News Release Archive
COMMUNITY SERVICES--CHILDREN'S TRAINING CENTRES CLOSURE ------------------------------------------------------------ A report recommending the types of supports required to complete the closure of the province's two Children's Training Centres in Dartmouth and Sydney will be implemented, Community Services Minister Jim Smith said today. The report recommends how closure can proceed and the needs of residents met during the transition to community-based options. The 10-member committee, five of whom are parents of children and youth who use the services of the two centres, was established to review the recommendations made by Dr. Peter Camfield, head of the neurology department at the Izaak Walton Killam Hospital in a November, 1994 report on the operations of the two institutions. Reaffirming the department's commitment to de-institutionalization, Dr. Smith said that "residents of the Children's Training Centres will continue to receive the same high quality care until the closure of both facilities is successfully concluded and appropriate alternative supports are in place for them in their communities." Noting that community placement plans have already been successfully developed for more than 30 former residents of the Nova Scotia Youth Training Centre and the Dartmouth and Sydney children's facilities, the committee recommends that the project team responsible for those plans continue its work. The project team, which has worked in partnership with parents and community-based service providers, will remain in place until similar plans are developed for each of the remaining residents of the three facilities, Dr. Smith said. In addition, the following existing community-based programs will be reviewed as recommended and revised to better meet the needs of children and their families: * The in-home support program provides families with necessary resources to enable their children to remain at home. A clear definition of available supports and eligibility criteria will be developed in order to ensure that similar needs are addressed in a fair and equitable fashion. * The provincial respite care program is a vital component of quality services to challenged individuals. Both scheduled and emergency relief is essential for families who are caring for children with high levels of need. Again, equity and fairness will be the yardsticks by which this revamped program will be measured. * The development of two community-based residences to accommodate the needs of the children now in the nursing unit of the Sydney Children's Training Centre will be undertaken by the project team. These facilities will be staffed by persons with the necessary training to ensure the safety and well-being of these medically complex young people. * In order to co-ordinate high quality planning and program implementation among the department, parents/guardians, and appropriate service providers, a case management program will be developed. The case management program "will guarantee that each challenged individual has an advocate to ensure that appropriate services and resources are in place and kept up to date in accordance with his or her evolving needs and circumstances," the minister said. The committee's recommendations support the de-institutionalization process, assure parents and guardians of challenged individuals of ongoing support, and provide an acceptable quality of life for their children, he said. Completion of the closure process will depend on the appropriate community placement of all residents. -30- Contact: Rusty McClelland 902-424-3265 trp Nov. 03, 1995