FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ontario Disability Coalition Raises Alarms Over Ontario’s Child Protection System

Toronto, Ontario – October 11th, 2024 – The Ontario Disability Coalition is deeply troubled by the current state of Ontario’s child protection system. Families across the province are being forced to relinquish their children to Children’s Aid Societies (CAS) due to severe underfunding in critical sectors such as education, healthcare, and disability services. “This lack of support leaves families with no alternative but to turn to CAS to access the essential care their children need. We also know that when children with complex needs go into care, they are often subjected to environments that foster abuse, and tragically, they are dying at a rate of one child every three days,” said Sherry Caldwell, Co-Founder of the Ontario Disability Coalition.

“Families raising children with complex needs require caregiver funding because it’s a full-time job. Furthermore, fully-funded services are necessary to bridge the ocean-sized gaps in children’s rehabilitation, home care, and education,” Caldwell continued.

The Ontario Disability Coalition strongly advocates for keeping families together and ending the institutionalization of both children and adults with disabilities. Adequate funding and services must be in place to ensure that families can provide care at home.

“The Ontario Disability Coalition urges the government to address these funding gaps immediately and take action to support families in caring for their children and adults at home, rather than forcing them into institutional settings,” Caldwell concluded.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Sherry Caldwell, Co-Founder
Ontario Disability Coalition
OntarioDisabiltyCoalition@gmail.com