Community Living BC has been in the news a lot lately. The agency has come under fire after recent program cuts.
This morning some of the key government players in charge of CLBC are in Surrey.
Social Development Minister Stephanie Cadieux and CLBC’s new Interim CEO Doug Woollard were on hand at the youth transition fair held Saturday morning at the Chuck Bailey recreation centre.
The fair gives those with developmental disabilities and their families a chance to learn about services provided.
Program cuts and services not being delivered put CLBC into a negative spotlight in recent weeks. Public outrage and media scrutiny resulted in a number of changes at CLBC, including the appointment of a new minister and a new interim CEO. The government has announced an internal audit of CLBC and just yesterday the province announced it is cancelling bonuses for the organization’s managers.
Social Development Minister Stephanie Cadieux spoke with Global’s reporter Jennifer Palma this morning defending the work that CLBC is doing, while promising to get to the bottom of the issues facing the agency.
She says CLBC has acknowledged that in certain circumstances things have not gone as they should.
Cadieux says they are working quickly to resolve existing issues, but the vast majority of people are receiving great service.
- Life in the forest: How Stanley Park’s longest resident survived a changing landscape
- ‘They knew’: Victims of sexual abuse by Ontario youth leader sue Anglican Church
- Carbon rebate labelling in bank deposits fuelling confusion, minister says
- Buzz kill? Gen Z less interested in coffee than older Canadians, survey shows
Faced with criticism over whether the changes being proposed are adequate, Cadieux says she is here to make sure everything that can be done is being accomplished from the government’s perspective.
“I have committed to a very thorough review of the CLBC services, and how they are provided on behalf of government to people who need them,” said Cadieux. “I want to make sure that people are receiving the services they need to be fully included in the society. That is our ultimate goal.”
She says things like today’s youth transition fair are essential in achieving that goal.
“We do provide opportunities like this for families to come out and talk to more than 40 organizations about services they provide in the community to assist in that transition for them.
Are there things we can do better? Yes, and we are working on figuring out what those are and how we can do it better.”
Cadieux says they want to focus on individuals and their ability to be included in the society to the fullest extent.
“It is a fantastic model,’ said Cadieux.
Comments