Funding dustup leaves Stoney Nakoda families worried about supports for special needs kids

Some parents from the Stoney Nakoda First Nation are worried about the future of their special needs children as funding changes force the closure of a therapy centre set up in Cochrane, Alta. specifically for them.

The Williams Consulting Child First program, designed to provide a daily, intensive therapy program for 12 First Nations children, is set to close its doors at the end of the March. The program's federal funding was pulled after the Stoney Nakoda administration requested that it be allowed to provide the services in Morley — about 30 kilometres west of Cochrane — instead.

Children struggling with a variety of physical and cognitive disabilities are currently driven from the Bearspaw, Chiniki and Wesley First Nations to a centre in Cochrane — about 30 kilometres northwest of Calgary — where they receive everything from physio and speech therapy to psychological support.

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"These are nine and 11-year-old children, some of which are still in diapers. Seven of them are non-verbal," said Andrea Williams, who opened the Centre last fall for First Nations families who were having trouble accessing intensive supports in their communities.

According to Williams, $1.4 million was earmarked for the program over two years through Jordan's Principle, a program under Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) designed to ensure the health, social and education needs of First Nations children are met no matter where they live in the country.

"These parents have been asking for help for six years. And when they finally got it... you're pulling the plug," said Williams who has given two weeks' notice to all of her staff.

Williams worries any gains made by the children in the five months since the centre opened, will be lost.

"I have parents that are terrified. They don't know what they're going to do with their children," she said. 

Parents speak out

Blair Chiniquay is one of those parents. Before his 10-year-old son, Theinen Holloway — who has a severe form of cerebral palsy, epilepsy, is legally blind and struggles with several other disabilities — started receiving therapy at the centre last fall, the family struggled.

"We didn't really get help back then. Now we do. It's really good," said Chiniquay, who worries about the care Theinen will get when the centre shuts down.

"I don't think we'll get this kind of support ... It's really tough."

Other parents, including Georgina Twoyoungmen, are also concerned. 

"Before all this came, we'd been on waiting lists for so long it was frustrating," she said.

Twoyoungmen has watched her 13-year-old autistic son, Sweetgrass, learn to regulate his emotions while attending the centre.

"It was disappointing when I heard their funding was going to be cut off," said Twoyoungmen. "How come they don't consult us parents? Because my son has come a long way, has progressed so much in his learning."

Families wonder how the money will be used

Bertrand Abraham, whose 10-year-old son, Jordan also receives therapy at Williams Consulting Child First program, questions why the money is being redirected to the Stoney administration.

"These people specialize in this and why can't we just ... let them do their job instead of 'oh they're getting this much for doing their job. Let's get involved and cut them off and do it ourselves,'" said Abraham.

"But where's that funding going to go? That's a stressful factor."

Stoney Nation Responds

Stoney's acting tribal administrator, Ken Christensen, told CBC News the services will be offered through the Morley Health Centre, which plans to duplicate or improve upon the programming when it takes over.

According to Christensen, the First Nation wants to provide the services because it will be more convenient for families.  But any further details, he says, will have to be provided by the health service's director, who is currently out of the country.

Keeping help close to home

The federal government says one of its priorities is to ensure services are provided as close as possible to where First Nations children live.

It confirms the Stoney Nation will take over providing services but it won't disclose how much federal funding is being requested.

In a statement emailed to CBC News, a spokesperson for Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) said "The Stoney Nations' decision to provide the services directly to children in their communities fills a gap in health services for children with complex needs that was previously only available off-reserve."

ISC says if First Nations children have needs that are not being met, families should contact provincial Jordan's Principle representatives for help.

"Indigenous Services Canada will work with individual families when requested to ensure there are no gaps in service," said the statement.