Latest news with #CommunityandSocialServices
Edmonton Journal
03-07-2025
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
Opinion: Alberta's clawback of federal disability benefits shameful
Article content Alberta is the only province or territory in Canada that is poised to claw back the $200 Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) from provincial disability income support (known in Alberta as AISH) recipients. Article content That's one out of 13. Article content Article content Back in March, Alberta's Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services, Jason Nixon, announced this decision in this way: Article content 'Investments to support Albertans with disabilities include $1.64 billion allocated for the AISH program, which provides the highest core benefit rate amongst the provinces. The cost of AISH this year accounts for caseload growth and benefit rate increases of two per cent in the anticipated contributions from the federal government $200 to the Canadian Disability Benefit coming into effect in July 2025. Article content Article content The Canadian Disability Benefit will provide about $200 per month for eligible Canadians with disabilities. This benefit will be considered as non-exempt income for AISH recipients. This means that overall client income will remain the same. Again, I emphasize AISH rates are not changing in this budget. AISH clients will remain well above the federal benchmark income $1,804 per month that the feds encouraged provinces to meet. Article content Article content For some perspective on that, with the AISH remaining at $1,901 per month, that is $554 higher than Manitoba, $533 higher than Ontario, $515 higher than Saskatchewan, and $417 higher than B.C. In fact, I would say we strongly encourage other provinces to raise their rates to be equal to Alberta's ambition.' Article content It is very easy for those unfamiliar with the CDB and its intended purpose to miss the shocking importance of what Minister Nixon is announcing here. According to the Canada Disability Benefit Act, the purposes of the CDB are 'to reduce poverty and to support the financial security of working-age persons with disabilities.' Article content Article content In essence, therefore, what the Government of Alberta is doing by declaring that the CDB will be considered 'non-exempt income' for AISH recipients is clawing back the $200 CDB from AISH recipients and thereby thwarting the explicit purpose of the CDB. Article content I therefore contend that, ethically and morally, this act can only be classified as theft from disabled Albertans. For his part, however, Minister Nixon simply classifies the CDB as the federal government's 'contribution' to AISH, implying that it is the province that is more in need of assistance than Albertans with disabilities. Article content What's more, he ends his statement by reiterating his framing of his government as an exemplar among the provinces in terms of providing support for disabled people, thus seeking to circumvent any focus on the fact that he had just announced the government's clawback of the CDB from Albertans receiving AISH.
Hamilton Spectator
26-06-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Autism services for kids to expand in Burlington with $800K grant
Two Burlington organizations providing autism services for children will grow their staff with nearly $800,000 in combined provincial funding. Ontario's Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and Oakville North-Burlington MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos announced investments of $399,800 to Burlington's Spokes Autism Services and $399,629 to Burlington's Missing Links over the next two years though its Workforce Capacity Fund of the Ontario Autism Program. A June 21 press release from MPP Triantafilopoulos states the fund provides two-year grants ranging from $50,000 to $400,000 to help service providers hire new staff, increase staff hours, train employees and invest in technology. Ramona Mathew, of Spokes Autism Services, said the grant allows the organization to 'provide stable employment for dedicated (Applied Behaviour Analysis) therapists' and provide training that enhances service children receive. 'With this funding, we can double our service capacity and extend consistent, evidence-based services to more families,' Mathew stated in the ministry's press release. Am Badwall of Missing Links said the province's support will help the organization 'build a stronger workforce and expand access to meaningful autism services.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Ontario to give education minister power to more easily take over school boards
TORONTO - Ontario is set to give the minister of education power to more easily put school boards under supervision and require more boards to put police officers in schools. The Canadian Press has learned that Education Minister Paul Calandra will introduce broad legislation today, following weeks of warnings to boards that he would implement tougher oversight. Calandra announced in April that the province had taken control of one school board by appointing a supervisor due to financial 'mismanagement' and was launching financial investigations of three others, describing his actions as putting all boards 'on notice.' The legislation is set to expand the reasons for initiating an investigation or putting a board under supervision beyond just financial ones, to include matters of public interest. In a news release set to be released later today, the government gives an example of 'board governance dysfunction that is preventing key decisions from being made.' As well, Ontario would require school boards to implement a School Resource Officer program if the local police service offers one. Some school boards have such programs on a voluntary basis, while others ended their programs several years ago, after some students reported feeling uncomfortable or intimidated and some racialized communities raised concerns. The government materials say having more school resource officers would 'help build relationships between youth and police, actively promote positive behaviour and create a culture of mutual respect.' The bill would also give the minister power to direct school boards to publicly post expenses of trustees, the director of education and others, and would give the minister power over school names when boards open new schools or want to change an existing name. The legislation also contains measures directed at the post-secondary system, including requiring post-secondary admissions policies to be merit-based and requiring colleges and universities to provide detailed breakdowns of how tuition fee revenue is used. As well, the bill would allow the government to 'require transparency and increased oversight of ancillary fees at post-secondary institutions,' reminiscent of a court battle from the early days of the Doug Ford government. Ford's government enacted its 'Student Choice Initiative' in 2019, which made some post-secondary fees optional, such as for student unions, but the province's top court struck it down. This legislation instead lays the groundwork for the government to consult with the sector to decide which ancillary fees cover core services, and determine an opt-out mechanism. Children's aid societies have also been under the Ford government microscope, with the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services launching a review of them in the fall, and they, too, are subject to increased scrutiny in this bill. The legislation would increase the government's oversight of certain financial decisions, to be 'outlined in future regulations.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Ontario to give education minister power to more easily take over school boards
TORONTO – Ontario is set to give the minister of education power to more easily put school boards under supervision and require more boards to put police officers in schools. The Canadian Press has learned that Education Minister Paul Calandra will introduce broad legislation today, following weeks of warnings to boards that he would implement tougher oversight. Calandra announced in April that the province had taken control of one school board by appointing a supervisor due to financial 'mismanagement' and was launching financial investigations of three others, describing his actions as putting all boards 'on notice.' The legislation is set to expand the reasons for initiating an investigation or putting a board under supervision beyond just financial ones, to include matters of public interest. In a news release set to be released later today, the government gives an example of 'board governance dysfunction that is preventing key decisions from being made.' As well, Ontario would require school boards to implement a School Resource Officer program if the local police service offers one. Some school boards have such programs on a voluntary basis, while others ended their programs several years ago, after some students reported feeling uncomfortable or intimidated and some racialized communities raised concerns. The government materials say having more school resource officers would 'help build relationships between youth and police, actively promote positive behaviour and create a culture of mutual respect.' The bill would also give the minister power to direct school boards to publicly post expenses of trustees, the director of education and others, and would give the minister power over school names when boards open new schools or want to change an existing name. The legislation also contains measures directed at the post-secondary system, including requiring post-secondary admissions policies to be merit-based and requiring colleges and universities to provide detailed breakdowns of how tuition fee revenue is used. As well, the bill would allow the government to 'require transparency and increased oversight of ancillary fees at post-secondary institutions,' reminiscent of a court battle from the early days of the Doug Ford government. Ford's government enacted its 'Student Choice Initiative' in 2019, which made some post-secondary fees optional, such as for student unions, but the province's top court struck it down. This legislation instead lays the groundwork for the government to consult with the sector to decide which ancillary fees cover core services, and determine an opt-out mechanism. Children's aid societies have also been under the Ford government microscope, with the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services launching a review of them in the fall, and they, too, are subject to increased scrutiny in this bill. The legislation would increase the government's oversight of certain financial decisions, to be 'outlined in future regulations.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
16-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Ontario boosts autism budget to $779M, advocates question where money is going
TORONTO - Ontario is increasing funding for its autism program to $779 million this year, the government announced in this week's budget, but advocates say it's not yet clear exactly where that money will go. Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy's budget, tabled Thursday, contains two lines on the Ontario Autism Program, including touting the new funding. Children, Community and Social Services Minister Michael Parsa's office has not yet offered details on how the money will be used, but the Ontario Autism Coalition fears it will not all go toward therapy for children. 'We're very happy about any increase to the budget,' said coalition president Alina Cameron. 'It's very welcome and it's needed. But the way it's laid out, it just raises a lot more questions than answers for us.' Last year's budget for the program was about $720 million, but Cameron said previous boosts of about $60 million don't seem to have made a huge difference in the wait list. Figures obtained by the autism coalition through a freedom-of-information request show that as of early February, nearly 80,000 children and youth were registered to seek services through the program, but only about 17,650 were in an active agreement for core therapy funds. 'The rate of registration is higher than the rate of entry to core clinical services,' Cameron said. 'We don't really see a big change of services at the user end, based upon these yearly increases. They often just get absorbed into system costs, rather than reaching families.' Parsa recently touted in the legislature that more than 45,000 families are receiving 'multiple services and supports.' The Ontario Autism Program offers an entry-to-school program, urgent response services and some family services, but families often access those as they wait for core clinical services funding, which they can use to pay for key therapy such as applied behaviour analysis, speech-language pathology and occupational therapy. Most families want core services and they are now waiting more than five years from the time they register, Cameron said. 'Early intervention is effectively dead in Ontario at this point,' she said. NDP autism critic Alexa Gilmour says she wonders how much of the new funding is going to direct supports, since the government has previously indicated the program is adding more staff. 'We don't know how much is going to core services, how much is going to administration,' she said. 'We do know that they're adding more staffing, but the wait list has ballooned.' Aside from the long wait to qualify for government funding, Gilmour said, families are reporting difficulty finding available providers even once they have money in hand. 'I think that (money) is a drop in the bucket that doesn't close the gap,' she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2025.
