Concern over end of care

By Meredith Clisby

NORTHSIDE families who use the Gungahlin Regional Community Service's (GRCS) disability program are concerned their children's care will be negatively affected by the end of ACT and Federal Government grants.

In November families who use the disability program were sent a letter informing them of possible service cuts due to a decrease in funding.

The letter stated that there could be no guarantee of certain services after December 31.

"I regret to inform you and your family that Gungahlin Regional Community Service will be reducing the current level and types of the service currently provided to the young people attending the G Club, After School, Links for Life, After Work and School Holiday Programs due to anticipated loss of current grant funding," the letter said.

Parent Bob Buckley, whose severely autistic nine-year-old son Kieran attends the G Club service, said he was concerned about he future of his son's care.

While the Buckleys received a further letter informing them that Kieran's care would not be affected, he was worried about the future.

"[The Government] cut continually what little services there are without providing other services," Mr Buckley said.

Our whole lives have been about working out how we can keep doing things - there seems to be no community support for kids with a disability and their families."

He said the services provided to his son had so far provided good care. It also enabled him to work full time and his wife to work part time.

"People there are sympathetic to [Kieran's] situation and he gets along well with them," he said.

Mr Buckley said he could not feel confident that after June 2010 Kieran would still have the care he required. He said it was a typical situation where parents of disabled children were left in the lurch with no certain future.

"I would like to see reliable and appropriate services, and something there between services so when changes happen there's an organised process," he said.

"When you go round changing the services it causes them considerable distress."

Karna O'Dea, a parent who will look to use the service in about three years time, said she had fought this fight 10 years ago with her older autistic daughter and was angry that nothing seemed to have changed.

"Three years goes very quickly; I've seen a lot of parents worried [about] in 10 years, what they're going to do," she said.

Continued on page 8

Care programs could end through lack of money

From page 1

The letter sent to parents, obtained by The Chronicle, explained that the first loss of funding would occur on December 31 with the cessation of the Commonwealth Youthlinx Grant a loss of about $106,000 per annum.

The second loss of funding, also on December 31, is when the ACT Department of Education and Training's non-government organisations programs for children and young people with a Disability grant will end. This will be a loss of about $70,000 annually.

It also stated that the current ACT Department of Disability, Housing and Family Support Disability ACT Service Funding Agreement was due to expire on June 30, 2010.

The letter warned families that the GRCS could no longer guarantee services to clients, including those who had individual support packages, required one-to-one care, or attended the After Work Care program.

"At present, we are examining each young person's service provision o a case by case basis but we are anticipating a major reduction in hours of service and the types of service which can be provided in the future," the letter said.

GRCS CEO Jenny Daly said she was not certain how much the loss of funding would affect services.

"We will still be running the programs but it won't be at the same level, [but] we're still negotiating with the Government," she said.

Ms Daly said the letter in November had stressed and distressed a lot of the families involved and she was currently in the process of trying to sort the problem out.

Minister for Disability Joy Burch denied the ACT Government had cut funds to the disability program at the GRCS.

"There have been no cuts to ACT Government funding for Gungahlin Regional Community Council Inc nor are there any plans for future cuts," she said in a statement.

She said the ACT Department of Education and Training grant was in fact an Australian Government program, which allocated grant money through states and territories to non-government groups providing education programs for young people with a disability.

She said organisations who received this funding in 2009 were invited to apply for extended funding to cover the period of January to June 2010. She said GRCS had not applied for the extension.

Ms Burch and Disability ACT would begin negotiations with community service providers in early 2010 for the next three year funding agreement under the disability program.

"At this stage Disability ACT has no reason to anticipate that the agreement with Gungahlin Regional Community Service Inc will be discontinued," she said.

"The ACT Government will, of course, continue to assist families who are seeking help with support for their children with a disability."