From Adrienne Montani-ECD Rountable

Dear ECD Roundtable participants and supporters,

It seems every day is bringing news of another funding cut to a service or program affecting children and families. Some of them may have been hidden in the $32 million "administrative savings" MCFD reported in August that they had redirected towards front line services, and are only now coming to light, but they span several ministries.

The most recent news is that MCFD will be eliminating funding for three more provincial advisory offices. Specific information is contained in the attached press release from the provincial Infant Development Program Office and letter from the Supported Child Development Office. Here is a link to the Global TV news clip from yesterday evening: "Child Program Cuts": http://tinyurl.com/ycfumc4 featuring interviews with a parent, Provincial IDP Advisor Dana Brynelsen and Minister Mary Polak.

Thanks to everyone who has shared information. Other cuts we have tracked to date affecting young children and their families include:
- Elimination of the Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention (EIBI) program which currently serves 70 autistic children in BC
- Cancellation of the Healthy Choices in Pregnancy initiative at BC Women's Hospital, which focused on reducing FASD;
- Elimination of Books for BC Babies,
- Reduction of minor capital grants for child care centres from $5,000 to $2,000
- Projected reductions in funded child care spaces (MCFD service plan)
- Elimination of the office of the Children First Provincial Advisor
- 22% reduction in provincial funding for libraries
- Cost increases to public and health, education and social services employers, and to many parents, from a planned increase in
MSP premiums and the imposition of the Harmonized Sales Tax.

Impacts may also be felt by young families from the additional cuts to gaming grants that normally fund social services, arts, and sports programs, and the reduction of CommunityLINK funding for inner city schools (and its transfer to the gaming fund). Other cuts not listed here affecting families with older children and youth may have impacts for younger siblings.

First Call will be inviting Minister Polak to to discuss these decisions with us at the next ECD Roundtable meeting on October 28. We recognize that not all of these cuts are attached to her ministry, but they all impact the ability of MCFD to meet its stated goals for young children's health and well-being. We have heard from many of our partner organizations that they are alarmed and dismayed at the lack of consultation with the early childhood development practitioners and affected families throughout BC that these cuts represent.

We urge you to share your views and impact stories about all of these cuts to child, youth and family services with your MLA and with your local media.

Our October 14th full coalition meeting will be discussing tracking the impacts of the provincial budget decisions and how we can best work together to raise public awareness of what is at stake for families and communities. Please join us in person or by phone (contact info@firstcallbc.org for more information). The agenda is posted on the First Call website.

Adrienne
Adrienne Montani, Provincial Coordinator
First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition
604.873.8437
amontani@fsgv.ca
http://www.firstcallbc.org/