Five per cent increase means treatment for 28 kids
Apr 27, 2007 - 12:00 AM
By Jillian Follert
OSHAWA -- From the time he was two-years-old, Grandview Children's Centre has been like a second home to Christopher Barker.
"He's really blossomed here," said proud mom Joanne, as Christopher, now 6, played with friends in Grandview's colourful atrium Thursday morning. "He's done so many programs here, speech therapy, physio, the walker group, breath support to help him use his chest muscles... and he loves to swim in the pool."
 Christopher was one of about a dozen local kids with special needs who greeted Minister of Children and Youth Services Mary Anne Chambers when she touched down in Oshawa this week to announce a funding boost for Grandview and other children's services in Durham.
"Children's treatment centres are an important part of the continuum of services that provide young people with disabilities, the best opportunities to succeed," the minister said.
The centre will receive an additional $221,200 in capital funding for the 2007-08 year, for an increase of five per cent over last year.
Vicky Earle, Grandview's new executive director, was thrilled with the announcement, noting the funds will allow an additional 28 children with disabilities to receive treatment this year and extra staff to be hired.
The minster also announced a five per cent funding increase of $658,755, to be shared between eight Durham agencies providing mental health services to children and youth, including Lakeridge Health, the Durham Family Court Clinic and the John Howard Society of Durham Region.
"Our government is working hard on many fronts to make a real difference for our province's most vulnerable young people and to respond sooner to their family's needs," Ms. Chambers said.
Grandview Children's Centre is an accredited children's treatment centre, funded by the Ministry of Health to provide services like physiotherapy, speech language pathology and medical assessment to support children with special needs and their families.
The centre also includes Campbell Children's School, where six-year-old Julia Gaidychuk is a student.
Her mother Margaret figures Julia has taken advantage of almost every program offered by Grandview since she became a client at age 16 months, rhyming off physical therapy, speech therapy and recreation programs, to name a few.
"Hopefully this new money will mean shorter wait times and more kids getting treatment they need," Ms. Gaidychuk said. "It's a really great place."
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