In a surprise move this week, McGuinty Liberals toughened the rules of the Ontario Works Temporary Care Assistance (TCA) program, making it nearly impossible for grandparents raising their at-risk grandchildren to access much-needed financial support.

The policy change followed NDP MPP Paul Miller’s calls for the McGuinty government to clarify the TCA rules so that all grandparents raising grandchildren in Ontario could access the program equally.

“The previous rules were vague, creating vast interpretations between municipalities. As a result, grandparents in some municipalities were being denied TCA funds,” said Miller. “The glass was half full. We asked the government to top it up so that grandparents everywhere would qualify. They did the exact opposite. They rewrote the rules giving all municipalities grounds to deny grandparents financial support.”

“This news is devastating for our grandparents,” said Erlene Weaver, founder of Hamilton-based group Raising Our Children’s Kids (R.O.C.K.). “The McGuinty government has sent a clear message that they no longer support grandparents raising their grandkids. We turned to this government for help; instead, they stabbed us in the back.”

In June, MPP Miller met with Community and Social Services Minister Madeleine Meilleur asking her to enforce her Ministry’s policy equally across the province by directing all municipalities to accept grandparents raising grandchildren to the TCA program.

“Since being in office, I have not seen such a blatant attack on our province’s most vulnerable. The Minister of Community and Social Services should be ashamed of herself,” said Miller.