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Deliver Valentine hearts intended for new Premier to area MPP

at media conference Tuesday

Click to see photos from the media conference

DRYDEN, ON – Concerned about insufficient provincial funding for child welfare and particularly about the growing inequality between services and supports in northwestern Ontario and the rest of the province, front line staff at the newly merged Kenora, Rainy River District Child and Youth Services will hold a media conference Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at 12:30 p.m. at the office of local MPP Sarah Campbell (58 Princess Street, Dryden).

The province is ignoring the unique challenges faced by northern child welfare agencies that include servicing vast geographic areas and the high cost of gas, food and other consumer goods, say the leadership of the union representing 293 front line staff at the Kenora – Rainy River agency. They believe the province has failed to adequately fund the merger of the former Family and Children’s Services of the District of Rainy River and Kenora-Patricia Child and Family Services, is starving child welfare agencies of funding and perpetuating systemic inequality of services and supports for families in crisis and vulnerable children at-risk in northwestern Ontario.

At the media conference Tuesday the child welfare workers will deliver signed Valentine hearts they want Campbell to present to Ontario’s new Premier, once the Legislature resumes next week. The cards are symbolic of the heart and dedication child welfare staff put into protecting at-risk children and, call on the Premier to act with her heart and rectify the underfunding for services and supports in northwestern Ontario.

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For more information please contact:

Don Pearson, President, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 2332-807-466-1078

Christine Hampton, CUPE 2332 – 807-938-1906

Stella Yeadon, CUPE Communications – 416-559-9330