Local councillors have delivered this poster to federal politicians to raise awareness about the after school care program for children with special needs.By Sarah Schwager
LOCALS are seeking help from federal politicians for a Cranbourne North mother trying to give something back to her autistic son.
Local community leaders and councillors have been busy sending posters with a special message to the Howard Government.
Amanda Stapledon has spent the last year trying to obtain funding for the Casey Kidz Club, an after-school activities program for disabled and special needs children over 12.
So far that funding has come in dribs and drabs, with another small amount of cash keeping the program running for part of term four at Wresacare in Cranbourne.
Ms Stapledon, a single mother of Peter, 14, who suffers from multiple disabilities including autism, said they had applied for funding from philanthropic and community groups but so far had been unsuccessful.
She said the major drive was to obtain government funding for the program.
Ms Stapledon said the State Government would not assist because it did not consider the program involved respite care.
“The Federal Government has accepted some responsibility and referred the matter to Mal Brough (Minister for Families and Community Services), who referred it to John Cobb (Minister for Community Services) who advised that we could not meet with him with no further explanation,” Ms Stapledon said.
She said this was very disappointing as earlier in the year Reverend Paul Creasey (Minister of the Cranbourne Uniting Church) donated money for her to fly to Canberra.
“I have written back to the Prime Minister and to date I have had no reply,” she said.
Casey councillor Steve Beardon said he had been helping deliver the posters to federal politicians to get the message across that the program was needed.
Cr Beardon said they were also planning on making Christmas cards with the same message.
