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NEWS Province offers added funding for services geared towards developm ental disabled Nikki Wesley/Metroland ErinoakKids client Mark Ivakhnenko and parents Oxana and Alex Ivakhnenko chat with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne during the grand opening of the new ErinoakKids facility at 2000 Glenorchy Rd. on Friday (April 13) morning. • C o n tin u ed fro m p ag e 4 broke ground in April 2016 at its current site, 2000 Gle­ norchy Dr., just north of the Oakville hospital. At 79,000 square foot, the centre is part of a multi­ site project supported by Ontario's Ministry of Chil­ dren and Youth Services that is replacing 10 out­ grown facilities with three new buildings - one in Oak­ ville, another in Mississau­ ga and a third in Brampton. ErinoakKids staff has said the sites will bring therapy, medical and sup­ port services under one roof for children with disa­ bilities and special needs, so they receive the care they need when they need it most. The new Oakville facili­ ty features a gym, climbing wall, fully-accessible out­ door playground for recre­ ation therapy, physiother­ apy and occupational ther­ apy, three exterior thera­ peutic spaces, an adapted fitness facility, and a fami­ ly resource centre. The site also houses a kitchen and laundry room where clients can develop skills for independent liv­ ing, and a controlled multi- sensory "Snoezelen" room to help reduce aggression and anxiety in children with autism and develop­ mental disabilities. Several dignitaries were at the official grand opening for the Oakville site, including Premier Kathleen Wynne, Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn, Minis­ ter of Children and Youth Services Michael Coteau, Minister of Education and Halton MPP Indira Naidoo- Harris, president of the treasury board and Bur­ lington MPP Eleanor Mc­ Mahon, ErinoakKids presi­ dent and CEO Bridget Few- trell, and ErinoakKids board chair James Suther­ land. Wynne - who boasted about getting her hair done by six-year-old client Melia Lewis in the autism thera­ py room during her tour of the new facility - said the investments her Liberal government have made in care would change the lives and erase the pres­ sures on the families who need it. She announced the province was investing $1.8 million over the next three years in services for the de- velopmentally disabled. She also made note of the recently released pro­ vincial 2018 budget ear­ marking an additional $62 million for the Ontario Au­ tism Program in 2018-19 to expand the current sys­ tem's capacity to serve more children and youths and support their families. "When children or youth with special needs get access to the best sup­ ports, their well-being and independence skyrocket," said Wynne, adding the ser­ vices provided by Erinoak­ Kids was the kind of care that families have told her government they need right now. Flynn said it was days like this that made him re­ ally proud of the work ev­ eryone has been able to do as a community for Er­ inoakKids. For the Brunn family, overtime, they said they saw improvement in Tyler, but not as much with Ga­ vin, according to Allison. And they soon realized his repetitive movements, an inability to have anyone or thing touch his head and his fascination with spin­ ning wheels was not a re­ sult of a developmental de­ lay, but something else. With help from Er­ inoakKids, Gavin was diag­ nosed with autism on Feb. 6, 2017. "And since that day, Er­ inoakKids has become a staple in our everyday life," said Allison. Gavin began attending a full-day autism program three times a week starting in April 2017 and his par­ ents say its combination with the centre's speech services and physical and occupational therapy have made an absolute differ­ ence not just in Gavin's life, but their entire family's. "The outdoor play areas have assisted him in his sensory needs and encour­ aged to him finally wear a hat on his head when it's cold outside. For him, this was a huge achievement," his mom said. "Gavin was once a boy who would sit in a corner and keep to himself and now he is initiating play with others, verbally com­ municating his feelings and using his imagination to make up fun stories." What was so amazing, she continued while trying to hold back tears, was that her boys could finally play together and build that im­ portant brotherly bond, she said. "With the continued support and encourage­ ment of ErinoakKids, chil­ dren can continue down a path of success and fami­ lies can positively improve and have hope for the fu­ ture," Allison added. P u d by Steve Nease lM0RNIN&,MOM(rrls LUCIA'S DAYCARE is closed BECAUSE- OF WEATHER, AMD VJE BOH HAVE TO WORK, £0 1 WAS JUST WOHPERIN6 IF MAYBE YOU i COULD' D oes your financial advisor know your life goals? Marc Nutford Financial Advisor 2387 Trafalgar Road Unit E2 Oakville, ON L6H 6K7 905-844-4043 www.edwardjones.com/marc-nutford Member - Canadian Investor Protection Fund Edwardjones MAKING S E N S E OF INVESTING 1 P eterW \ts°n I l N V E S T M E N T S W E A L T H M A N A G E M E N T Since 1991 T h in k in g o f R e tir in g ... S o m e d a y ? L e t 's T a lk . V is it o u r w e b site to s ig n up fo r a fre e co n su lta tio n . Peter W atson MBA, CFP, R.F.P., C IM , FCSI Jennifer W atson B.A. 220 Randall Street, Downtown Oakville 905-842-2100 peterwatsoninvestm ents.com | O akville B eaver | Thursday, A pril 19, 2018 in sid eh alto n .co m http://www.edwardjones.com/marc-nutford