Letter to the Editor: Families deserve better support for children with disabilities
As a mother of an autistic child, I am writing out of sheer frustration and desperation. My son was just removed from another daycare because they couldn’t support his needs. This isn’t the first time, and unless something changes, it won’t be the last.
Alberta claims to offer support for families like mine, but in reality, these services are largely inaccessible. We applied for the Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) program in summer 2023. It has been twenty months, and despite repeated follow-ups, all I have received is a vague assurance that we are “still on the list.” No timeline, no solution—just a broken system leaving families stranded.
Parents of children with disabilities want to work, contribute, and provide for their families, but when childcare centers cannot accommodate our children and the province offers no viable support, we are left with no choice. Are we simply not allowed to have careers? Because that is the reality Alberta is imposing on parents like me.
I have spoken directly with provincial officials and their only response is that the system is broken. But what good is that acknowledgment if no action follows? Families are drowning while politicians observe from the shore.
