For Immediate Release
July 30, 2003
Toronto

Needs of Children with Disabilities and their Families Still Going Unmet

Statistics Canada released a report yesterday that confirms the challenging realities facing children with disabilities and their families. The report identifies 155,000 children with disabilities, aged 5-14, and living in households, giving a snapshot of their social and economic status and that of their families. For example, over 50% of parents reported that their employment situation has been affected by the need to care for their child, including working fewer hours or adjusting work schedules to care for their child.

Among families whose employment situation was affected, 71% of mothers experienced impact on their employment. Mothers are also the primary source of care in the home. In 62% of cases where a child required assistance with personal care, it was the mother who provided most of the help. The report makes clear that families need more supports with housework, family responsibilities and time off for personal activities. About 40% of parents report that they receive no help but need some.

Access to specialized aids remains an issue for children largely because of cost. About one half of children with disabilities requiring specialized aids did not have all the aids that they needed. Of these children, 55% reported cost as a factor in acquiring the specialized aids they need. The additional costs of caring for a child with a disability has direct impact on household income. The average income of households with children with a disability was over 10% less than households with non-disabled children.

Michael Bach, Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL), said, “This report makes clear that children with disabilities remain extremely marginalized in Canadian society. Where to begin? We think CACL’s recently issued ‘National Agenda to Support Families’ is a good starting point.”

The Agenda calls on the federal government to establish a transfer to provincial and territorial governments to expand disability and family supports like respite, and technical aids and devices. It issues a call to amend the Canada Labour Code to increase workplace flexibility for parents raising children with disabilities; provide paid leave through the Employment Insurance system; reform the Canada Pension Plan to benefit those parents who remain out of the paid labour market to care for their children, and reform the personal tax system to help address the poverty that these families are more likely to face.

The federal government has made a first step in this agenda with the recent introduction of the Child Disability Benefit. But as Robin Acton, Chair of the CACL Task Force on Children and Families says, “This important first step is just that. We still have a long way to go in this country before families raising children with a disability are recognized for the role they are playing and appropriately supported.” Cheryl Gulliver, President of the Association, and mother of a young woman with disabilities, said, “This report confirms what families across the country have been saying for many years. We love our kids, we want them to thrive. We want our families to thrive. But so many of us are not being given a fighting chance.”

For more information contact Michael Bach, Executive Vice-President, CACL - 416 661 9611 or visit our website at www.cacl.ca
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