By Kevin Martel

No more waiting: More services for SK residents with intellectual disabilities

Apr 22, 2013 | 4:04 PM

There’s new hope for those in Saskatchewan living with an intellectual disability. The government announced Monday that a wait list of 440 people struggling to find a place to live, or trying to find programs to fulfill their needs, is now gone.

“I am very pleased to announce that services are now in place, or in development, for every one of the people on the list,” said Premier Brad Wall.

An additional 215 people beyond that original list have also been served.

The initiative launched in 2008. Since then $62.5 million has been spent in 41 communities across the province, including 75 new group homes and service expansion. It includes more than 1,000 weekly hours of supported independent living, with 500 new staff positions created.

As well, investments have been made for a new day-program funding standard to support private service homes and to address complex need programming and specialized supports.

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Program funding has allowed one individual to start his own muffin business, another walks dogs and another has his own recycling business.

Rosemary Fenrich is a board member with the community-based organization Prairie Branches Enterprise. Her 19-year-old son Benjamin has autism. She said there’s nothing more worrisome and challenging than to wonder where her child would live.

“(It's) extremely devastating to be told that there is nowhere for your child to go when they become an adult,” she said. “You don’t feel that there’s any future for your son.”

“It’s given my son a life.”

Fenrich said there needs to be collaboration among several ministries – social services, health, and education – to ensure another wait list isn’t formed.

Wall said that more work would be done in the future so that doesn’t happen again.

“There’s some built-in accountability that comes with these announcements that makes sure we don’t head down that road.”

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