REGINA — Funding support is coming to help expand a summer program for children and youth with autism.
The Government of Saskatchewan has announced Thursday it is increasing funding to the Autism Resource Centre of $235,000.
Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill made the announcement at the Autism Resource Centre offices in Regina.
“For more than 20 years, the Autism Resource Centre has been providing summer camps for children and their families,” said Cockrill. “And these camps have been an important part of participants' lives for the same reasons that many enjoy attending summer camps all across the province. They learn new skills that they can use in upcoming years. They reconnect with friends and peers in a group where they feel safe, heard and validated. They get to experience everything that Regina has to offer and learn more about the world around them.”
According to the ARC website, the camps are held in July and August for autistic youth and children ages seven and up. Each participant is paired with a dedicated support, with the camps running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday except for stat holidays. The website states the participants follow a personalized program plan, “tailored to include a blend of engaging individual and group activities.”
Cockrill noted that in this budget year, Saskatchewan Health Authority provided $1.5 million of funding to the Autism Resource Centre for a range of services and programs to individuals and their families impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorder. This funding of $235,000 amounts to the centre’s budget increase for the year from the province.
Cockrill said the Autism Resource Centre had been “speaking with government now for a couple of years in terms of, you know, really communicating to the ministry the value that the summer camps provide.
“And so it was a pleasure this year to see that through, added into the provincial budget and again, to recognize the important work that happens here at ARC every year.
Angela Ricci, Executive Director of the Autism Resource Centre, said the investment will “allow us to introduce a third summer camp and reach more autistic children and young adults who, due to their unique needs, cannot access typical summer programs. For many families, this program is more than just summer care. It's essential for one-to-one support that helps our children maintain routines, build skills and confidence.”
Ricci said the biggest difference the funding will provide is that they are “going to be able to address our waiting list. That has grown. The requests for program spots increased by 50 per cent over the last five years. So last year we turned away, I think it was about 42 families, and this year we're able to address that. We're actively still recruiting.
“So the third program means we can meet more children's demands for the summer. Also, because this is a one-to-one program where one summer program employee works with one child, there's a lot of work and goal setting and design that needs to happen. And so, it's just going to reach more children and help them out throughout the summer.”
