Today, I want to talk about the Learning Disability Awareness Month flag-raising that I went to by the Learning Disabilities Association of Sudbury. It got me thinking about my son Sam. When he was in grade 3, my son Sam hated going to school—absolutely hated it. If there was a supply teacher, it was so difficult for him because he felt stupid, and we let him stay home if the supply teacher was there for more than one day.

The thing is that Sam had a learning disability. It was undiagnosed at the time, but because of that, although he’s a very bright young man, he felt like he was stupid. It’s organizations like the Learning Disabilities Association of Sudbury that worked with my son to help with adaptations so that he could be strong and successful as a student, like they do with many students.

At the flag-raising, we had members there from Sudbury Five, the basketball team, and Sudbury Wolves, our local hockey team, and one of the members, when he spoke, said, “We all play for Sudbury.” I love how that resonates with me; the importance of “we all play for Sudbury” and that these kids with learning disabilities can be so successful—so incredibly successful—with the right adaptations, the right way of looking the things, the right way of helping them to learn the way they were designed learn.

My son Sam, many years later, now almost 26, is going to be graduating. Next year he’ll be a teacher, and he’ll have that knowledge and information going forward, reaching other kids who learn differently, just like he did.

My question is for the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Children’s aid societies in northeastern Ontario are in crisis due to the lack of resources. The Sudbury and Manitoulin CAS is running a deficit, despite not being allowed to do so, because their budget has been cut by half a million dollars a year. The minister wouldn’t make himself available when asked to comment on this by the media, so what will he say about this situation now that he’s here in the House?

My office hears from the local children’s aid service providers who are struggling to provide services for children in care because their budgets have been cut to the bone. Sudbury and Manitoulin CAS have no new foster families to place children with when they’re in desperate need. The head of the Nipissing and Parry Sound CAS said the following: “If we had to remove a child or children from a home, we have nowhere to put them.”

Speaker, what possible explanation does the minister have for severely cutting funds to the children’s aid societies, and what’s his next plan when a child is in crisis?