Mr. Speaker, children are the most vulnerable part of our society, and children with disabilities warrant our utmost support.
Today it gives me great pleasure to bring news of a wonderful educational centre which I recently had the opportunity of visiting. The Zareinu Educational Centre has been a driving force within my riding of Thornhill and has been in operation for over 15 years. The centre is a small 66 children facility that caters to children suffering from mild or severe disabilities.
Although small, the centre is renowned for its remarkable work. Teachers, therapists, social workers and special aides work with children who would otherwise not have such opportunities.
I was told of a young child who entered the educational centre not being able to speak. However, after a few short months of hard work, the child was able to greet his parents with those wonderful words, mom and dad.
Centres like Zareinu provide one of the most essential services in my community. In the words of the director, “Zareinu makes miracles happen, they provide hope for the future”.
The importance of the work of Zareinu cannot be overstated.