Letter from Dr Lois Yelland, MD - Public Health

Dear Premier Campbell,



I am writing to request that your government reconsider the decision made by the Minister Polak to eliminate the provincial offices of the IDP, Aboriginal IDP and Supported Child Care Program.



This decision was made without the Minister or her Deputy Minister taking the time and effort to visit the provincial offices and acquaint themselves with the operation of these programs. It was also made without consulting or examining the impact it will have on stake-holders. This includes not only the affected children and their families, but the professionals in the field who rely on these services to assist them in caring for their clients or patients. Ultimately, this decision will impact on society as a whole, with failure to identify and treat developmental disabilities in a timely manner, resulting in increased costs from delayed medical treatment and lost productivity, not to mention the costs in human terms.



As one of these professional stake-holders, working as a physician in general practice and later, in public health, I found the infant development programs, like the prenatal nutritional outreach programs, to be among the most effective and best-run programs funded by government.



These programs didn't just happen. Like Roots of Empathy Program, they were created by individuals with a vision and dedication to meet a need and make a significant difference in developmental outcomes. These programs require ongoing leadership and expertise to ensure that field staff competencies are maintained and up-dated as new information becomes available in this rapidly changing field. These programs also require an ongoing system of data collection to keep government accurately informed of any changes in demand for these services.



Minister Polak has stated that no impact will be felt by the public because there have been no field positions cut, but I strongly disagree with her opinion. Without the support and guidance of a team of experts, these services will be seriously eroded over time and the standards of care will vary region to region, as regional protection supervisors are asked to take on yet another responsibility from the side of their desks. Minister Polak may not be around to see the full impact of her decision, but there will be tens of thousands of families that will be adversely affected by this decision. These kind of services, once dismantled, are not easily rebuilt and the expertise and experience discarded, is not readily found.



I support the need to fund more field positions in both IDP and child care, but urge you not to do this at the expense of dismantling the leadership so vital to these services.



Sincerely,



Lois Yelland