Community Living Ontario undertaking “Waiting to Belong” campaign

Community Living agencies from across Ontario are embarking on the “WaitingToBelong” campaign. That campaign also includes Community Living Essex County with the goal being to increase funding and lower wait times. The image is from the website offered through Community Living Ontario, which is www.waiting2belong.ca.

Community Living Ontario, and its regional agencies, have embarked on a campaign to shorten waiting lists and give more supports to those with intellectual disabilities.

The “#WaitingToBelong” campaign has started and is attempting to shine a light on what is going on with families and experiences they have. 

The “#WaitingToBelong” campaign began within the developmental services (DS) sector Nov. 12.

“This is very much about people with developmental disabilities being left behind,” said Community Living Essex County (CLEC) executive director Corey Dalgleish. “The DS sector is underfunded. We’re very much at a tipping point.”

Dalgleish said the waiting list is 53,000 province-wide and approximately 1,000 in Essex County. He said developmental services sometimes doesn’t get as much attention from the public as other issues as the sector  involves roughly one per cent of the population. 

Despite that, Dalgleish said caregivers and parents are facing burnout and are hoping for some additional assistance. 

Dalgleish added people are being told the waiting lists are in years to get supports. 

There is a societal impact, he added, and the issue is not just confined to the Ministry of Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCSS), but is across multi-ministries as it can impact such areas as the economy, healthcare and long-term care.

“This is no longer just a DS waiting list issue,” he said. “This is something that affects every taxpayer.”

According to Dalgleish, there have been three decades of underfunding the sector and families are in need of assistance. 

Dalgleish added that the sector is asking for at least a three per cent increase to the base budgets of agencies.

The #WaitingToBelong campaign is a “call to action,” he added, and people can sign a petition at www.waiting2belong.ca. Those petitions go to the MCSS minister, provincial finance minister and local MPPs.

Dalgleish said he has been doing a lot of advocacy work and is speaking with area Members of Provincial Parliament. He believes they are listening and showing genuine interest in the campaign and the needs of agencies within the DS sector.

The province’s “Journey to Belonging” initiative is something agencies like CLEC are philosophically aligned with, Dalgleish added, and said CLEC is an “eager partner” but one that needs help.

“Help us help you,” said Dalgleish.

Essex MPP Anthony Leardi said he understands parents and caregivers’ concerns, but indicated the province is taking steps to help.

“People who need the services should have them,” he said. “I know people are concerned about people, especially children, getting proper supports.”   Leardi said over 200,000 people in Ontario receive some sort of support. He said the 53,000 figure being reported is a combination of a series of wait lists and that people are getting some kind of support already.

“No one is going without services,” he said. “Everyone is getting some kind of service.”

There is Passport funding people can apply for on behalf of their loved ones for when they turn 18-years-old, Leardi said, and the province has also increased Ontario Disability Support Payments (ODSP). 

The Ontario government has also increased the amount a person can earn on their own without it impacting their benefits, having increased that total from $4,000 to $10,000.

“The supports are there,” said Leardi. “We understand how important the supports are. We’re there to support the sector.”

The Essex MPP cited a provincial grants to the John McGivney Children’s Centre in Windsor as an example of support for those with developmental disabilities.

Leardi said he feels for people who are caring for children or other loved ones with intellectual disabilities.

“We’re on their side,” he said. “We’re there to help.”

Community Living Ontario undertaking “Waiting to Belong” campaign

By Ron Giofu