Virginia Bonsan is tired of lobbying local officials. She is now planning a provincial attack.
From the northwestern Saskatchewan village of Turtleford, she is launching a petition asking for more funding to get better speech therapy services for pre-schoolers.
“My son is 41/2 and says 10 words,” she said.”I’ve been trying for three years to get help from the school board, the health board.”
Bonsan said the boards tell her the problem is they can’t find enough speech therapists. Private therapy pays $80 an hour, which is a lot more than what the public service pays.
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The North Battleford district has one half-time person to offer speech therapy to 400 preschoolers who need it, she said. Lloydminster’s district has no one.
“We live in Saskatchewan, in Canada. It shouldn’t be like that.”
Her petition calls for speech therapy services to be offered that are “adequate and accessible for all families regardless of income.”
Bonsan wants all petitions in circulation sent back to her by May 10. She will then submit them in batches “slowly and painfully” to the legislature with the assistance of two opposition MLAs.
In last month’s budget, the Saskatchewan government announced increases in funding to school boards for early childhood education and special needs. On April 4, the federal government promised more funding to the province for community programs for children under the age of five.
Bonsan’s petition forms are available from all early intervention centres in the province, the Kinsmen Children’s Centre in Saskatoon, Wascana Rehabilitation Centre in Regina or from Bonsan at Box 515, Turtleford, Sask., S0M 2Y0. Her number is 306-845-2957.
