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Many families will feel encouraged after
Alberta’s deputy chief judge ordered a minimal sentence for a
Medicine Hat man seeking care for his disabled child.
The man was found guilty of defrauding the
Alberta government of more than $21,000 for hiring his eldest son
to take the place of caregivers when they were unavailable. The
child suffers from tuberous sclerosis and autism — requiring
care 24 hours a day — so the father had a contract with
Alberta Children and Youth Services to pay caregivers and seek
reimbursement from the ministry. In some cases between 1999 and
2004, the boy’s brother provided care when caregivers could
not.
The judge ordered a minimal sentence based
on the conviction, giving the father a jail term satisfied by his
appearance in court. The father was not ordered to pay restitution
and will have to complete community service while on probation.
Any parent of a child with a disability
would love to ask the government what the man was expected to do
when care was unavailable. It would seem hiring a family member
would be more appropriate than seeking another professional for
fear of “red tape” preventing the reimbursement, should
the alternate company be unfavoured by the ministry. Government
recognizes a child’s family would be the primary caregivers,
so how could a simple legislative loophole lead to this?
Simply stated, this man should not have
been charged with fraud in the first place. The money and time
wasted on court proceedings could have been spent wiser —
perhaps used to correct some of the ongoing barriers for parents
seeking these government supports.
Raising a child with a disability is an
incredible challenge. Many families find battling for supports only
further contributes to their stress and takes time from the common
goal of providing care for the child.
The judge should be commended for the
light sentence and one can hope this will set a precedence for the
future. It should also give hope to the parents around the province
and in Medicine Hat who have felt discouraged by all the
bureaucratic hold-ups preventing them from seamless access to the
care their children deserve.
Tenille Tellman is a reporter with the
Medicine Hat News. Contact her at
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