An Orillia boy's education hangs in the balance as delays in government funding are jeopardizing his access to a specialized private school in Barrie.
Ethan Maracle, eight, receives funding for his education through Jordan’s Principle, a federal program designed to ensure First Nations children in Canada can access essential health, social, and educational support.
While the funding is critical to Ethan’s education, his mother Katie Maracle says the program’s operational delays are failing her son and others like him.
“Ever since COVID, the effectiveness of Jordan’s Principle and paying our school has been a disaster,” Katie said. “It’s taking months to receive the funding."
Ethan, who has nonverbal autism, relies on the individualized programming and one-on-one care offered by IBI Behavioural Services Inc. in Barrie, which costs $12,000 to $15,000 per month. Katie fears that without funding, their financial reality may soon force Ethan out, which would be disastrous to his development.
“For my son to learn basic life skills, interact safely with peers, and progress in all developmental domains, he must attend a specialized private school," she said.
Katie believes public school isn’t a viable option for Ethan, citing a lack of resources and expertise to accommodate his needs.
“He will be lost in the public school system,” she said. “I know for a fact that they are ill-equipped to manage or care for my son.”
Earlier this week, Katie received a notice from IBI Behavioural Services Inc. warning that if payments aren't up to date by Jan. 1, Ethan will lose access to the school.
“My son’s right to education, special needs education, is being threatened by the complete failure of both levels of government,” she said. “As of the new year, my sweet eight-year-old son, who has a severe disability, may not have access to the educational support and services he requires to build independence and thrive like every other child in this country.”
Katie described the situation as a “violation of human rights." Her frustration is compounded by what she described as a lack of accountability and transparency.
“Every time we contact them or advocate for the efficient payment of invoices, we get a generic message saying, we understand your frustration, we know we are behind in payment, but we are short-staffed and have too many requests coming in," she explained. "None of that is my problem," she said.
With January fast approaching, Katie is calling on the federal government to take immediate action to resolve the backlog and uphold the promise of Jordan’s Principle.
Simcoe North MP Adam Chambers told OrilliaMatters on Wednesday afternoon that he is aware of the issues surrounding the significant delays.
"To be honest, it has been difficult getting more information beyond what has been in the news," he said. "The current state is failing parents, providers, and taxpayers."
Chambers says he's written to Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services, on multiple occasions about specific cases.
"There is clearly an administrative policy failure that has led to the 140,000 (person) backlog," he said. "For example, for parents whose children receive regular services from a provider that has already been approved, it would be reasonable to expect that subsequent invoices could be expedited."
