ALIGN CAMPAIGN BE THE VOICE 200000.ca

200,000 vulnerable children can’t handle any more cuts

During this difficult time faced by families in our province it is critical that we maintain funding to early intervention and prevention, mental health, family supports, child intervention services, and supports for families with children with disabilities.

While children in care are the responsibility of the government, community-based organizations provide this care on behalf of the government. These organizations work with families to ensure they can stay together by focusing on holistic approaches to mental health, that respond to trauma and support children to remain in the community. Unfortunately this is not always possible and children and families need to come into care.  We all have a right to have our basic needs met including a home, if children, for whatever reason, cannot remain at home with their parents they are sometimes put into kinship care, foster care, and group care. These are vital services for these children, and they cannot bear any further cost reductions.

While the cost of living has steadily increased, contract funding has not kept pace over the years. Children in care are the responsibility of the government, you are their guardians and owe them a duty of care to ensure their most basic needs are met. There are many service providers that are continually operating at a deficit due to the inadequate funding from the province. These operators are not helping these children in order to make a profit, in fact over 95% are not for profit operations that are underfunded to the point of not receiving enough to pay their expenses.

As a result, any reduction to this sector will have a devastating effect on vulnerable children, and their families, which will further disrupt their lives and put them in greater jeopardy.

Children deserve to be nurtured and protected – not abandoned by the Alberta government

BE THE VOICE