PAGE 2,WEDNSDAY. sEiPTEMBR 4, I9)85,Wi-IITBY FREE PRESS Ministrýy officiai says.... Study shows Durham Centre closure a succesi By SUSAN LESJAK Free Press Staff Despite concerns from Durham Centre's employees that residen- ts may not have a place to go when the centre for the developmentally handicapped closes clown next March, a spokesperson for the closure imnlpmpntstifn committee says tbe government is "pretty close to their goal in terms of placement." According to Gwelda MacDonald-Tuttle of the 1 FOR THE MONTII 0F SEPT. ONLY AT 7-1 7 11.. _ MW, - _ CHICKEN & SEAFOOD YOU CAN HAVE-LUNCH FOR UNDER $2.00 One choice piece of deliclous f rled chlcken with trench tries. Just chlcken, 15 pleces ot tender tried chioken pert eot torsa hungry f amily. Plus 1 FR EE Coke 750 mg. plus 3ft deposlt 1017 DU ND[AS ST. E., WH ITBY (Besîde WindmIli Donuts and Dalry Queen> MON.SAT. il a.m. - 11 p.M. SUN. il a.m. - 9 p.m. Whitby - Ajax - Pickering Association for the Mentally Retar- ded, the government supported association has established four .new group homes in the Durham area since April '84 and is in the process of setting up four more. The new homes were to be in operation by November '84, January, March and April '85 respectively will take in approximately 12 to 16 of the displaced Durham Centre residen- ts. The rest, said Mac- Donald-Tuttle will be accommodated by one or more of the 15 other *associations in the province. While the ad- ministrator acknow- ledged that. ber association would only take in as many residen- ts as the ministry of community and social service (COMSOC> provided funding for, she said she had no reason to doubt that they come through witb the funding. "At this point in time, iany money we've asked for from the ministry, they've provided us with," she said. "The ministry bas been very very supportive of- the developmentally ban- dicapped." Dr. Garry Baker, provincial co-ordinator for the ministry's five- year plan to de- institutionalize care for STORE HOU RS: MON.-THURS. 11 A.M. - 7 P.M. FRIDAVi11 A.M. -9 P.M. I SATU RDAV 1A.M. -5 Pik. ICASH-VISA-MASTERCARD PERSONAL SHOPPING NU PRESENS mmmBEING HELD AT H NEW K-MARI' PLAZA OSHAWA BANRUPCY555 SIMCOE ST. S-5 GOVER 70G0 AOR T E D 579-5339 BAGS INCLUDING SAL E STARTS OVERNITERS, WEEKENDERS, PULLMANS, GARMENT BAGS, T ~V ' .~ ATTACHE CASES, DUFFLE Tm/ LIY.A.I I lvi BAGS, TOTES>& SPORT BAGS-- II 7F I OVER 5000 CHAINS & BRACELETS 10K & 14K G~ENTS 10K GOLO 10KGO ULD 6----so~EC ASSO RTED STO NE Ri NGS HRIGOE 1"-----200 EACH JADE...TIGER EYE .LAPIS ONYX. E IB N 1 9 --$50E C SYN. RUBY..SINTIEALf99001 NECK CHAINS 20 ----3000 EACH ONE HOUR ONLY 9 EA 1ONEHOURONLY! ____ AVAILABLI LADIES 10K GOLD BIRTHSTONERINGS ONLY! J -WEA EXPANDING VINYL ATTAC HE CASES COMBINATION LOCKS BURGUNDY, BROVvN On ni Ari $39951 A LADIES 14K GOLO EMERALD & DIAMOND CLUSTER RING .5 CT. T.W. EMIERALDS 24x.025 DIAMIONDS $ 9 0 14K GOLD HEART SHAPED DIAMOND PENDANTS WITH 16" $ 95 10K GOLO NECK CHAIN $3 SET IC 10K GOLD LADIES RINGS OVER 25 STYLES $9f0 AS LOW AS $2 0 the developmentaily handicapped, would agree. While the ministry will save $23.7 million a year as a result of the closing of five of the province's facilities, he said it will turn around and spend $33.7 million a year to maintain the new group homes that will be replacing the larger centres. This amount;, Baker pointed out represents ongoing, maintenance costs ex- clusive of any start-up funding. The figure, he added, is in 1982 dollars which makes it dloser to $39 million in real dollars. A spokesperson for the Ontario Public Ser- vice Employees Union (OPSEU), the group representing the em- ployees of the five- facilities, claimed, however, that funding was so tight, agencies with new group homes were having to hit up charities to keep their doors open. "OPSEU doesn't have the facts, " said Baker in response to this allegation by Vicky Scott OPSEU's research co-ordinator for the closures. "Tbey exaggerate and border on lying a lot of the time. " According to im, the provincial government bas increased its overal spending on the developmentally ban- dicapped enormously -- MM" to $250 million in 1985. Both Baker and Mac- Donald-Tuttle accused OPSEU of com- promising the interests of the residents in their fight to keep their jobs. "OPSEU is riding on the backs of the developmentally han- dicapped to furtber their own end," said Baker. While MacDonald- Tuttle was more measured in her criticism, she suggested that OPSEU's statements of late, and the corresponding pres coverage, have servedi to "fuel the fears of the families." Both administrators described the period surrounding each closing as one of "very high anxiety" but em- phasized the satisfac- tion of parents after the transition had taken place. The Whitby-Ajax- Pickering association's three-month assessment of the group homes into which 16 Durham Cen- tre residents were placed last April, revealed over- whelmingly positive feelings on the part of the resident's families, said MacDonald-Tuttle. A study into the overal impact of the five-year plan by in- dependent social workers from Waterloo University supported lie area association's lindings. Quoting from bis report, Baker said chat "fewer than 5 per cent of the placements have been unsuc- cessful." The Durham Family Relief Association will sponsor a course in how to babysit children with physical and develop- mental disabilities for teens aged 14 and over beginning Sept. 24. The course, which runs until Nov. 12, will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at Ajax Higb Scbool. There is no fee for the course and anvone in- terested may register by calling the association at 668-3812 before Sept. 18. Other agencies spon- soring the course in- clude the Ajax- Pickering and Whitby Association for the Men- tally Retarded, the Down's Syndrome Association and the Durham Centre for the Developmentally Han- dicapped. Course -offered on how to babysit. disabled children 0 j! bw