In December 1994, Parents of Technologically Dependent Children of Ontario opened its first Kids Country Club respite home in London funded by the provincial government. In recent years, families and interested community individuals in the Kitchener-Waterloo community began a process to enhance respite services in the Central West Region of the province. In response to intensive lobbying efforts by families and community organizations, on May 31, 2000, the Ontario government announced the provision of $275,000 in annual operating funding to expand an out-of-home respite care program into the Central West Region.

A condition of this funding was that PTDC raise capital funds. In June 2001, Parents of Technologically Dependent Children of Ontario began offering respite services at a temporary location. Land was donated for a new respite home and construction began June 2002.

The Ministry of Community and Social Services and Community Care Access Centre have identified that there are 267 children in the Central West Region who are technologically dependent and/or medically fragile. A total of 65 children or 30.7 percent of the total are residing in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo.  The new facility has the capacity for 6-8 children.

A Special Thank You

The development of the respite home in Cambridge has been a collaborative effort with families, health care organizations (i.e. hospitals, rehabilitation centres), Community Care Access Centre, local community nursing agencies, City of Cambridge, Regional Municipality of Waterloo and the provincial government. In addition PTDC has been successful in obtaining funds for building of this new respite home due to the generosity of a number of individuals and organizations including the following:

• Donation of the land by Tom Land, local businessman
• Legal services donated by Norman Aitken 
• Grants from the City of Cambridge and Regional Municipality of Waterloo to offset the costs of development fees
• Community and corporate donations as a result of presentations by Parents of Technologically Dependent Children
• Generous donation by Richard Reid, local entrepreneur and business owner
• Funding through the KW Community Foundation
• Cambridge Highlands Lions Club
• Supportive Individuals