This is an archive of news stories and research from the National Union of Public and General Employees. Please see our new site - https://nupge.ca - for the most current information.
“Given the findings of the Select Committee, the crisis in Ontario’s developmental services can no longer be swept under the rug. I want to congratulate the Wynne government for following through with this substantial response to a serious crisis,” said OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas.
Toronto (17 April 2014) — The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE) welcomes the announcement of $810 million in new funding over the next three years for Ontario developmental services.
Ontario government commits $810 million in new funding to Development Services
The union is hopeful that Minister McMeekin will make it a priority to allocate long-needed funds to not-for-profit community agencies, relieving the unstable and fractured continuity of care caused by high turnover in staff and a part-time workforce.
The findings of the recent all-party Select Committee on Developmental Services provided crucial insight into the crisis of access to timely and specialized care.
“Given the findings of the Select Committee, the crisis in Ontario’s Developmental Services can no longer be swept under the rug. I want to congratulate the Wynne government for following through with this substantial response to a serious crisis,” said OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas.
OPSEU/NUPGE hopeful that funding will go to not-for-profit community agencies who provide service to people with intellectual disabilities
The proposed budget’s promise to eliminate waiting lists for adults over four years and children over 2 years, and to establisha Developmental Services Housing Taskforce are commendable initiatives that addresses the crisis head-on.
“Four years is still a long time to wait for access to services, especially for families who have already spent years on a wait list. However this promised funding will bring significant improvements to the lives of thousands of families,” said OPSEU Developmental Services Sector Chair, Patti Markland.
“I am hopeful that priority will be given to increasing the number of front-line staff at not-for-profit community agencies who provide the skilled quality services that people with intellectual disabilities depend on,” said Markland. “Everyone deserves to have access to quality and specialized care no matter where they live, or what their personal income may be.”
OPSEU/NUPGE represents more than 10,000 developmental services workers across Ontario.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE