Kelowna realtor Kara Rosart is one of countless residents who, over the years, has donated money towards the Starbright Children’s Development Centre.
“I know a lot of families that (have) been using the facility,” Rosart said.
A couple of years ago she donated about $2,000.
The non-profit organization used the money to buy a large toy shed.
But with the facility being forced to close as the provincial government moves to a centralized system to deliver support services for children, donors like Rosart are wondering what will happen to all of those community-purchased items.
“I have no idea what they’re going do with the stuff that was purchased by people’s hard-working money,” Rosart said. “It’s a question for me.”
And she’s not the only one.
Mohini Singh is the co-chair of the Kids Matter Campaign which was responsible for raising tens of thousands of dollars for a therapeutic playground at Starbright. She’s also a city councillor.
“We raised approximately $80,000 entirely from the community,” Singh said. “I mean that’s a lot of money, and for what?”
The play area, with specialized equipment for physical and neurological disabilities, opened less than two years ago.
“Donors that I spoke with feel a complete sense of betrayal,” Singh told Global News.
While staff wages are covered by the Ministry of Children and Family Development, a large amount of therapy equipment including therapy tables, audio equipment and specialized toys, have all been purchased with public donations.
“Millions of dollars over the years. In the last few years, I can easily say close to a million,” said Carol Meise, Starbright board chair. “So it’s substantial.”
Even the facility’s humble beginnings 57 years ago, said Meise, are rooted in public support.
“This very building was raised and erected and paid for by donations from the community,” Meise said.
Starbright’s impending closure is due to the provincial government creating pilot family connections centres (FCC) in four B.C. communities, including Kelowna.
The contract to operate the FCC in Kelowna was awarded to ARC Programs, a private company that will serve the needs of children from birth until the age of 18.
Starbright provides early intervention to children from birth until school entry age.
Starbright was not successful in its application for the contract to operate the FCC.
While its contract was set to end on March 31, the ministry announced Thursday it’s extending it until June to allow more time for families to transition to the FCC.
“This has got a bigger ramification in that it’s not just us. There are many, many child development centers in the province that this may affect in a very short period of time,” Meise said. “This might be the start of an avalanche.”
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