Letters to the Editor...Erinoak in urgent need of funding

Dear editor, As therapists currently working with children with special needs in the Acton and Georgetown communities, we would like to take this opportunity to share some information with the general public. We are writing today to ask for your support for an important project. Erinoak is Ontario's largest Children's Treatment Centre, serving more than 8,000 children, youth and families per year who reside in the regions of Halton, Peel, and Dufferin counties. We provide a comprehensive range of habilitation and rehabilitation services to young people with physical, developmental, and communication disabilities and their families including assessment, treatment and support services. The number of children and families served by Erinoak has grown from 800 in 1996 to more than 8,000 today, an average growth rate of nearly 10 per cent per year. Erinoak is committed to improving children's lives and continuing its 35-year track record of excellence in the provision of care to children with disabilities and their families. Erinoak is in urgent need of government funding to help build a new facility to meet the burgeoning demand for services to children with disabilities. Over the past few weeks, Erinoak staff, families, and friends have been writing letters to cabinet ministers and local councillors to highlight the need for an expanded treatment centre for children and adults with physical and communication challenges. So far, the response from government members has been very positive. Your support is vital to the success of Erinoak and its ability to continue providing programs and services to children with disabilities and their families. Without a new facility, Erinoak will not be able to meet the current or future needs of this vulnerable population; a population it is mandated by the Province of Ontario to serve. Please take a moment to support our project by speaking with local, regional and provincial politicians. For more details, visit our website www.erinoak.org to learn more about our centre and help us advocate the needs of special children. Thank you.