Many of you have called or written to react to my recent speech in the Ontario legislature relating to financial allocations that should be routinely made to support developmentally challenged children and their families. I referenced an organization I?ve become familiar with in our riding, Zareinu.
Zareinu is a remarkable operation for several reasons. First, it works miracles with kids who deserve the same opportunity as any of us but, because of circumstances, don?t have it. Zareinu corrects the imbalance. Second, it operates on significantly less than it needs in terms of both the financial and physical resources required.
I called attention in the House to the fact that a Progressive Conservative government set aside a budget line item for funding special needs in private schools back in 1999. The amount of that allocation is $14.5-million. Eight years later, the best information we can get is that about $4.5-million is now being spent. If you do the simple math, that?s $10-million in available funding for each of the last eight years that has not been used while Zareinu and other groups like it across Ontario go wanting. Is it fair that those least able to take care of themselves should be the ones who go without? Obviously not. I pledge that I will work to assist Zareinu going forward.
The problem appears to be red tape. Does a Zareinu fall under the heading of ?health? or ?education?. The Ministry of Health has been of assistance via the local Community Care Access Centre or CCAC but that amount is a) to cover health aspects of what Zareinu does, and; b) isn?t a huge amount considering what the need really is in assisting children ranging in age from infancy to 21 to become normal, productive members of our community.
The question now is what access we can gain via the Ministry of Education and we are working on that. Ask yourself (as I have) whether or not attending a Monday-Friday educational and therapeutic environment qualifies as ?school?. I say it does even if a lot more and many different elements are introduced than might be the case in traditional classroom environments.
I will be reporting back to you on any progress made but please remember Zareinu and the fine work done by Randy Spiegel and his team down in the basement of the Sephardic Kehilla Centre.
On another subject, the Legislature in now in recess until late winter/early Spring. This is the time when MPPs do a lot of work at the Constituency level, although that began in earnest for us within a few short weeks of the election. In January and February, we?ll be meeting with ratepayers groups, ethnocentric groups, business groups and other stakeholders as we work together to improve the quality of life for Thornhill. I?ll also be assuming a seat on the Social Policy Committee of the Legislature, an all-party committee to which I?ve been appointed and which covers some of the concepts I?ve written about in this blog entry. Keep in mind that I am accessible by email at peter.shurman@pc.ola.org or at the Constituency Office, 905-731-8462.