With Project 2009 coming to a close, I am pleased to look back on a fruitful two months of activity. Who would have expected that the already sensational stories in the Toronto Star would explode into a political free-for-all?

 

Stories

The CCA heard from families and caregivers from all over Canada. Some had tragic cases of caregivers coming to Canada only to discover they did not have a genuine employer – forced to fend for themselves with their futures at risk. Other cases included sick caregivers fighting for a chance to get permanent residency. Still other stories emerged of dysfunctional relationships where employers took advantage of caregivers or the employee would lie to the family. All these cases underlined so many of the problems at the heart of the Live-In Caregiver Program.

 

 

Consultations

Getting in touch with peer groups, advocates, and experts proved to be a mixed experience.  While some non-profit organizations were difficult or impossible to get a hold of, others were proactive in their communications. The Kalayaan cultural community center was very hospitable, as were many representatives from organizations like the Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants (CAPIC). Hearing from experts like Dr. Geraldine Pratt (UBC) provided excellent foundations for groundwork in the CCA’s studies.

 

 

Media

Media attention was paced during the beginning of the campaign. Trying to talk with outlets about program difficulties was, initially, difficult. At the beginning of May, more scandalous material emerged in the Toronto Star and there was an immediate uptake in media interest. While the attention was positive, much of it was directed to specific cases, and many articles, news spots, and blogs failed to discuss the causes of abuse and program failure.

The CCA press release noting that the delay Ruby Dhalla’s family had in getting paperwork for their caregivers was, in fact, common to families throughout Canada triggered many calls to the our office.

Our thanks goes out to all those media agencies who were interested in the larger issues, including Carolyn Jarvis (of Global News), CTV, the Winnipeg Free Press, CBC, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star and SUN Media.

 

 

Government

Ultimately, appearing at the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration on May 26^th was a great occasion. Sharing what we have been hearing over the past months and years was wonderful. With the CCA’s testimony lasting just over an hour (20 minutes is not an atypical length), it was a marathon of information and discussion. All parties contributed to the discussion with a range of ideas. Ultimately, the CCA’s position was to push for ending abuse of caregivers and the system. This meant calling for reducing waiting times (so that caregivers are not stuck in a home and fearing for their long-term status), oversight (including a White List, licensing, and tracking employment records), and educating caregivers (to make sure they know their rights and to check up on their status regularly).

Meeting with MPs provided some excellent feedback prior to the hearing, as did MPPs in Ontario. Our initial meeting at the Ministry of Labour in April was an excellent litmus test for where bureaucrats were standing with their collective thoughts on legislation.

 

 

The Future

Given the attention given to the Live-In Caregiver program lately, I am optimistic about the future. There is a will to make changes. The question remains, will these changes be effective? Will there be a centralized processing center to expedite work permits? Will there be a stakeholders’ body to license and track agencies? Will caregivers be better educated in terms of their rights and receive the attention they need?

 

Only time will tell. We hope yes.