[FEAT BC Admin]

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[Joanna Ng]

Dear Feat readers,
I'm posting this for SCDP.

***

Hello,
We would like to gather families to meet, discuss challenges with respect to being waitlisted with Supported Childcare Development Program (SCDP), share our stories and concerns, and work together towards solutions. This meeting will be very timely for us to present our cause as a collective voice, in light of the Provincial government's 2011 Budget Consultations on September 15, 2010. Please see the attached letter for more information about our family and why you should come out. Our goal is to draw on the power of families to make a better world for our children.

Please pass this on to as many families as possible, and interested parties such as MLAs, daycares, preschools, after-school care, etc.

Date: September 13, 2010
Time: 7:15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.
Address: Burnaby Public Library – McGill, 4595 Albert Street, Burnaby
Program Room (turn right past the return desk)

Please RSVP (due to space restriction) by email to SCDPinitiative@gmail.com or by phone to 778-986-2107 778-986-2107 .

If you are unable to attend but would like to be part of our initiative, please send your email address to us. We will keep you abreast of developments and ways that you can be a part of this initiative.

Together we are strong,
Wendy Seet and Marc Adams

September 4, 2010
MEETING ¨C SEPTEMBER 13th
Dear Families,
We are the proud parents of a child with special needs. Her name is Kate. She is 3 years old and
has Down syndrome. Our daughter is one of hundreds of children across the Lower Mainland on
a waitlist with Supported Child Development Program (SCDP) for extra staffing support. This
waitlist and the lack of services make us also very worried parents.
Are you in the same situation? Are you a worried parent of a child with special needs? Is your
child on waitlist with SCDP? If so, we strongly recommend you to attend this meeting on
September 13th.
The SCDP provides consultation and staffing support so children with special needs can be
included in childcare settings from daycare to preschool and out-of-school care. Currently, this
program is not meeting the needs of far too many children and their families, due to insufficient
funding from the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD).
Over the past six years, the number of children requiring support from the Burnaby SCDP has
increased by over 100% (from 123 children in 2004, to 275 in March 2009!). Consultants now
have an average caseload of 49 children each while the provincial standard for caseloads is 25-35
children. It is our understanding that other regions are facing the same challenges. The increasing
strain on the SCDP coupled with a significant budget shortfall is causing waitlists to grow.
Consequently, many children ¨C including yours ¨C will remain on a waitlist for services. In our
daughter¡¯s case, she is number 62 on a waitlist for extra staffing support at her daycare. Specific
to daycares, there has been little movement on the waitlist for staffing support over the past 2
years. These numbers leave us with little hope for change or service at a time when it will most
benefit Kate.
If we want our children to be a part of the community when they grow up, this is where we need
to start. Our children deserve to have the opportunity to develop to their highest potential amongst
their peers in the community. The SCDP ensures a safe and inclusive environment but they need
the funding to be able to do this, therefore, we need to let our voices be heard and bring these
issues to the forefront.
Families need to come together on this issue. We encourage you in this time of urgency to
stand up and be counted. Please join us on Monday September 13, 2010 to find ways to let
the provincial government know how very important it is that they work to increase the
funding to the SCDP and the impact it has on families like ours who are sitting at home
waiting for support.
Our kids can¡¯t wait anymore!!

Sincerely¡­two proud but worried parents,
Wendy Seet and Marc Adams

[Debra Antifaev]

It has come to the attention of the ABA Support Network that many people (interventionists and consultants) have not been paid in a timely manner by the Autism Processing Unit. One interventionist told me she has contacted the APU twice, over July and August, and still has not been paid. She has been threatened with eviction.

We will be meeting with our MLA/ Ministers shortly and would be grateful if anyone who has been adversely affected by this change from individualized to invoice funding.
While you do not have to include too many personal details in your accounts, it would be helpful to know how long you have been waiting and if (how many times)you have contacted the APU.

We would like to include these personal accounts at the meeting..

Please contact the ABA Support Network and send your comments to:

dmantifaev (at) shaw (dot) ca

[Joanna Ng]

Dear Feat readers,

Burnaby parents' group will be meeting again. Our focus is to start a support group to help our children have a better and more supportive environment in school.

Venue: Bob-Prittie {Metrotown Public Library]
6100 Willingdon Ave. [meeting room]
Date: Wednesday, September 15th
Time: 6:30-8:00pm

Hope to see you there!

[Joanna Ng]

FYI: The Provincial government's 2011 Budget Consultations are in Vancouver Sept 15th . Registration opens at 8am on the 9th .Hearings are also scheduled for other dates in other communities around the proviince.

Please circulate this and encourage groups and individuals to register to speak about any concerns they might have about budget cuts and underfunding for education, special education, autism & other early intervention pprograms, supported child care, adult group homes and other community living services etc, etc

Here is the link:

http://www.leg.bc.ca/budgetconsultations/public_hearing.asp

It is really important that MLAs on the committee hear loud and clear that British Columbians want to see vital supports and services for children and adults with developmental disabiliteis restored. If you can't present in person, the committee also receives input via email or online.

[Dione Costanzo]

Hi Everyone,

There have been some updates to the ABA Support Network website, including meeting topics and speakers. Please check it out!

Event Reminder! – Please RSVP for the event "Life Celebration for Dr. Ivar Lovaas", September 23 to dione@abasupportnetwork.com

http://www.abasupportnetwork.com

[Stella Li]

sorry for the multi-postings

[Stella Li]

New ASBC Richmond Community Group

We are pleased to announce that our new ASBC Richmond Community Group will start their bi-monthly meetings in the fall. We are thankful that parent volunteer Paul Wong stepped up to facilitate this group. Details of this new group are as follows:

Where: Steveston Community Centre, Richmond
When: Bi-monthly meetings on the last Monday of the month, at 7-9pm.
Who: All of us in the autism community are welcome to attend, especially parents and families.
What: There will be speakers for most meetings, sharing on topics related to autism. Parents can connect with each other for support and information.
How: Paul Wong is the facilitator for the Richmond Group. There may be a co-facilitator (to be confirmed).

Our first kick-off meeting:
Date: October 4, 2010 (Monday)
Time: 7-9pm
Place: Steveston Community Centre, Richmond
Topic: Back to School…
Speakers: Nancy Walton, parent and teacher; Sharon Baxter, behavior consultant

Please mark your calendar. Details to follow in mid-September. Note that we switched the meeting date to the first Monday of October to accommodate speaker availability.

Stella Hui
Autism Society of BC

[Stella Li]

New ASBC Richmond Community Group

We are pleased to announce that our new ASBC Richmond Community Group will start their bi-monthly meetings in the fall. We are thankful that parent volunteer Paul Wong stepped up to facilitate this group. Details of this new group are as follows:

Where: Steveston Community Centre, Richmond
When: Bi-monthly meetings on the last Monday of the month, at 7-9pm.
Who: All of us in the autism community are welcome to attend, especially parents and family members.
What: There will be speakers for most meetings, sharing on topics related to autism. Parents can connect with each other for support and information.
How: Paul Wong is the facilitator for the Richmond Group. There may be a co-facilitator (to be confirmed).

Our first kick-off meeting:
Date: October 4, 2010 (Monday)
Time: 7-9pm
Place: Steveston Community Centre, Richmond
Topic: Back to School…
Speakers: Nancy Walton, parent and teacher; Sharon Baxter, behavior consultant

Please mark your calendar. Details to follow in mid-September. Note that we switched the meeting date to the first Monday of October to accommodate speaker availability.

Stella Hui
Autism Society of BC

[Stella Li]

New ASBC Richmond Community Group

We are pleased to announce that our new ASBC Richmond Community Group will start their bi-monthly meetings in the fall. We are thankful that parent volunteer Paul Wong stepped up to facilitate this group. Details of this new group are as follows:

Where: Steveston Community Centre, Richmond
When: Bi-monthly meetings on the last Monday of the month, at 7-9pm.
Who: All of us in the autism community are welcome to attend, especially parents and family members
What: There will be speakers for most meetings, sharing on topics related to autism. Parents can connect with each other for support and information.
How: Paul Wong is the facilitator for the Richmond Group. There may be a co-facilitator (to be confirmed).

Our first kick-off meeting:
Date: October 4, 2010 (Monday)
Time: 7-9pm
Place: Steveston Community Centre, Richmond
Topic: Back to School…
Speakers: Nancy Walton, parent and teacher; Sharon Baxter, behavior consultant

Please mark your calendar. Details to follow in mid-September. Note that we switched the meeting date to the first Monday of October to accommodate speaker availability.

Stella Hui
Autism Society of BC

[Peter Wong]

99 Balloons
http://vimeo.com/2141725

This is a very touching story and a good reminder to cherish the precious time we have with our kid(s).

Best wishes to all.

Peter

[Author]

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