Don't make Canadian Children Wait more than 6 months to get treaments they're eligible for.

April 16, 2007

Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa
K1A 0A2

The Right Honourable Mr. Harper,

I would like to put forward a recommendation for Canadian children in law. (I'm not familiar with laws or how they get to be only my experience of what's missing from my experience)

No child should have to wait longer than 6 months to receive a government provided service that they have been deemed eligible for. Whether that's medically related or any government remediation, treatment, or support programs.

An example is my daughter, -----, she is moderate-severe autistic and is now 3.75 years old. --- has now waited for 10 months to receive IBI and still hasn't. IBI is proven as a treatment for autism. --- is eligible until she turns 6 years old and then shell age out of the program. I have heard of some kids never receive IBI and been told by professionals who work with us not to get my hopes up for getting IBI.

Mr. Harper, its only my hopes that gets battered from not having the opportunity to receive service; its ---s life which will be altered by not receiving a government program in a timely manner. Children don't have options of their own and no recourse. Therapies and support services in childhood are truly based on time is of the essence formula to have the most effect on a childs life for the long term.

Our government in Ontario provides IBI services my daughter is eligible for and has been waitlisted for almost a year. --- has already lost a third of her opportunity at remediation as well as proven windows of opportunity in learning based on her age and the way childrens brains learn at specific times in their development.

Its not only the Ontario government who has left children to wait but a repeated refrain across our country from province to province.

I believe whether a child is afflicted with cancer, autism, cerebral palsy or any other issues whatever they may be where government treatment and services are available and they are eligible for there should be a cap on waiting to ensure no child is left to slip through the cracks no matter what province they reside.


Mr. Harper, last fall the United Nations Convention of the Child made their theme "The Right of the Child to be Heard. Please lets make that a reality, literally for many of Canadas autistic children.

UN Convention of the Child declares and the Canadian Government has agreed...
Article 6:
1. States Parties recognize that every child has the inherent right to life.
2. States Parties shall ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child.
Article 19 States:...
2. Such protective measures should, as appropriate, include effective procedures for the establishment of social programmes to provide necessary support for the child and for those who have the care of the child, as well as for other forms of prevention and for identification, reporting, referral, investigation, treatment and follow-up of instances of child maltreatment described heretofore, and, as appropriate, for judicial involvement. ...
IN WITNESS THEREOF the undersigned plenipotentiaries, being duly authorized thereto by their respective governments, have signed the present Convention.

It seems negligent to me, to put public support programs in place and then not service the majority of children who need it and make them wait indefinitely for something where time is of the essence and which they may never receive. Some parents are also forced to move to try to find services.

We owe it to our children to put in place strict guidelines that ensure their needs a met in a time is of the essence manner. Right now, there is nothing in place that is accountable to ---- and many other children who have many different needs and wait and dont get the services when they most need it.

Would you, Mr. Harper as Prime Minister, submit a Bill that addresses this need for ---- and all the children like her in Canada to get services with 6 months?