PRESS RELEASE - FAMILY COURT COMMITTEE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO, 43

A Public Hearing for the people of District Ho. 43 will be held before

the end of January by the District's Family Court Committee. The Hearing
will deal with the present financial problems faced by local resources
for children in crisis, such as Horizon, Kincaid and S.H.A.F.T., and the
lack of appropriate response from the Minister of Human Resources to

suitably finance these programs.

The Committee's decision made at its monthly meeting, November 15, arose
out of frustration following correspondence with the Honourable Grace
McCarthy, Minister of Human Resources. The 5% increase in grants allowed
by the Ministry in this International Year of the Child is inadequate to
offer competitive salaries, obtain adequate staffing and operational

4 .
funds and ensure that good services continue’ to be provided to the

*

Community.

Some programs in Jeopardy from this bottom-line funding are Horizon
Receiving and Assessment Centre, Kincaid Treatment Resource — and
S.H.A.F.T. Alternate ‘to School. These are the District's only resources
to cope with children from age 6 - 17 referred ‘by social workers, schools
and probation departments, Working at full capacity the highest number
of youngsters who can be using these resources at one given time is a
total of 42. For purposes of referral into these programs the area also
Covers Pitt Meadows .and Maple Ridge. - New Westminster, which generally
uses the services available in Burnaby, is forced to refer persons to

Horizon also from time to time,