BCGEU backs call to stop group home closures

'We want to see the B.C. Liberal government and its agencies develop a multi-year plan.' - Darryl Walker.

Vancouver (5 Aug. 2010) - The British Columbia Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU/NUPGE) is supporting a call by Moms of the Move (MOMS) urging the B.C. government to halt the relocation of developmentally disabled adults to potentially unsafe and unsuitable housing.

The proposed moves result from cuts to Community Living BC (CLBC), a provincial crown agency. The Campbell government has ordered CLBC to find roughly $22 million in ‘efficiencies’ this year.

The agency is doing so by closing group homes and relocating some clients to a controversial ‘home share program’ where they are housed in the private residence of a host manager.

“MOMS’ concerns about CLBC cuts mirror our own,” says BCGEU president Darryl Walker. “We’re against clients being moved against their wishes. We fear some of these moves have the potential to subject people to neglect or mistreatment.”

BCGEU represents group home workers in the community social services sector.

“We support a range of residential options and individual choice for CLBC clients. We want to see the B.C. Liberal government and its agencies develop a multi-year plan to deliver service improvements to semi-independent and independent living programs,” says Walker.

MOMS is B.C’s largest network of families of people with developmental disabilities. BCGEU is urging its members to sign MOMS' petition against the group home closures.

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE

More information:
• Sign the MOMS petition - Stop Group Home Cuts
• MOMS' letter to Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman
• MOMS website