Letter to the Editor April 17, 2010 Provincial Budget Hurts ...

Letter to the Editor
April 17, 2010
Provincial Budget Hurts Abbotsford’s Families
The recent provincial budget allocation for the Ministry of Children and Family Development
(MCFD) will result in serious cuts to programs for families in crisis, youth at risk and
children. For Abbotsford Community Services and similar organizations, government funding
will decrease at the time when needs are increasing and becoming more complex.
Although we do not yet know the full extent of the impacts to Abbotsford Community
Services, when the provincial government released the news of a $10 million cut to MCFD –
on the opening day of the 2010 Olympic Games – we knew the cuts would run deep.
March was “Community Social Services Awareness Month”. An advertisement in our local
newspaper earlier stated, “Every day community social service workers help people deal
with life’s challenges. We know how much these services matter. They make us all
stronger.”
It is important to be aware that the social service sector is struggling to deal with
serious funding cuts.
Last fall the health authority cut funding to our abuse counseling program, seniors caregiver
support and women’s wellness services. Two of those programs were lost altogether, and
the remaining one operates at reduced hours creating longer wait lists for clients desperate
to access counseling support.
With this latest round of funding cuts, the areas affected will include:
• Early childhood & family support services – programs that teach positive parenting
skills, improve literacy and provide a nurturing, enriching environment for children
will be affected.
• Youth services – programming will be negatively impacted for youth struggling to
stay in school, trying to break free from sexual exploitation, dealing with addictions
and depression, and learning to live on their own.
Of the almost 70 social service programs offered by ACS, one quarter are at risk of funding
cuts. It will not continue to be business as usual. Unfortunately, prevention services are
more likely to feel the reductions than crisis intervention services.
There will be very real consequences for Abbotsford children and families already struggling
with the day-to-day pressures of living without the supports many of us take for granted.
Unfortunately, we are facing significant cutbacks in funding during the very times when
services are most needed.

For 40 years, Abbotsford Community Services has been all about “People Helping People”.
Our programs encompass early childhood development, counseling and youth resources,
immigrant settlement and seniors services. We will continue to do our very best in
extremely trying times.
Please consider the Abbotsford residents (this past year 37,000 were assisted through ACS
alone) who count on community social services being there when they go through personal
challenges. Six in ten of us will use social services over the course of our lives. We
encourage you to speak with your MLA about the importance of protecting services for
children, youth, families and community.
Sincerely,
Rod Santiago, Executive Director
604.870.3761
Rod.Santiago@AbbotsfordCommunityServices.com