After living in a hoarding situation and dealing with verbal abuse growing up, an Ontario mother is warning about the risks to children if they do not return to classrooms in the fall.
, Bronwen Goouch-Alsop shared her childhood experience with her mother who was later diagnosed with a severe personality disorder, schizophrenia and a hoarding disorder. Goouch-Alsop said her mother also struggled with substance abuse.
"For me, getting out to school where I had a normal life for a short period of time every day was my haven, because I could be away from it," Goouch-Alsop said Thursday in a phone interview. "The school was my safe haven where I could be with people that seemed normal, that seemed to have happy lives, I could be with my friends, I could be with teachers that didn't abuse me verbally… School saved me.
Her experience growing up is one of the main reasons why Goouch-Alsop is advocating for children to return to school full-time in the fall, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Ford acknowledges that the plan is not without risk and says his government will "continue planning for every possible scenario" to keep kids safe as they get back to school.
Despite there being potential plans in place, Goouch-Alsop said children need consistency in their lives and not knowing what is going to happen in a few months can create extra stress for them, their parents and the teachers. Goouch-Alsop -- who's three-year-old son is deaf and hard of hearing and who's daughter, 5, has ADHD and sensory processing disorder -- said not returning to school will be especially hard on parents of children with special needs.
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