Budget cuts at Community Living BC are forcing community-based operators to close group homes for adults with developmental disabilities, with disturbing reports of residents being forcibly moved or pressured against their wishes to leave their professionally-staffed homes for cheaper but inappropriate and/or unsafe home-sharing agreements. New applicants are being denied group home placements and forced into informal residential arrangements that may not be right for their needs.

CLBC and the Minister responsible, Rich Coleman, have failed in their duty to be honest and transparent about the changes underway. They have failed to demonstrate that appropriate safety measures are in place to assess and address the risks involved. And they have failed to respond to concerns raised repeatedly by the families of the highly vulnerable adults impacted by these changes. The public is being misled and families are being excluded from decisions and left in the dark, leading to growing alarm.

If done with appropriate controls and supports, less formal residential care arrangements such as home sharing can work well for some individuals. But such arrangements are inherently less stable and are not safe or appropriate for all adults with developmental disabilities. Further, CLBC has failed to demonstrate appropriate oversight mechanisms are in place to monitor home sharing arrangements to ensure the safety and wellbeing of individuals.

We the undersigned join with self-advocates, families, community leaders and service providers to call on CLBC and Minister Coleman to halt the current relocation program pending a transparent review that includes advice from families and self-advocates on an appropriate framework to ensure that all placement decisions are made with the welfare and safety of the individual as the paramount consideration.

Please visit the MOMS Web site at http://momsnetwork.ca for more information on this issue.