Government Funding Issue
How You Can Help
L’Arche Greater Vancouver seeks your help in expressing concern about its current funding situation. The majority of L’Arche Greater Vancouver’s funding comes from Community Living BC, a provincial crown corporation.
How you can help:
- Contact Rich Coleman, newly appointed Minister of Housing and Social Development, the Ministry responsible for the Community Living sector. Mr. Coleman can be reached by:
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e-mail |
rich.coleman.mla@leg.bc.ca |
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Phone |
604-607-6200 (Constituency office) |
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Mail |
Room 128
Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC V8V 1X4 |
- Be informed of the issues (as outlined in the following sample letter). For more information contact Board President Trudi Shaw at tasdeac@shaw.ca or Executive Director Denise Haskett by phone at 604-435-9544 ex 27 or e-mail at dhaskett@larchevancouver.org.
- If you plan on visiting, MLA’s are usually in their constituency office on Fridays. To find out who your MLA is and how to contact them click on:
www.leg.bc.ca/mla/3-1-1.htm
- If you wish, we have the following suggested text that outlines the issues and our concerns.
Thank you for your help in bringing our concerns to the decision makers.
Dear_____________
As a citizen of British Columbia, I wish to express my concern regarding the funding priorities of the provincial government with respect to the residential and program options for people with developmental disabilities. In particular I am concerned about the funding allocated from the Ministry of Children and Families to the Crown Corporation of Community Living BC to provide for their care.
L’Arche Greater Vancouver has been providing a unique care model for people with disabilities in the Vancouver area for over 30 years. Their residents, many of whom have dual diagnosis of physical and developmental disabilities live with assistants in family like settings. The majority of their residents are aging and therefore face increasing demands for care. They have six homes where 24 people with disabilities reside, and two day programs serving 15 people.
L’Arche Greater Vancouver is part of an international Federation of 130 communities in over 30 countries. There are 25 L’Arche communities in Canada. It was founded in France in 1964 by Jean Vanier, Order of Canada recipient, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and the son of former Canadian Governor General Georges Vanier.
I understand that L’Arche receives approximately 86 percent of its funding from government through Community Living B.C. (CLBC). L’Arche has been in negotiations with CLBC since November 2006 to secure adequate funding to ensure the health and safety, and quality of life for its residents. Except for the following recent small cost pressure increases L’Arche has not received an funding increase to their contracts in 8 years:
- 1.6% retroactive increase for the fiscal period April 2006 to March 2007 equalling $28,644
- 3.2% increase for the fiscal period April 2007 to March 2008 equalling $57, 287
- Therefore the total cost pressure increase for an eight year period is $85,931
In the negotiations, it was acknowledged by CLBC that L’Arche has been historically chronically underfunded. Please note that from March to September 2007 L’Arche received a “one time only” funding increase of $570,000 which was allocated on a monthly basis. This funding was designated to hire personnel to provide direct care for people in their homes and day programs as well as to cover a loss from the previous year. L’Arche proceeded to hire personnel to provide much needed extra support for an aging population. It was understood that this increase would be permanent and written into their contracts which were up for renewal in September 2007. However, L’Arche was told that this funding could not continue because the Simon Fraser Region did not have sufficient funds.
The end of this funding was linked to the closure of L’Arche Wood Products (effective November 30, 2007) a day program that operated in Burnaby for 17 years. Of the approximately $250,000 annual cost to operate L’Arche Wood Products, CLBC contributed only 22,000 annually.
L’Arche wages are at the bottom of the non-union sector and have not changed since year 2000.
Given significantly increased care needs, escalating cost of living expenses, historic inequity in funding, and the factors mentioned above, it is not possible for L’Arche to continue to operate with the same funding. Health and safety issues are critical.
L’Arche has complied with all Community Living B.C.’s requirements which have included:
- A costly CARF (Commission on Accreditation Facilities) process (not funded by Community Living B.C.) - resulting in three year accreditation status that reporting favourable level of care, identifying the strength of L’Arche’s staff and programs, and the weakness of government support.
- An independent financial review – results of this review have not been made available to L’Arche.
- Provincial Residential Options Review – all L’Arche residents indicated that they wished to stay in their homes in the L’Arche community.
In spite of the acknowledged historic under-funding, the growing care needs of their residents and compliance with all of CLBC’s requirements, L’Arche has been told there is no money.
L’Arche is committed to exploring new ways of providing service, but it is difficult if not impossible to focus on planning when facing significant health and safety risks and financial crisis. In order for L’Arche to fully participate in creative long term planning, survival issues need to be addressed.
Thank you for representing my concerns within government and addressing them on my behalf. I look forward to hearing from you on the matter of L’Arche and its need for funding.
Sincerely,
Click here for document version of the sample letter
