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Race Against Hunger

November 4, 2009 permalink

Here is more on the case of the foster girl we reported on last month. She is identified as "Tasha", quite possibly the same girl who spoke at the Rally for Accountability on October 5. In exchanges below she attempts to get answers to her questions by email. On October 22, Frank Kennedy of Peel CAS shut down all further communication by email. He insists on proceeding through meetings in which no verbatim record can be made. Tasha's most urgent problem is malnutrition. She is in a race to see whether she can keep her rate of weight loss low enough to reach her eighteenth birthday.

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Crown Ward Speaks Out

Tasha's letters in white background.
CAS and other's responses in shaded background.

From: Tasha
Sent: October 19, 2009 3:32:15 PM

Good afternoon Angela, (Worker)

A week ago, I sent you an email on Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 9:03:12 AM (below) responding to your email that you sent back to me on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 11:32:57 AM (below) about the concerns and issues of my current placement, as well as other things.

I have yet to hear from you since then. If I do not hear from you or your supervisor, Frank Kennedy by 4:00pm on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009, then I will be contacting the local media, as well as the Foster Care Council of Canada to inform them that I had contacted my worker and notified her of all the abuse and neglect, but she still did not take the time to respond to this crisis (ignoring my cries of help).

Your co-operation will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Regards,
Tasha

From: "ARafique@peelcas.org" (ARafique@peelcas.org)
To: Tasha
Cc: FKennedy@peelcas.org
Sent: Tue, October 20, 2009 4:35:40 PM

Subject: Re: Not responding to my concerns and issues

Hello Tasha:

Your effort to communicate with me and my supervisor is well noted and in response, it must be pointed out that our records indicate that every effort has been made to reinforce the fact that we have tried to resolve the issues raised but there has been tremendous challenges in trying to satisfy your requests within the frame work of legislative compliance and your cooperation.

Once again we are taking this opportunity to invite you to a meeting where you can express your concerns and they will be duly noted with commitments made to resolving what is doable and having designated individuals taking responsibility for what they will do in fulfilling those concerns. We would like the meeting to happen at our office with those individuals who are presently involved in your care process. Please choose one of the following 4 suggested days and times and let us know what is best for you.

These are as follows:

Monday, October 26, 2009 at 11am or 4pm, or
Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 11am or 3pm, or
Wednesday, October 28, 2009 between 9am - 4pm, or
Friday, October 29, 2009 between 9am - 4pm.

Angela Rafique

From: Tasha
Sent: October 20, 2009 10:16:35 PM
To: ARafique@peelcas.org
Cc: johndunn@afterfostercare.ca; irwin.elman@provincialadvocate.on.ca; sylvia.jonesqp@pc.ola.org; chris.shantz@ontario.ca; ahorwath-qp@ndp.on.ca; gerard.frenette@ontario.ca; nadine.hunt@ontario.ca; Mahnaz.Rahman@ontario.ca; vince.tedesco@ontario.ca; FKennedy@peelcas.org

Angela Rafique,
Peel Children's Aid Society

In your latest response to me, dated Tuesday, October 20th, 2009, you stated that the Society's records indicate that every effort has been made to reinforce the fact that the Society has tried to resolve the issues I raised, but that the Society has experienced tremendous difficulties in trying to satisfy my requests within the framework of legislative compliance and my cooperation.

You also stated that you are once again inviting me to a meeting where I can express my concerns. As I have stated before, I prefer to have all communications with the Society in writing or recorded so that I can have a record of our communications because as you are aware they were not documented or recorded in the past and nothing was done about them.

Before I agree to a meeting with the Society I would like to ask if you could answer the following questions with numbered responses corresponding to the numbered questions below to ensure clarity and understanding by myself.

  1. Can you please let me know what the alleged tremendous difficulties were that the Society says it experienced when trying to resolve the issues I raised so that I can better understand what those difficulties were and hopefully not duplicate them in future dealings with the Society, and so that I can have a record of them for myself.
  2. Can you list for me what the Society's records state as the issues I raised, and explain what the Society did in response to each issue while attempting to resolve them in a clear, bulleted manner, so that I can better understand and have a record for myself.
  3. Can you please let me know what the specific legislative provisions are that you referred to in your letter which you need to comply with that allegedly have an effect on the Society resolving my issues. Please indicate sections and subsections for accuracy to ensure that I am properly informed and to ensure that I have a record of them for myself.
  4. Can you please let me know what the Society's records indicate as being the actual reason why the last meeting between yourself and myself was prematurely terminated so that I can have a record of it for myself.
  5. Can you please clarify for me what you meant when you stated that my co-operation has had an effect on your ability to resolve my issues. Please clearly indicate exactly what it is I have done that you deem to be cooperation related so that I can correct these behaviors in the future, if appropriate, and so I can have a record of them for myself.

Once the Society has answered these questions, and only after such time, I will respond to the Society's invitation to meet with me at their office, at which time, should I agree to meet at the Society, I would like to have an opportunity to review my files to ensure their accuracy.

I am seventeen years of age and I can understand adult level discussions. If there is anything I do not understand, I will be sure to ask for clarification and specifics as needed.

As I have had difficulties receiving timely responses in the past, I am requesting that you provide the responses to these questions by 5:00pm Thursday October 22nd, 2009. I will understand from the lack of response that the Society has chosen not to respond to my issues and I will consider my options at that time.

Sincerely

Tasha

From: "FKennedy@peelcas.org" (FKennedy@peelcas.org)
To: Tasha
Cc: ARafique@peelcas.org
Sent: Thu, October 22, 2009 2:32:25 PM

Subject: Responding to Concerns

Hello Tasha:

We have been in receipt of your emails as you have been in receipt of our responses. Emails are not the standard means of communication to engage our children and youth in care because it is best and also required that their workers meet with them on a face to face basis which is not only mandated but necessary. Because you have been displeased with the process among other things it may be helpful for you if you would invite someone from the Child Advocates office to attend a meeting with us. As well, you can bring anyone else you thing will be supportive to you and we will have a meeting in which you can write your own notes of the process and we will also have minutes taken and you will be able to get a copy. The intent of this meeting is to move this case forward with a focus to resolving in a realistic way what is your concerns and with you working with the society to assist you to move on to independence if that is your intent.

I am writing on Angela's behalf as she will not be back in office until Monday October 26, 2009. This will be the final email on this subject as all subsequent communication will have to be done by telephone or face to face with Angela. As a youth in care we do not intend to create a new mode of communication at this time because we do not feel this is the way to manage your case. We would appreciate your consideration of this suggestion made for a meeting and if you desire to resolve your concerns, please call Angela and let her hear your wishes. If you would like us to contact the Child Advocate's Office on your behalf we would be happy to do so but you would have to let us know.

I hope that this will be satisfactory to you and that you will avail yourself of the opportunity to resolving your concerns. Thanks for your vigilance and determination in seeing this process through.

Sincerely,

Frank Kennedy, B.S.W., M.S.W.
Supervisor Long Term Care Unit
Peel Children's Aid Society
6860 Century Avenue
Mississauga, ON L5N 2W5
Telephone 905-363-6131ext 3312
fkennedy@peelcas.org

From: Tasha
Sent: October 27, 2009 3:22:12 PM
To: Frank Kennedy (FKennedy@peelcas.org)
Cc: John Dunn (johndunn@afterfostercare.ca); Irwin Elman (irwin.elman@provincialadvocate.on.ca); Sylvia Jones (sylvia.jonesqp@pc.ola.org); Chris Shantz (chris.shantz@ontario.ca); Andrea Horwath (ahorwath-qp@ndp.on.ca); Gerard Frenette (gerard.frenette@ontario.ca); Nadine Hunt (nadine.hunt@ontario.ca); Mahnaz Rahman (Mahnaz.Rahman@ontario.ca); Vince Tedesco (vince.tedesco@ontario.ca); Angela Rafique (arafique@peelcas.org);

Frank Kennedy
B.S.W., M.S.W.
Supervisor Long Term Care Unit
Peel Children's Aid Society

I would ask of you to respond to each paragraph in numbered format.

1) Email Communication
In your previous email, you stated that there will be no more communication through email and that if I wish to communicate about concerns and issues, it must be done face to face or telephone in the future. I would like to remind you that the reason I had started contacting anyone associating with the Peel Children's Aid Society through email is because I had addressed concerns and issues in the past, the same ones I am addressing now, nothing was done about them over two years ago. All the issues and concerns were just ignored and everyone moved on with their lives. I did not in fact and now I am contacting you through email because I wish to have everything you and I discuss in written documentation so if my issues are still not met with and taken into consideration, I will have accurate documentation, now, if I am incorrect, please correct me and provide me with records of the Peel Children's Aid's attempt to resolve my concerns and issues that were discussed in person/telephone. If I am correct, then all communication will remain through email. If you have an issue with such, please state to me why and provide me details of why a child in the care of the Peel Children's Aid Society cannot discuss issues and concerns through email communication if the child has been ignored in the past before through face to face and telephone.

2) The Meeting
I will attend a meeting to resolve my issues and concerns, I will like to know who exactly will be present at this meeting, I want full names and their positions please. Also, I am stating beforehand, that during this meeting, I will be audio recording for my own accurate personal records, if you have an issue with such, please let me know, otherwise, please consent that you will be fully aware that the meeting is being audio recorded by me. I will contact a Child Advocate on my own time, but thank you for the offer.

3) Your Supervisors Email
I would like to ask for you to provide me with your supervisors email please.

Once these questions have been answered in numbered format, we will proceed with arranging a meeting that will best be planed around your schedule, as well as my own.

Sincerely,
Tasha
Crown Ward of the Peel Children's Aid Society

CC:
johndunn@afterfostercare.ca (Foster Care Council of Canada)
irwin.elman@provincialadvocate.on.ca (Chief Child Advocate)
sylvia.jonesqp@pc.ola.org (PC Party Child Welfare Critic)
chris.shantz@ontario.ca (Minister of Children and Youth Services Assistant / Policy Analyst)
ahorwath-qp@ndp.on.ca (NDP Party Child Welfare Critic)
gerard.frenette@ontario.ca (Min. Children and Youth Services MPP Liason)
nadine.hunt@ontario.ca (Regional Emergency Manager, Ministry of Children and Youth Services)
Mahnaz.Rahman@ontario.ca (Issues Coordinator - CENTRAL WEST REGIONAL OFFICE Ministry)
vince.tedesco@ontario.ca (Regional Director - CENTRAL WEST REGIONAL OFFICE Ministry)
arafique@peelcas.org (Peel CAS Case Worker)
(removed) (Mother)
fkennedy@peelcas.org (Peel CAS Supervisor)

From: Tasha
Sent: October 30, 2009 9:56:23 AM
To: Frank Kennedy (FKennedy@peelcas.org)
Cc: John Dunn (johndunn@afterfostercare.ca); Irwin Elman (irwin.elman@provincialadvocate.on.ca); Sylvia Jones (sylvia.jonesqp@pc.ola.org); Chris Shantz (chris.shantz@ontario.ca); Andrea Horwath (ahorwath-qp@ndp.on.ca); Gerard Frenette (gerard.frenette@ontario.ca); Nadine Hunt (nadine.hunt@ontario.ca); Vince Tedesco (vince.tedesco@ontario.ca); Angela Rafique (arafique@peelcas.org);

Frank Kennedy
B.S.W., M.S.W.
Supervisor Long Term Care Unit
Peel Children's Aid Society

Seeing as how it has been an ongoing issue in the past with you and Angela Rafique not responding to my emails in an appropriate time frame, I ask of you to respond to my email by 4pm on Monday, November 2nd, 2009. I would really like to arrange this meeting as soon as possible and I need my questions answered before I can do that. Your cooperation will be appreciated. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Tasha
Crown Ward of the Peel Children's Aid Society

Source: wetpaint, referred by foster care news

November 4, 2009

Sylvia Jones
Queen's Park
Room 430, Main Legislative Building
Toronto, ON M7A 1A8

Tel 416-325-1898
Fax 416-325-1936

email: sylvia.jonesqp@pc.ola.org

Subject: Nutrition for crown ward

Honorable Madam:

You have been marked to receive copies of emails from a crown ward of the Peel Children's Aid Society. Since the emails have been rather technical, the primary issue may have escaped your attention.

The girl, Tasha (I believe her surname is Gallant), age 17, is not getting adequate nourishment in her foster home and is losing weight. While children's aid argues endlessly of minutia of procedure, the malnourishment continues.

This is not a matter that should be delayed. I can't see anything improper about asking a children's aid society to feed one of its wards. Could you get in touch with Peel Children's Aid and suggest that they provide adequate food for this girl?

Robert T McQuaid
558 McMartin Road
Mattawa Ontario P0H 1V0

phone: 705-744-6274
email: rtmq@fixcas.com

Addendum: Here is a press release from John Dunn.

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Friday, November 06, 2009

Peel CAS - Press Release

John Dunn
Executive Director
Foster Care Council of Canada
613-220-1039
johndunn@afterfostercare.ca

Tasha
Ward of the Peel Children's Aid Society
(contact through John Dunn)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Toronto (ON): Tasha, a seventeen year old youth in foster care under the authority of the Peel Children's Aid Society has been so-far, unsuccessfully attempting to request from her child protection worker, Angela Rafique, that her concerns regarding abuse and neglect in her foster home are dealt with.

When asked how she feels about the Society's treatment of her after expressing her concerns, she said "I have raised severe issues and concerns more then once, expected something to be done about them, my cries for help were ignored". Also in her reply, Tasha stated "Seeing as how I am personally having to take these concerns and issues into my own hands to have them dealt with, shows that the society has no interest in wanting to help and provide me safety while I am in their care".

Tasha claims she was unsuccessful in the past in asking her worker Rafique to deal with these issues subsequently prompting her to ensure that this time around she obtain an accurate record of the Society's resolution efforts by dealing with each issue in writing, or in the alternative by audio recording any meetings with the Society.

Rafique responded by e-mail to Tasha's most recent request for assistance by using confusing, age-inappropriate terminology and redirecting blame to the victim when she wrote "our records indicate that every effort has been made to reinforce the fact that we have tried to resolve the issues raised but there has been tremendous challenges in trying to satisfy your requests within the frame work of legislative compliance and your cooperation".

Frank Kennedy, a Peel Children's Aid Society Supervisor who is responsible for Tasha's worker, and a Society staff member who holds both a Bachelor and a Masters Degrees in Social Work, has refused to accommodate Tasha's request for accurate records in relation to this matter.

Placement of Mental Roadblocks

Kennedy confirmed the Society is aware of the youth's concerns writing "We have been in receipt of your emails as you have been in receipt of our responses". A professional with years of experience in dealing with children and youth in child welfare who is undoubtedly aware of the extreme imbalance of power between himself and the youth, Kennedy begins placing a series of mental roadblocks in what appears to be an attempt to prevent Tasha from obtaining an accurate record of how the Society is dealing with her allegations of abuse and neglect when he writes, that "Emails are not the standard means of communication to engage our children and youth in care".

Kennedy continues to place mental roadblocks in front of Tasha when he writes "This will be the final email on this subject as all subsequent communication will have to be done by telephone or face to face with Angela".

In what appears to be his final attempt to prevent Tasha from obtaining an accurate record of the Society's dealings with her and without acknowledging her request to record the Society's meetings, Kennedy states "As a youth in care we do not intend to create a new mode of communication at this time because we do not feel this is the way to manage your case".

Insisting that she meet with staff at the Society's offices -- where youth's actual records can not be removed from the premises -- Kennedy tells her "you can write your own notes of the process and we will also have minutes taken and you will be able to get a copy"

Throughout the process, Tasha has been very clear in stating that she wants an accurate record of dealings with the Society not just summarizing notes or minutes.

John Dunn, a former foster child, and volunteer executive director of the Foster Care Council of Canada, an organization dedicated to increasing transparency and accountability in child welfare services says "This apparent attempt by the Peel Children's Aid Society to prevent a youth in care from obtaining an accurate record of her dealings with the Society when she is obviously crying out for help is extremely disturbing".

Dunn explains "A directive issued from Chief Justice Howland under section 136 of the Courts of Justice Act even permits self-represented parties to a court hearing to audio record their hearings without the need to obtain permission from the presiding judge to ensure they have an accurate record of the proceedings. This is permitted because it is difficult for someone who is directly involved in a matter to keep accurate notes.

He continues "Just try to imagine how completely unacceptable it would be to have a court transcript made up of nothing more than 'notes' or 'minutes' as an 'accurate' record of a hearing. The Peel Children's Aid Society's support of such unfair treatment of a vulnerable youth in care who is merely trying to assert her rights to be protected and to ensure she has an accurate record of the Society's attempts to deal with her allegations of abuse and neglect in care is shocking. We support Tasha's efforts to obtain an accurate record of the Society's dealings with her and ask the Peel Children's Aid Society to accommodate Tasha's needs in an anti-oppressive manner as opposed to only acting in a way which accommodates the needs of the Society".

When the Foster Care Council of Canada asked the Society if they have any objections or feedback regarding this press release they did not have any.

link to full emails.

Posted by afterfostercare at 9:10 AM

Source: Foster Care News, November 6, 2009

sequential