As parents of special needs children we rely on the money that is promised to us, each fiscal year, to support the needs of our children/adult children with their various requirements.  Every year we are provided with a budget, which we use in accordance with the framework provided to us by the government.  

Previously, we had regional bodies that oversaw the auditing of the files to ensure that the monies were not misused in any way.  Then the PC Government, without a plan in place, removed the regional bodies from the auditing process and moved the auditing to one location.  With no training, no foresight or knowledge of the volume of submissions that would be received the government decided that this was a good move as it saved money.

They had everyone move over to an electronic submissions platform - which to be honest is great if you have access to a computer.  The electronic submissions platform in the past two months has undergone 2 updates, completely changing the way the system worked and not testing it prior to launch.  Now that system, MyDirectPlan, is undergoing yet another platform overhaul which is causing parents to be unable to submit their receipts for the services that they have engaged in to help their special needs kids/adult kids.

Many parents are accumulating debt that they just cannot afford. The people that they hire to assist with the needs of these children/adults are having to look for alternate employment.  The programs cannot afford to keep running as they are not being paid.

The "For the People" government of Ontario is creating a sector where people are ignored, forgotten, put aside as they are not important.  These kids/adult kids can, with proper training and supports, give back to the community and become employed.  The "For the People" Government is driving an entire sector of workers out of jobs and creating undue hardship for many parents.

We are all proud parents, we don't ask for much, we don't abuse the system, we care for our adult kids, we support the community, we look for job aides, we do a lot of work while holding down full time employment if we can.  Now we are going to be unemployed as the services we use are being taken away, that help us to be supporting members of the economy through the none release of much needed funds.

Help us get rid of the backlog so that we can help our kids get the assistance they need.