Manitoba is putting $8 million into a pilot bridge program created to address current weaknesses and gaps in children’s disability services.
The two-year bridge program announced Friday will focus on helping families who are forced to place their kids with Child and Family Services (CFS) due to a lack of available resources needed for their child’s complex disabilities.
“I can’t imagine a harder decision or a more heartbreaking decision to make if you’re a family member dealing with a child with severe developmental disabilities that you don’t feel adequately equipped to deal with anymore, and that the options provided to you are to put your child in a CFS placement when there’s no protection issues,” said Families Minister Rochelle Squires.
“That is not only a heartbreaking avenue, it is also a very expensive avenue.”
With the aim of helping approximately 20 families each year, an annual budget of $4 million will be used over the program’s two-year span.
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“What we’re offering today is an opportunity for the families to stay together,” Squires said, “for the families to still be the legal parent or the guardian while their child can access those services that they would have otherwise received if they were in CFS care.”
The project will incorporate the Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth’s recommendations listed in a special report last year.
“Over 400 people were consulted in the making that special report,” said Ainsley Krone, acting Manitoba advocate for children and youth.
“What we heard from Manitoba families is that many of them are struggling with underfunded services inside a complex public system that leaves them unsure where to turn for supports.”
“My team and I will continue to monitor the implementation of recommendations made in our special report. Children with disabilities in Manitoba have fundamental human rights to live, to thrive and to participate in society, and we must continue to work towards realizing these rights,” Krone said.