Making a Difference...
by Aviva Spiro

As school begins for most of our children, we look back on the summer months just passed, and remember all of the good times that we enjoyed together with our families.

My son, Ezra, 6 years old, had an exceptional summer break this year.  However, the period leading into the summer proved to be a bureaucratic nightmare.

It began with a letter form the Provincial Ministry of Social Services informing us that we were being denied funding for the one-on-one aide that Ezra required for camp. I decided that is was imperative to take action to ensure that the needs not only of my own child, but of others in the same situation, were met by a suitable form of government financial aid.  I began my campaign at the local M.P.P. level, which, to my distress, proved to be fruitless in terms of furthering my cause. Then, I attempted to gain access to someone in the Ministry of Social Services and the Premierís office, again to no avail.

My ìsaving graceî came in the form of a Liberal M.P.P. He helped us reach the audience we required at Queenís Park, along with getting us the necessary media exposure to supplement the effort.  The result was that we were able to expose an apparent bureaucratic blunder which had affected over one thousand special needs children province wide, and at the same time gain a sound pledge by the Premier for a hasty solution.  The much needed and previously ìunavailableî funding was guaranteed and delivered, as promised, with due dispatch.

With concerted and focused efforts,  parents can make themselves heard at any level of authority. And again we are reminded that we are usually the best and often the only advocates for our children.