We Need Your Help to Stop The Funding Inequity!!!
Earlier this year the government of Ontario committed $600 million to help children with Autism get the early intervention therapies they require while leaving behind children with Down syndrome and other disabilities who require these same services. As of April 1st 2019, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services has committed to providing direct funding to families of children with Autism up to $20,000/year from ages 0-5 and $5000 from ages 6-18 to use toward, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physio therapy or applied behavior analysis therapy. This funding, called the Ontario Autism Program only helps those with Autism, and denies all the other children with a disability. The current funding for children with Down syndrome and other disabilities is managed by the local Children's Treatment Centers (ie. ErinOak Kids, Holland Bloorview, CHEO, etc) with services ending at age 6 for most children and an unknown budget amount for each child. We are raising awareness of this inequity and asking that the government provide funding similar to the Ontario Autism Program for children with Down syndrome and other disabilities. Children with Down syndrome are as deserving of government supports as are children with Autism.