LONDON – Terence Kernaghan, MPP for London North Centre, met on Friday with parents and full-time caregivers of adults living with developmental disabilities to discuss Ontario’s lack of supportive housing available for their children.
The concerned parents had petitioned the government’s Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services in October of 2018 and again last November, asking for a meeting to discuss the issue. Months later, the families say the Ministry has yet to meet with them.
“Families who have children with developmental disabilities are desperate to find safe and appropriate housing solutions so that their kids can have a chance at a good quality of life. The government continues to keep these families in the dark, failing to provide information or support,” Kernaghan said.
“Government cuts to social service agencies and their plan to cut $1 billion from the ministry responsible for overseeing programs for the developmentally disabled hurt families like these. Years of cuts mean the waitlist for supportive housing is over 25 years long, but parents and children need support now. Families shouldn’t be pushed to the brink of crisis to receive the support they so desperately need. They can’t wait any longer, and families deserve better.”