Pettapiece responds to Ombudsman’s developmental services investigation

QUEEN’S PARK – Today Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece, who serves as opposition critic to the Minister of Community and Social Services, issued the following statement on the Ombudsman’s investigative report on the government’s response to situations of crisis involving adults with developmental disabilities entitled Nowhere to Turn:

“Today’s report is a devastating indictment of a government more interested in deflecting responsibility than in doing its job—protecting some of the most vulnerable people in our province.

The Ombudsman recounts families languishing on waitlists, many in crisis. His report speaks for itself: the government’s response to urgent situations involving adults with developmental disabilities has been ‘unreasonable and wrong.’

My office regularly hears from families on the brink of crisis. In many cases, a child has turned 18 and no longer qualifies for the support he or she has been receiving for most of their life. In many small and rural communities, services for adults are at capacity or are simply not available.

No parent or caregiver should ever have to abandon their child in order to receive government support. Individuals with developmental disabilities should not be living in hospitals, long-term care homes—or even jail—because the government ignores its responsibility for housing. And absolutely no one should be dying at the hands of an abuser because the government simply ‘lost track of them.’

It should not take an Ombudsman’s report to spur this government into action. This government has known about these problems for years. But based on the ministry’s response, they are actually proud of such an abysmal record.

The government’s response states: ‘…We’ve made great advances in transforming services for individuals and achieving real results.’

Instead of self-congratulatory spin, this government should start with an immediate apology—to the individuals, families, caregivers it has failed so miserably. Then it should immediately accept and implement the Ombudsman’s 60 recommendations.”