DSRF’s MCFD Pilot Project Underway with 43 Families
Earlier this summer, DSRF announced an opportunity for children and youth with Down syndrome to receive up to one year of free speech and/or occupational therapy thanks to a grant from the Province of BC’s Ministry of Children and Family Development. This pilot project is part of DSRF’s engagement with MCFD to inform the development of a new provincial system for supporting children and youth with developmental disabilities.
We are very pleased to report that this project is now underway. 43 families have been registered for 10-12 sessions of therapy this fall. None of these families were previously receiving funding for speech or occupational therapy, and 12 of the families are new to DSRF.
One of the objectives of this project is to improve service delivery to rural and remote families, and 8 of the families are from rural and remote locations.
In addition to the free therapy sessions, these families will also benefit from a free family information series covering the basics of Down syndrome including health and medical issues, development, behaviour, and more.
There is still room in this program for families who meet the criteria for participation.