Children's services need long-term commitment from government

'It’s easy to say we care about children. But what’s needed today is action, not more words. Ask your local candidates to commit to adequate long-term funding for these vital services. Push the parties for specific answers about what they will do to ensure services for family and youth are available when and where they are needed.'

BY REBECCA ATAYA 

Most British Columbians would say they care about children.

Not just their own. We’ve agreed, as a society, that when children and youth need help, and their families can’t provide it, it’s up to us.

Sadly, we’re not doing a good enough job. This election campaign is an important chance to press all candidates and parties for specific commitments on services for children and youth.

The good news is that we know what needs to be done to help families and children through tough times. We know effective, timely supports can change lives — and avoid the huge future costs that come when problems are ignored.

But, we haven’t acted on that knowledge. This has been tragic for some children, families and communities; particularly when families are struggling to provide safe, appropriate care for their children, and the state steps in to protect and support those families.

Some families need help developing better parenting skills. Some have to face addiction problems. Children might need counselling, or treatment for behavioural issues. Many are struggling with the impacts of living in poverty, or parenting with a chronic health condition. The range of needed services is enormous.

The children’s ministry receives more than 30,000 “protection reports” a year — warnings that a child might be at risk of abuse or neglect. In the most extreme cases, children are taken into government care. Some 8,000 children are in care today.

Often ministry involvement is focused on linking families with help and support so they can be successful. And that support is provided by community social service agencies across the province.

Quick access to services can help families overcome problems, the ministry report notes, and “prevent families’ challenges from becoming entrenched.”

Those of us who work in the community social services sector are only too aware of the problems undermining that approach.

For many families, quick access to services is impossible. Funding for agencies has been frozen or cut, while demand for services has increased dramatically. Waiting lists have grown. Problems become more serious while desperate families can’t get the help they need.

That’s wrong. And it’s wasteful. As a society, we will pay far more in future because we aren’t providing needed support to children and families today.

We are failing in other ways. Parents know, for example, that their children need continued support as they grow into adulthood — help with school costs, a safe home, support and encouragement.

Yet youth in government care are denied that support. On their 19th birthdays, they are basically left to fend for themselves.

The results are predictable. The Ministry of Children and Family Development released a report this month that found almost half of youth who “aged out” of care were on income assistance within six months.

That’s a grim life, with an income of $610 to $906 a month. (The higher rate is for people with disabilities; a majority of youth leaving care qualify.)

Attending school, finding work and a place to live, staying healthy — they are all difficult, perhaps impossible, for an unsupported 19-year-old.

The ministry recognizes the problem, and is looking for ways to extend support. But it lacks a clear mandate, and the needed resources.

We know that small supports can encourage those youths to stay in school, help them find safe housing, provide life skills and prevent bad decisions.

So far, we haven’t acted.

Part of the problem is a fundamental misunderstanding. People tend to think government, especially the children’s ministry, delivers the needed services. And government does play a large role, particularly in areas like child protection.

However, community-based agencies and foster parents deliver many of these government-funded services.

People facing these kinds of problems tend not to be effective advocates. Their focus is on getting through the crisis. And there remains a stigma around the whole issue of struggling to provide adequate care for your children.

So it’s up to the rest of us. Ask your local candidates to commit to adequate long-term funding for these vital services. Push the parties for specific answers about what they will do to ensure services for family and youth are available when and where they are needed.

It’s easy to say we care about children. But what’s needed today is action, not more words.

Rebecca Ataya is the interim executive director of The Federation of Community Social Services of BC and is writing on behalf of The Roundtable of Provincial Social Services Organizations of BC. This article originally appeared in the Vancouver Sun.

Making the economic case for community social services

We know timely support saves lives and money. It’s much less costly to provide community services to help a senior stay in his or her home, for example, than it is to provide residential care.

But there are broader benefits. British Columbia competes in a global economy. And it can’t afford to waste the potential of any citizen.

“We help people and thus the province reach their full potential.  The next Tommy Douglas could be struggling with addiction; the child who could grow up to discover a cancer breakthrough could be facing serious family problems that mean she won’t succeed in school.  Our job is to help them live happy, fulfilling lives.  And as a result, everyone benefits.”

Please,get the word out before election day. Visit the Take Action! section to see how you can support the sector, and ensure a brighter future for families, individuals and the province.

Time to tackle the high cost of poverty in the province

BY MARJORIE MACDONALD, SCOTT MCDONALD AND VICTORIA LEE, THE VANCOUVER SUN  

We all know poverty results in suffering and puts innumerable pressures on families. That alone should be reason enough to do something about it.

But when you add costs directly attributable to the health problems suffered by disadvantaged British Columbians, it's clear poverty reduction is something we need to act on right now.

British Columbians understand this, and expect something to be done. With the provincial election underway, those seeking public office should be aware that research by Vision Critical reveals 81 per cent of British Columbians agree that our provincial leaders need to develop a poverty reduction plan.

Instead of pouring more dollars into the acute care system, more investment is needed to proactively address the root causes of poverty-driven ill health.

Research by the BC Healthy Living Alliance shows poverty is costly and bad for our health. When you divide British Columbians into five groups based on income, those in the lowest income group are two to three times as likely to suffer from heart disease. For diabetes, it's two to five times higher. And the number of expensive visits to the emergency department is nearly double compared to those British Columbians in the highest income group.

In all, close to $1.2 billion in health care costs would be saved each year if all disadvantaged British Columbians were as healthy as those with higher education and incomes. Any poverty reduction would be money well spent. Government can reverse the trend by providing more investment in quality child care, affordable housing and income security. Action in these areas would lift many individuals and families above the poverty line.

B.C. has the second highest rate of child poverty in Canada. So policies and investments that break that cycle should be a priority. Research spanning decades shows that quality child care leads to better outcomes for disadvantaged children. They are much more likely to stay in school longer and earn higher wages.

Affordable child care also allows families to raise their household incomes through work, education or training. Economists in Quebec calculate that increased tax revenues, largely from working mothers, have more than paid for their universal daycare system.

Secure housing also contributes to better health. Studies show it costs less to house our homeless population and improve their physical and mental wellbeing. Although some progress has been made in recent years, there remains a shortage. Demand for social housing is projected to require an estimated 56,600 additional units by 2036. One in six renters spends 50 per cent or more of their income on housing. Housing for those in low-paying jobs often comes at the expense of healthy food.

Reasonable rents reduce stress and provide a better chance families will have enough money left for groceries, utilities and other basics. And those unable to work should be assured income assistance that covers the costs of rental housing and a nutritious diet.

Income security measures are the ultimate stopgap and do make a difference. In the 1970s, Canada had one of the highest levels of seniors' poverty among industrialized nations but today we have one of the lowest. Seniors' real income increased by 18 per cent between 1980 and 2003 with the introduction of public pension benefits.

Implementing a poverty reduction plan will make a difference, but requires leadership and accountability. B.C. needs a plan with legislated targets, timelines, measurements and a designated minister.

B.C. could take a lesson from Newfoundland and Labrador. They had the worst poverty rate in Canada when Premier Danny Williams introduced a poverty reduction strategy. Between 2004 and 2010 they were able to reduce it 44 per cent, and are on track to reach their target of having the least poverty in Canada by 2014.

All of us are paying a high premium for poverty. Those running for office on May 14 should put that money to better use and invest in prevention.

Dr. Marjorie MacDonald is president, Public Health Association of BC; Scott McDonald is chairman, BC Healthy Living Alliance; and Dr. Victoria Lee is chairwoman, Health Officers Council of British Columbia.

Three weeks until election day - and for you to act

Election campaigns are actually quite short. In just three, weeks, British Columbians will be voting to elect a government to guide the province for four years.

If you care about community social services, and believe the sector deserves attention, you have to act fast.

The Take Action! page above offers great tips and contact information to help you write letters to candidates and newspapers setting out your concerns.

The best letters are based on your experiences. But here’s another point that could you could use in discussing the sector.

"Helping families and individuals before things go wrong is a great investment.  Providing counselling and support for a teen experimenting with drugs and her family costs a few thousand dollars.  If help isn’t available, and she becomes an addict, then police, health care, crime and other costs can quickly top $100,000.  Supporting senior couples in their homes is a fraction of the cost of long-term care at $72,000 per year."

The election campaign is underway. You can be a bystander, or a participant. The sector - and the families, children and youth and individuals it supports - needs participants.

Election 2013: How to be a participant, not a bystander

Interested in writing a letter to the editor or to your local candidate about the importance of community social services, but not sure where to start?

The Take Action! page above offers great tips and contact information for candidates and newspapers.

The best letters are based on your experiences. But here’s help in explaining what the sector does, and why it matters.

 “We are the people and agencies who provide help when individuals and families are in need.  We work with children and families in crisis, help people find jobs, counsel families dealing with addiction, work with moms and dads to be the best parents possible and help seniors stay in their homes.  We work with some 320,000 people every year, helping them deal with life’s tough problems.  Wherever there’s a need for help, we’re likely there, building stronger families, communities and a better B.C.”

The election campaign officially starts today. You can be a bystander, or a participant. The sector - and the families, children and youth and individuals it supports - needs participants.

Targeted support services can help cut costly use of homeless shelters

‘Our findings suggest that housing and support services targeting the episodic and long stay users are likely to be the most efficient strategy for reducing the shelter population in Canadian cities.’

By Tim Aubry

Twenty years ago, Randy Kuhn and Dennis Culhane published the results of a groundbreaking study in the American Journal of Community Psychology showing that over 80% of people who use emergency shelters in large American cities experienced homelessness for short periods of time and most frequently as a one-time event in their lives. In contrast, a relatively small minority demonstrated a cyclical use of shelters with multiple episodes for short periods of time or a small number of stays but for long periods of time. Although these latter two groups were relatively small making up 10% each of the shelter population, they were shown to occupy over 60% of the shelter beds.

Recently, I collaborated with a group of colleagues (Susan Farrell, Stephen Hwang, and Melissa Calhoun) from the University of Ottawa and St. Michaels Hospital on a study that evaluated four years of shelter data from three Canadian cities of different sizes, namely Toronto, Ottawa, and Guelph (this study replicated the analyses of the influential Kuhn and Culhane study). In line with the results of the American study, our research identified three distinct and similar patterns of shelter stays in the three Ontario cities.

The largest group of shelter users, characterized as “temporary”, experienced a small number of homeless episodes for relatively short periods of time. This group comprised 88% of shelter users in both Toronto and Ottawa. We also found a smaller group of users that we defined as having “episodic” shelter use, who experienced multiple homeless episodes for short periods of time. This group represented 11% and 9% of shelter users in Toronto and Ottawa respectively. Finally, the smallest group of shelter users, representing 4% of shelter users in Toronto and 2% in Ottawa, had a relatively small number of homeless episodes but for long periods of time.

The two smaller groups of shelter users occupied over one half of the shelter beds in both Toronto and Ottawa. Similar to the American research, our findings suggest that housing and support services targeting the episodic and long stay users are likely to be the most efficient strategy for reducing the shelter population in Canadian cities. A paper on the findings of our research has been published in Housing Studies. The paper is available online here.

Biggest seniors' group backs community services

COSCO, the largest federation of seniors’ organizations in British Columbia, has released a special edition of its newsletter raising issues for all parties in the provincial election to address.

It includes a strong call for well-supported community-based services.

“COSCO is calling for univer-sal home care and home support services, based on need, available seven days a week to seniors and people with disabilities,” the report says.

“Such a service would make it possible for thousands of seniors to live with dignity and respect in their own homes, at a much lower cost than acute or residential care. It would strengthen our overall public health care system by re-ducing the pressure on acute care hospitals.

“As a matter of both human decency and common sense economics, providing universal home sup- port so people can remain in their own homes must be a priority for the next government of our province.”

Read the full report here.

And if you agree about the importance of community services - for seniors, families, youths and everyone - check our Take Action! page and become a participant in this election, not a bystander.

Aging Out': Tough road for teens too old to be 'in care'

You're 19, officially an adult. Happy birthday. Now get out of the house.

As parents, few of us would take such a brutal approach. Yet in our role as citizens that is exactly the style we adopt toward teenagers ‘in care’ of the Crown -- for whom the government is, institutionally speaking, their legal ‘parent.'

An excellent report by Pieta Woolley, on the lack of support for youth in care who “age out.” You can read the rest here.

The community social sector could help these youths make the transition into adulthood successfully, with the kinds of supports all young people need and deserve.

Let the candidates in this election know you think it’s important.

StatsCan confirms community services help seniors, save society money

Carol Matusicky

It’s not just right. Helping seniors to stay healthy and in their homes is smart and saves money.

That’s what we do in the community social services sector.

Across the province, agencies provide older British Columbians with support, from cleaning services to food deliveries to meals.

What if we didn’t?

Statistics Canada just provided some answers.

It reported that 34 per cent of Canadians over 65 - one in three - are at risk of malnutrition.

There are many reasons. For some, mobility issues make shopping or cooking difficult. Physical issues, like difficulty in swallowing, are factors, as are emotional issues like depression and loneliness.

And, of course, there is poverty.

Whatever the reasons, the results can be disastrous for the seniors, and enormously costly for society.

The StatsCan study noted “frailty, falls, hospitalization, institutionalization and death” are among the consequences.

Tragic for the people involved.

And damaging for the province. If a poorly nourished senior falls, or becomes ill, and requires an acute care hospital bed, the cost is $1,100 a day. If the person ends up in residential care, the cost could be $200 a day.

But a help with shopping, or a home visit with meals, costs perhaps $15 a day - and provides a better, happier life.

Many, many seniors are supported by family, or neighbours, or friends. We applaud that kind of caring, and the practical and emotional support it provides.

But it’s not there for everyone. In today’s society, children could be thousands of miles away. Seniors could have retired to a new centre where they have few connections. The death of a spouse, loss of a driver’s licence, illness all can bring unforeseen changes.

That’s why community services are critical in providing support when people need it.

It’s strange that we never doubt the need for hospital emergency room services. 

It should be just as essential to provide the services that keep people from needing to take that frightening ambulance ride to the ER after a fall, or when they become ill. That keep them from  occupying an acute-care bed when they should be at home.

Prevention is better, and cheaper, than dealing with the consequences of avoidable problems.

And, as StatsCan reports, “the absence of help with shopping and cooking” is among the contributors to the risk of malnutrition and the resulting serious risks.

It’s not just shopping and meal services that make a difference. Our agencies offer cleaning support, activities and outings, help with getting to doctors’ appointments - all things that keep seniors healthy, active and thriving.

At the same time, our frontline workers fill another role. It’s easy, as the study suggests, for the elderly to slip into loneliness or depression. Simply having guaranteed regular contact with a caring person makes a difference in the quality of life.

We need to talk about the importance of these issues in the coming election campaign. Waiting lists for these kinds of services have increased as funding has been frozen and even cut for years. 

Agencies have found ways to do more with less. But the system is in crisis. 

We need to need to let politicians and parties know that support for the sector, and a long-term commitment, is essential for the future of seniors, families and the province.

And they need to tell us that they understand, and that if elected they will deliver.

Carol Matusicky is the chair of Board Voice Society of BC, an organization reflecting the views of hundreds of Community social service boards of directors across the province.

People with disabilities also mobilizing for election

New laws, restoring cuts to community living on their agenda.

By Tom Sandborn

TheTyee.ca

Cathy Grant, born with cerebral palsy and confined to a motorized wheel chair, is determined to make her mark on B.C.'s fast nearing provincial election. The 54-year-old Vancouver resident told The Tyee she is pouring her efforts in fighting cuts to community living programs and supporting a pair of proposed new legal reforms. 

Many other B.C. citizens who, like Grant, live with disabilities, and their family members and advocates are mobilizing to affect the outcome of the May vote and make a better deal for British Columbians living with disabilities.

Kimberly Yanko's son Daniel lives with an as yet undiagnosed developmental disability that confines him to a wheel chair. Yanko says that Daniel, 22, is getting "hardly anything" from government programs since he came of age. 

"I worry what will happen to him when I am dead and gone," says the activist mother. She is part of a group of parents who call themselves CLBC Stop the Cuts. CLBC stands for Community Living BC, the Crown agency that delivers support and services to British Columbians with disabilities and their families.

On April 14, Yanko, Grant and others will gather at noon in Vancouver's Robson Square to protest items in next year's announced provincial budget that will cut funding for CLBC dramatically.

Read more here.