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CAS Surveys Clients

October 10, 2005 permalink

Children's Aid of Waterloo Region is conducting a survey of its clients to assess their satisfaction with the agency. We do not know whether this is localized within that agency, or general throughout Ontario, but you may help us find out by sending us feedback. A rumor from an unquotable source suggests that the political leadership (not the bureaucracy) is unhappy with the amount of opposition developing to Children's Aid, and the survey may be a response. Alternatively, it may be just another trick to pry personal information from victim families.

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Research ID Number: 398

Family and Children's Services of the Waterloo Region

Let us Know How We are Doing

The purpose of the questions you are being asked is to help us serve children and families better in the future. Please be assured that your individual response to the questions will be kept confidential. No information will be released which identifies individual responses to questions.

All of the questions refer to the most recent time that you had a case open at Family and Children's Services. While some individuals may have had their case open more than once, we want you to answer the questions with the most recent involvement in mind.

Before responding to the questions about your experience with Family and Children's Services, would you answer a few questions about yourself?

SECTION 1: DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

1. How old are you? ______________________

2. Do you currently have a live-in partner?

□ Yes if yes, how old? _____________________
□ No

3. Which one of the following best describes your present situation?

__________ Legally married

__________ Common law partners

__________ Single parent

__________ Never married/Common law

__________ Separated

__________ Divorced

__________ Widowed

__________ Other

__________ If other, please specify

4. How many biological children (you are the birth mother or father) do you have? ___________________________

5. How many children currently live in your home? ____________

What are the ages of the children that live in your home? (Youngest to oldest)

__________ Child 1 __________ Child 2 __________ Child 3 __________ Child 4 __________ Child 5 __________ Child 6
__________ Child 7 __________ Child 8 __________ Child 9 __________ Child 10 __________ Child 11 __________ Child 12

6. Where does your family's current income come from? (Check all that apply)

□ General welfare assistance/Ontario Works
□ Pension: Disability or Survivor
□ Child Tax Benefit
□ Employment Insurance
□ Employment Income
□ Other
  If other, Please specify ____________________

7. Which of the following best describes your current housing?

□ Subsidized apartment or townhouse □ Private market rented apartment or townhouse □ Rented single family house □ Owned condominium or townhouse □ Owned single family dwelling □ Rented farm □ Owned farm □ Other   If other, Please specify ___________________

8. What is you family's average monthly income approximately before taxes?

$ ;___________________________

The next questions are about your experience with Family and Children's Services. Please choose the answer which is closest to your point of view.

SECTION 2: INITIAL CONTACT WITH FAMILY AND CHILDREN'S SERVICES

9. How clearly did agency staff explain their reasons for contacting your family the first time?

□ Very Clear   □ Somewhat Clear   □ Somewhat Unclear   □ Very Unclear

10. How clearly did the agency staff explain why they were going to open a child protection for your family?

□ Very Clear   □ Somewhat Clear   □ Somewhat Unclear   □ Very Unclear

SECTION 3: SERVICE RESPONSIVENESS AND ADEQUACY

11. Did the agency staff most involved with your family know what was going on in your family?

□ Definitely   □ For the most part   □ For some things   □ Not very much   □ Not at all

12. Did the staff most involved with your family know how to help your family?

□ Definitely   □ For the most part   □ For some things   □ Not very much   □ Not at all

13. Were the agency staff most involved with your family respectful?

□ Definitely   □ For the most part   □ Sometimes   □ Not very often   □ Not at all

14. When you tried to get in touch with your workers at the agency, how long did it usually take to be able to speak with someone?

□ Same day   □ Same week   □ Longer   □ Calls often not return

15. When you felt you had an emergency, how long did it usually take to be able to speak with someone?

□ Same day   □ Same week   □ Longer   □ Calls often not return

16. At other times, how often usually did you speak on the phone or in person with one of your workers?

□ A few times a week   □ Once a week   □ A couple of times a month   □ Once a month   □ Less frequently

17. Were agency staff able to connect your family with a useful range of services and supports?

□ All that I needed   □ Quite a few that were useful   □ One or two that were useful   □ None that were useful

SECTION 4: CLARITY

18. How clearly did agency staff explain what your family was expected to do before the agency would close your child protection file?

□ Very Clear   □ Somewhat Clear   □ Somewhat Unclear   □ Very Unclear

19. How clearly did agency staff explain the reasons your child protection file was closed at the agency?

□ Very Clear   □ Somewhat Clear   □ Somewhat Unclear   □ Very Unclear

20. When your child protection file was open, were any of your children placed by Family and Children's Services in care outside your home?

□ Yes   □ No   (If no, proceed to question #21)

20a. How clearly did agency staff explain their reasons for taking your child(ren) into care?

□ Very Clear   □ Somewhat Clear   □ Somewhat Unclear   □ Very Unclear

20b. How clearly did agency staff explain how long your child(ren) were likely to be in care?

□ Very Clear   □ Somewhat Clear   □ Somewhat Unclear   □ Very Unclear

21. Did you have to go to court because of Family and Children's Services child protection concerns in your family?

□ Yes   □ No   (If no, proceed to question #22)

21a. How clearly did agency staff explain their reasons for taking their child protection concerns to court?

□ Very Clear   □ Somewhat Clear   □ Somewhat Unclear   □ Very Unclear

21b. How clearly did agency staff explain how the courts work in child protection cases?

□ Very Clear   □ Somewhat Clear   □ Somewhat Unclear   □ Very Unclear

21c. Did agency staff suggest that you should contact a lawyer or seek legal advice?

□ Yes   □ No   □ Can't remember

21d. If your case was taken to court, was the description of your family in the court papers prepared by the agency accurate?

□ Definitely   □ Somewhat   □ Not really   □ No

SECTION 5: FAIRNESS

22. In your opinion, was it necessary for Family and Children's Services to become involved with your family in the first place?

□ Definitely   □ Probably   □ Maybe not   □ No

23. Did you feel that you were treated fairly by agency staff?

□ Definitely   □ Most of the time   □ Some of the time   □ Not usually

24. Was what your family was expected to do reasonable?

□ Definitely   □ For the most part   □ Some of the time   □ Not usually

SECTION 6: HOW HELPFUL

25. Overall, to what extent did being involved with Family and Children's Services help to make things better for your family?

□ Agreat deal   □ Quite a bit   □ A little bit   □ Not very much/Not at all

26. In each of the following things, how helpful was Family and Children's Services in making things better for your family?

Very helpful Quite helpful A bit helpful Not very helpful/not at all Not relevant to my situation
a. Improving how I act as a parent       
b. Reducing conflict with my partner       
c. Reducing conflict within my family       
d. Reducing problems with alcohol or drug use       
e. Improving children's behaviours at home       
f. Improving children's behaviours at school or in the community       
g. Helping me feel better about myself       
h. Reducing pressure and stress on the family       

27. If a friend was having problems at home, how likely would you be to suggest that she or he contact Family and Children's Services for help?

□ Definitely would   □ Probably would   □ Probably would not   □ Definitely would not

28. If your family were to have difficulties in the future, how likely would you be to call Family and Children's Services for help?

□ Definitely would   □ Probably would   □ Probably would not   □ Definitely would not

29. If you were concerned about what was happening to children in another family, how likely would you be to call family and Children's Services to report your concerns?

□ Definitely would   □ Probably would   □ Probably would not   □ Definitely would not

30. Overall, how satisfied are you with your familys experience with Family & Children's Services?

□ Very satisfied   □ Mostly satisfied   □ Somewhat satisfied   □ Not very satisfied/ Not at all satisfied

SECTION 7: POPULATION

Please provide this information ONLY if you are comfortable doing so.

31. Were you born in Canada?

□ Yes   □ No   If no, where? _________________________

32. Was English your first language?

□ Yes   □ No   If no, what language? _______________

33. Do you consider yourself a member of a particular cultural, ethnic or racial group other than English Canadian?

□ Yes If yes, which one? _______________________
□ No (If no, proceed to question #34)

33a. Were agency staff knowledgeable about this particular background?

□ Definitely   □ For the most part   □ Somewhat   □ No/Very little

33b. Were agency staff respectful about this particular background?

□ Definitely   □ For the most part   □ Somewhat   □ No/Very little

34. Do you identify yourself as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgendered? Please identify yourself as a group member ONLY if you are comfortable doing so.

□ Yes   □ No (Proceed to Question #35)   □ No response (Proceed to Question #35)

34a. Were agency staff knowledgeable about this sexual orientation?

□ Definitely   □ For the most part   □ Somewhat   □ No/Very little

34b. Were agency staff respectful about this sexual orientation?

□ Definitely   □ For the most part   □ Somewhat   □ No/Very little

SECTION 8: GENERAL COMMENTS

35. Were there things you liked about Family and Children's Services? What did you like? Anything else?

36. Were there things that you did not like about Family & Children Services? What didn't you like? Anything else?

37. What do you want the agency to understand about your family's involvement with them?

38. Do you have any other comments?

COUPON

If you are MAILING in your questionnaire, please return this coupon along with the questionnaire to receive a $5.00 gift certificate for Tim Horton's.
PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY.

Name:

Address:

City:

Postal Code:

Return to:
Kaye Rempel, Manager of Planning and Quality Assurance
Family and Children's Services
200 Ardelt Avenue
Kitchener, Ontario N2C 2L9

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