SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - They're fighting it.

Parents and children who rely upon the respite care service met with the Yellowknife Association for Community Living on Monday to plan their campaign to keep the program running after its federal funding runs out March 31.

Health Minister Sandy Lee: "New funding has a different scope and purpose - it's aimed at core health services"

While the federal initiative from which respite care was funded is being renewed, the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority, which recently announced a $972,175 deficit for 2010, will not be paying for it anymore. Officials with the health authority couldn't be reached for comment yesterday.

"It's crazy to take this away," said Lenora Barrett who has a mentally and physically disabled daughter. "It's such a positive program that brings so much to the families and the community."

Sandy Lee, minister of Health and Social Services, said the Territorial Health System Sustainability Initiative ($60 million in federal funding split between the three territories over two years) will go toward structural changes to make the "system more stable" and core health services such as nurse practitioners and midwifery programs.

"The new funding has a different scope and purpose - it's aimed at core health services," said Lee. "We have another six months for the Yellowknife Health Authority and (the association) to work together to find other funding options."

But neither Barret, 28 other Yellowknife families who rely on respite care, nor the association, plan on waiting six months. At Monday's meeting they decided to spread a petition, which will be delivered to the seven Yellowknife MLAs along with a request they pass a motion in the legislative assembly guaranteeing funds for the service.

"We know at this point we won't receive the money from the federal fund but hopefully we can get funding from the territorial government or the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority," said David Ross, the association's executive director. "We've received a lot of phone calls from partnering agencies and concerned citizens and we're going to present our petition to the MLAs when we ask them to present a motion."

During the 2010-11 fiscal year the respite care program in Yellowknife was budgeted at $250,000 to provide 6,370 hours (averaging three to 10 hours per week per family) of care. Ross explained that the program aims to provide relief to the families with disabled children, allowing them to attend to other household needs and or spend some personal time.

In its press release announcing the two-year extension of the Territorial Health System Sustainability Initiative, the federal health department said the money was to "consolidate the progress made in the first five years of the initiative and allow the territories adequate time to conclude or re-profile activities funded under the previous five year fund."

Lee noted that costs are rising for all aspects of health care delivery and both the authorities and her department are coping with that.

"Everybody's under pressure," said Lee. "Every jurisdiction in Canada is having to deal with rising health care costs."

But Barrett isn't satisfied with that response. She's under pressure too.

"It would be great if mom or dad could hang out with her all day long, but our daughter learns more and has fun when with a girl closer to her own age. They have a ball together. It's good for all of us."

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