GUELPH – Community Living Guelph Wellington (CLGW) is facing a $3-million deficit and plans to close some of its day programs and lay off staff if the province doesn’t provide an infusion of cash.
In an emailed statement, executive director Cindy Kinnon said CLGW “is facing a significant financial deficit.
“To secure the future of CLGW, we are temporarily suspending some services and laying off some employees. We are actively seeking cost-saving measures.”
Kinnon said the organization, along with the board of directors and other organizations that provide services for people with developmental disabilities, is advocating for an increase in base funding from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services “to correct historical underfunding in developmental services.”
CLGW correspondence to families obtained by the Advertiser states the organization is projecting a $3-million deficit for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
“So far this year, we have been managing our month-to-month deficit through savings but that’s about to run out,” states the Sept. 27 notification.
“Without immediate financial support or action, we will not be able to operate in six months.”
The notice identified several key financial pressures:
- many of the people CLGW supports have not seen an increase in their ministry-allotted budget over the last 17 years;
- CLGW has not received a budget increase to address inflation or the rising cost of food, utilities, gas, insurance, or supplies since 2009;
- CLGW has continued to fulfill its necessary and legal pay equity requirements, as well as negotiated wage and benefit increases to ensure developmental service workers are paid fairly, despite not receiving budget increases to support this; and
- CLGW has managed the increased demand for support and the need for more employees and hours to meet the support needs of the people it supports, but needs additional funding to address these pressures.
And so, “to ensure the future of CLGW, we will have to temporarily suspend some of our services and lay off some of our employees,” it states.
“As of [Dec. 4], we will be suspending EmployMEnt Options and day services. Much like during the pandemic, we plan to restore services when we are able.”
‘Fighting again’
For Victoria Waltham-Kingsley, it’s déjà vu all over again.
“I’m just so frustrated,” she said in a phone interview. “It feels like another wall has come upon us. We fought before, and now we’re fighting again.”
Waltham-Kingsley’s 43-year-old son Greg Blagdon has loved and relied on the day program offered by Community Living at its facility in Harriston ever since he finished high school.
Day programs ceased during COVID-19 lockdowns in early 2020 and later that year the organization announced it would be closing its six day-program locations permanently as it moved to a “person-centred” approach to care.
There was furor among families, some local municipalities wrote letters to Community Living asking them to reconsider, and when Kinnon joined as executive director in 2021, she announced the day programs would continue.
“Our intention was never to close the program but was to evolve the program,” she told the Advertiser in March 2021.
“But we heard loud and clear that people like the centres, so yes, we’re committed to opening them.”
So the latest announcement of closures comes as a gut punch to Waltham-Kingsley.
She said isolation during COVID caused Greg to become depressed and with no one to talk to all day, he’s stopped talking altogether.
But he was still happy to go to the day program when it resumed and see his friends and participate in activities.
Waltham-Kingsley hoped that working with a speech/language pathologist along with the return of his happy routines at day program would help him talk again.
“We want everyone in the day program to have dignity in their lives. (Community Living) is taking that away,” she said.
She herself had some health issues over the spring and summer and that caused her to worry even more about her son’s future.
“I’m trying to keep myself together,” she said, tears finally getting the better of her.
“I can’t get sick; I can’t leave my son. Who is going to be his advocate when I’m gone?”
‘We want proof’
Linda Devries has a daughter, Rebecca, in the Harriston day program.
Devries sits on the Family Engagement Committee and says the pending closure of the day programs came as a last-minute agenda item at the Sept. 27 annual general meeting.
Devries said CLGW has an annual budget of $29 million. In 2022-23 it had a $300,000 deficit. She wonders how that climbed to $3 million in just one year.
She noted that staff salaries rose by $2 million in that same year.
Not that the 500 staff members shouldn’t be properly paid, she quickly added, “But we asked for financial statements and the only thing they’d say was that costs have increased due to inflation.
“We want some proof where the money has gone.”
People who use Community Living day programs receive what’s called Passport funding from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services – usually around $5,500 annually per person.
Since the day programs were free, the Passport funding could be used for day trips in the day program – swimming, food for cooking sessions and so on – and also to cover respite care and summer camp.
Devries said there are some private operators who offer day programs, but they aren’t free. It would take all of Rebecca’s Passport funding and then some to keep her in a privately-run day program two days a week.
She currently gets four days at the Harriston day program at zero to nominal cost.
“This seems to be what the ministry would like to see happening. It all seems to be about money – and less support for everyone,” Devries said.
In an email, the communications team at the ministry said it is working with CLGW “to identify their service pressures and strategies to manage them.”
Officials say the ministry increased funding to developmental services agencies in 2022-23 by $734 million, to a total $3.3 billion.
“Further, effective April 21, 2022, the government made the temporary wage enhancement permanent through the creation of the Personal Support Workers and Direct Support Workers Permanent Compensation Enhancement Program,” the ministry stated.
“This increase applies to eligible full-time and part-time workers delivering publicly funded direct support services in the social services sector.”
Officials pointed to the ministry’s long-term plan, Journey to Belonging: Choice and Inclusion, released on May 18, 2021, which outlines how it will improve services and supports for people with developmental disabilities.
“We share a common vision with people with developmental disabilities, families and our sector – a vision where people with developmental disabilities are better supported to fully belong in their communities,” they stated.
Devries said she’s started a petition to stop the closure of the day programs.
Some families – hers among them – are considering legal action, she added. And she’s preparing to be vocal.
“We’re going to fight this,” Devries said.
“I’m not going to give up. This is so important to us.”
Late on Oct. 6, CLGW sent another communication to families explaining its financial position and encouraging families to advocate for the future of disability services.
It included a template of a letter families could use to send to local MPPs.
“Download the letter and fill in your information and personal story in the designated sections. We encourage you to be open and honest, sharing your thoughts, emotions, and frustrations, as your experience is valued,” it states.
The organization also encourages people to sign a petition initiated by a CLGW family at change.org.
Waltham-Kingsley isn’t buying it.
“It is only a tactic, a sympathy ploy to invite us to feel they/we are working together,” she said.
“They have never worked with us before, now they are wanting us to join them, assisting in letter formats, giving us contacts, just to sell us a false bill of goods…
“As for my family we are not joining them in any form.”
