Empower Simcoe points to provincial funding shortfall for group home closures in Barrie, Orillia
Courtesy: Barrie360.com
Empower Simcoe blames a provincial funding shortfall from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services for its decision to close group homes in Barrie and Orillia, along with a program that transitions people with developmental disabilities to adult supported living.
“Our primary concern right now is to ensure a smooth transition for the people we support and our employees during this period,” said Empower Simcoe CEO Dr. Claudine Cousins, in a media release on Friday. “What we have is an erosion of our funding and services. Every penny we get is being eroded every day, because it can’t buy us much as we were able to buy just even yesterday.”
Empower Simcoe currently operates 44 group living locations. The closures affect eight people receiving services who will be moved to other Empower Simcoe group living homes. The agency says no employee jobs will be affected by the closures.
Late last year, Empower Simcoe, along with other provincial agencies, launched a #5toSurvive campaign, calling on the province to provide agencies in the developmental services sector with a five per cent funding bump. Over the last 30 years, those agencies have received cumulatively, an increase of less than four per cent.
“We’re going to continue to look at how we can work together with our families, the people we support, and our allies in the community to elevate our voice so we can let our MPPs understand this is long term,” said Dr. Cousins. “If nothing changes, we’re going to see a lot more program closures within our development services agencies.”