Group Homes which care for the disabled MUST be licensed!

After a crash course work experience in a group home that served young adults with disabilities it has come to my attention that anyone, from anywhere can simply open their doors and call themselves a group home. This leave the clients, or residents at risk. They risk being cared for by people with little to no experience as caregivers. They risk being place in a situations where they become shut ins, with no one to arrange, encourage or facilitate social interaction for them or with them. They risk abuse and neglect on every level: physical, emotional, psychological and financial. Without proper legislation and standards of care in place, victims of group home abuse often end up living in situations where they live in fear. I would imagine that in many cases the fear of speaking out and being left homeless often out weighs the belief that the victim will be heard and properly attended to. Canada has pushed for stiffer sentencing when it comes to elder abuse, but we have to remember that "elder abuse" is simply a buzz word, (or words) for the abuse of societies most vulnerable. This is what the government of Canada has to say on the issue of elder abuse: "Abuse can happen when the aggressor wants to intimidate, isolate, dominate or control another person. Police reported that nearly 7,900 seniors were victims of violent crime in 2009. Of those reported crimes, 35 percent were committed by a family member, 35 percent were committed by a friend or acquaintance, and 29 percent were committed by a stranger. However, it is difficult to estimate the prevalence and incidence of elder abuse in Canada due to factors such as under-reporting." However- after numerous attempts to report the abuse I witnessed while working in a group home, I was left with the impression that police either don't care or don't know what their response to group home abuse should be. If you believe that the disabled members of your family and community deserve to live in group homes they can truly call HOME, where they're free from fear and intimidation. Please sign this petition. If you believe that police should respond to calls regarding group homes in the same manner that the Children's Aids Society answers to allegation of child abuse or that SPCA answers calls of animal abuse, then please lend your voice to those who very often cannot speak for themselves (literally)!