Camrose Association
for Community Living
Burgess Building
4604 - 57th Street
Camrose, Alberta
T4V 2E7
Phone: (780) 672-0257
Fax: (780) 672-7484
Many of our partners, supporters, staff and friends have been asking us how the new provincial budget impacts the work we do here at CAFCL. The budget announcement was a good news—bad news kind of thing. It depends on how you look at it and how you spin the numbers.
Service providers across the province have been working together to advocate to ensure our programs and services continue for the individuals we serve. As a result of our united advocacy PDD's budget for the forthcoming year is much better than expected.
However, the budget is still less than needed and PDD will have to reduce spending over the next year. Many budget statements are very misleading to the general public, so we wanted to take the opportunity to clarify how the numbers will affect CAFCL.
The majority of PDD’s (Person's with Developmental Disabilities) program funding comes from the Alberta Government ministry of Seniors and Community Supports. Within that ministry there is a department called PDD. This is where CAFCL receives the majority of our funding to operate our programs and services for the individuals we serve.
Ted Morton (Minister of Finance) announced the Persons With Developmental Disabilities budget would stay the same for the next fiscal year (April 1, 2010 – March 31, 2011) at $597 million. Well that is kind of true— the 2009-2010 budget was originally $604 million but then they changed it to $597 million part way through the year when they changed the pay increases to a one time retention bonus and gave back part of the $604 m pot to the government. Of that $597 m, CAFCL receives about $3m.
The general public hears that the budget stays the same, but in reality it doesn’t. That same money has to pay for more things like:
The reality is that in order for PDD to balance their budget that “stays the same”, it will mean that cuts need to be made somewhere. We have been asked by PDD to look at where we could come up with efficiencies that have minimal impact to the individuals we serve. The Alberta Association For Community Living calculates that the $597 million will work out to a cut of about 5% to service providers such as ourselves.
These numbers will not change the compassion and professionalism in how our organization will move forward in the work we do. We will continue to work diligently towards ensuring the individuals we serve receive the support, programming and services they require and deserve.
What can you do? Contact your MLA and the Premier. Advocate....make some noise, write letters, join various action groups such as Public Interest Alberta. Public pressure kept the cuts to our budgets to a minimum so it does work.
Thank you all for your continued support.
