'ErinoaksKids centre seeks major redevelopment With growing demand for service and agingfacilities, agency in dire need of upgrades, says president/CEO By Christina Commisso CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF With run-down facilities and an ever- growing wait list, ErinoakKids is in desperate need for redevelopment. The agency serves more tban 10,000 dis- abled children in southern Ontario, 3,000 of St. John's_. 519-648-2183 Kilmanock www.sjkschool.org sV, * tim r oc oaed minutes from Guelph, Waterloos, Kitchener S S CH OO L and Cambridge wsth transporation available. CA I S which reside in Halton. As the largest chil- dren's treatment centre in the province, demand for its services grow about 10 per cent a year, but rapid growth in Haltori and Peel regions bas exacerbated the demand. In Milton and Brampton, the demand is rising 20 per cent yearly More than 2,000 of Ontarios most vulner- able kids are waiting for services from the agency, about 650 are from Halton. And depending on what services they're in need of, some families could find themselves wait- ing for up to two years. Tough times for centre: CEO "The reality of it is we've had to go out and rent sites in office buildings and then convert that space to treat children with dis- abilities. And its really not optimal space for treating those children," said Bridget Fewtrell, ErinoakKiàs president and CEO. Following a recent presentation to the Region's health and social services commit- tee, Fewtrell asked the commîttee to voice its support for the $168 million rcdevelopnient projcct to the Province, to whîch mernbcrs agreed. Fewtrell said the organtzation spends almost $2.5 million a year to lease eigbt sites in their service areas (Halton, Peel and Dufferin) and it owns one site in Mississauga. In Halton, ErinoakKids rents offices in Oakville and Burlington. The organization is proposing to build three new sites - in Oakville, Mississauga and Brampton - to meet the mounting demand. Fewtrell says the money saved on rent can be used to expand services and staff, and cut wait times. 'With nine sites, you can probably imag- ine theres lots of travel. between sites and we bave to move clinicians around a lot," said Fewtrell. And its not just the clinicians that are being moved around. Withouit sufficient space in the retrofîtted office buildings, rooms have to constantly be revamped for different types of therapy The time it takes to set up and take clown equipment in a room could be up to two hours, and Fewtrell says that time could be better spent helping more chldren. Many of the sites lack accessible wasb- rooms and the elevators are too small for some of the equipment patients use. Also, many of the sites are flot accessible by public transit and lack outdoor space for the young clientele 'With tbree sites appropriately placed to meet needs, we could save significantly in travel. costs, beating and lighting and ahl those auxiliary costs that really add up over time," she said. In wait-and-see mode ln 2009 FrinoakKids was given $1 million from the Minîstry of Children and Youtb to create a business case for the redevelopment. The organization is now waiting on the ProvrIince to relcase its 10-year infrastructure plan of high-priority projects. Fewtrell says over two decades, the cost of flot moving forward with the redevelopment will end up being 69 per cent more than redeveloping. "Over the next 25 years we can redirect a significant portion *of our operating budget being used to lease back into the delivery of care." If approved, the Oakville site will be 61,360 square-feet and carry 30 per cent of the agencys workload. Fewtrell said about a year of planning and three years of construction would be needed until the redevelopment is complete. The Province is expected to release the 10-year infrastructure plan within the comn- ing weeks. Christia Commisso can be reached at cconimisoiitoncanadianchampion.com. ~cSmnba Poobte hosing a IRtif bALI VUUL 'ULINI%; to tsach you l#. #Mu about sait pools and and how to prop.uly maidntaln perfet beln Iwat.v white pmotclln your eq""rneM In oisait pool oMtilmoshr. 'eLotl#w.pmofelowalsshow you howt t oia&ftw-yur stwat.fpolbock ltowtt, WJtwoeS uPpoS.dtofb.-yourv.wl own oasIs g'QDNNBLs Ben ahr is ah ier ee Today's chances of surviving a ife-altering illness are greatly improving. But the costs associated with a Iengthy recovery can affect your family's financial future. Critical lllness insurance f rom RBC® can help proteot your farnily's lifestyle when the unexpected occurs. 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