Inclusion Alberta Report Too Little, Too Late Experience with Family Support For Children with Disabilities Jan 2025

It has been three years since the Ministry of Seniors, Community and Social Services (SCSS) released how many families who are eligible for FSCD and have requested supports are waiting without support.

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In the absence of updated data from government regarding information to better understand wait times, eligibility decisions and support approval, Inclusion Alberta launched a survey to hear the experiences of the growing number of families receiving or waiting for FSCD supports.

746 families from 81 of Alberta’s 87 provincial electoral districts completed the survey in October and November 2024.This report presents findings from the survey and calls upon the government to take immediate action to ensure FSCD fulfills its purpose for those it was intended to support.

According to survey results, the FSCD and PDD programs provide critical and life-changing supports to enable children and adults with disabilities and their families to sustain themselves and participate fully in our communities…if and when they can be accessed.

However, both systems have become unresponsive and bureaucratic, failing to provide families with timely access to adequate support. The survey results provide new clarity on how individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families are increasingly being let down by PDD and FSCD.

Below are Inclusion Alberta’s recommendations for actions needed to be taken by the Alberta government so that FSCD and PDD can adequately support the many individuals and families who need it:

FSCD:

Increase FSCD funding to match inflation and caseload growth of the past two years so that families receive timely access to services that are critically important for their children’s development and inclusion.
Provide funding and invest in the development of services to address gaps in FSCD services for rural and Indigenous families.
Reduce wait times.

Offer Child Focused Services (CFS) to families as soon as their FSCD eligibility is confirmed.
Establish service standards that limit how long families will wait and ensure regular and timely communication.

4. Shift policies to focus on outcomes of inclusion

Request a meeting by calling the MLA’s office, stating that you are a constituent in their riding, and you are interested in discussing issues of importance to children and adults with intellectual disabilities and their families.