport program. Individuals with special needs, and their families, are experiencing many challenges when transitioning from one program to the next,” said MPP Jones.

“Many families in Dufferin–Caledon and throughout Ontario have children with special needs who require ongoing support to be able to live and participate in our community after leaving school. However, funding changes that came into effect last year have meant that those children are now falling between the cracks because the transition between the two programs is not seamless.

Community Living Ontario reports that there are over 4,000 adults on the waiting list for the Passport program. This means children today who are now reaching their 18th birthday and receive Special Services at Home will be cut off from funding and placed on a waiting list for the Passport program.

Worse still are those young adults with special needs who remain in school until the age of 21. They are not eligible for Passport until they complete school, but their Special Services at Home funding is cut off on their 18th birthday.

Children with developmental disabilities wake up with the same special needs on their 18th birthday. What changes is that the services they received when they were 17 years old will no longer exist. Instead, they will be forced to take a number and wait.

When will this government step up and remove the red tape it has imposed on families who rely on these vital support services?”

Visit www.sylviajonesmpp.ca for more.