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Readers Vote Against CAS
March 30, 2010 permalink
After the Toronto Sun printed an article by guest Glen Stone favorable to York Region Children's Aid, readers posted comments to the paper's website. Almost all are unfavorable to CAS.
The unedited responses below are typical of any forum in which the public is invited to express an opinion. The politicians don't care. Ordinary voters are limited to the choice among three major parties. They have no voice where it really counts, in the private meetings that select those candidates. After participating in this process, we can report that the meetings are well attended by persons relying on government funding, but rarely attended by others. As long as the politicians have a reliable supply of hacks supported by their appropriations, their positions are secure.
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Dalton McGuinty’s ‘new’ funding for CAS is just sneaky
By Glen Stone, Guest Columnist
Last Updated: March 28, 2010 9:30pm
There’s an old joke about a guy who kills both of his parents and, when he goes to court, throws himself on the mercy of the judge on the grounds he is an orphan.
That’s the kind of chutzpah (great Yiddish word for sheer nerve and gall) Dalton McGuinty’s crew showed recently with their announcement of new funding for Children’s Aid Societies across Ontario.
On the surface, the news sounds great; nearly $27 million in new funding for these groups that help protect children. Best of all, the dough is targeted to the Societies in the most financial trouble. For York Region’s CAS, the money was a lifesaver because they were just about down to scrounging for empty pop bottles to return.
Instead, thundering over the hill comes McGuinty’s cavalry with a last-minute rescue package of more than $4 million. It’s enough to get the Society through the rest of the year and make sure nearly 3,000 children in the region (500 in the agency’s care) will continue to get help.
So, why are the people working at the agency quietly seething and cursing McGuinty’s government under their breath?
It has to do with one thing Queen’s Park did not mention in their press release ... the reason the York Region CAS was on the list of agencies in financial trouble and, therefore, qualified for this extra help in the first place.
That reason is simple. Ontario cut their funding.
That’s right, the Liberals cut the agency’s funding with one hand and put them into deep financial doo-doo. As a result, the Society had to lay off 18 people and slash all spending to the bone, but still went far into the red.
Then, eight months later, the same government presented new funding with the other hand, weeping crocodile tears for this poor, hard-working agency that was struggling so badly.
But that’s not the worst part.
What really rubs salt in the wounds is Queen’s Park cut $5.5 million from the Society’s funding last year. So, the big announcement of $4 million in new help still leaves the agency a million and a half bucks short of where they were.
It’s like the same person who mugged you and stole your money showing up later to return your empty wallet, and then posing for a photo op as a local hero.
But the York Region Society doesn’t dare kick up a fuss or point out it would have been better off if McGuinty’s crew had just left them the hell alone. The agency can’t afford to tick off Queen’s Park when it urgently needs this bailout and still doesn’t know how much funding it will get for this fiscal year.
So, publicly, they have to swallow the hypocrisy with a smile. Agency staffers have to quietly complain to newspaper columnists instead.
There’s a name for what McGuinty’s government has done here, but this is a family newspaper. So, let’s just call it really, really sneaky.
— Stone lives in Thornhill and at www.GhostWriterInTheSky.ca
Laura M
Seems to me that not only is the CAS victimizing children and families , our premier and prime minister are as well....but the media whom is supposed to be for the public seems to take a very biased view also....our public newspapers and magazines should be screaming for justice on behalf of a system that is so anti- family, yet the average citizen is oblivious to it unless personally affected. Why is this?? From the amounts of comments I have read , our Canadian media should be on this and publisizing the horrors CAS does to families. They are getting worse and no longer taking children who truly need help, but taking children that come from good families. Look into it...investigate, you would be surprised.
John Dunn Afterfostercare.ca
Visit accountablecas dot ca on the internet to see more about the RIDE FOR ACCOUNTABLE CAS'S AND MINISTRY OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES starting June 01 in Ottawa and going until we reach Windsor where group home owner Jim Malone killed himself driving his truck into the new CAS building to send a message to the world...
John Dunn Afterfostercare.ca
A really close audit is required of all CAS's. What is that money being spent on? Really, look at the books. Join your local Children's Aid Society as an annual "Member". (Not a board of directors member, just a regular member). You do that by contacting the Society, asking to speak to someone in the Executive Office and ask them how you go about obtaining a regular membership application for the Society.
Once you become a member, you then have rights under the Society's By-Laws and under the Corporations Act (which trumps the By-laws which are to be "inline" with the Corporations Act) to review financial documents up close and personal.
See the expenses, how much is being spent on services for families vs. legal to take and keep kids?
Ombudsman oversight now!!
Interesting that the man who adopted thinks they are great - no wonder chump, they are kidnapping other peoples children for strangers. Adopters are not the victims kids are.
Audit all of them, and let the Ombudsman investigate them too.
CAS is very altruistic to their real clients, those who adopt, but not so much to children.
WHY IS MCGUINTY COVERING THE DEATHS OF 109 KIDS???
Sneaky is an understatement for this monster.
Dalton McAsshat vs CAS which is worse?
Yes Dalton Mcasshat is just that, and yes there are some very dedicated and caring people in the various CAS's agencies across Ontario, but, and there is always a BUTT.
The CAS has no reigns on it, there are many individuals within the various CAS agencies that abuse their power. Interviewing and/or attempting to interview children, in a group daycare, about the other children at that same daycare, without the knowledge or consent of their parents, completely offside. But do not criticize or you may also have your kids taken away.
Hal
McGilty is the biggest liar, the biggest waster, and the most corrupted premier in Ontario's history.
Paul
McGuinty is simply trying to hang on to power by any means.
And people vote for him over and over.
Does Ontario deserve this kind of SNEAK?
We will find out the next election.
Katiedawg
CAS: STEALINNG YOUR CHILDREN FOR THE LAST 50 YEARS
dupul
I know that this idea will not be well received on this forum, but I say let's hire more government employees - specifically auditors. 1 for every 4 organizations that receives money from the government. Let them go though the books each year and recommend the level of funding to be provided based upon what is really being spent on the achieving the organization's mandate. I'm sure the savings would be more than enough to cover their salaries.
Dan Dowdall
I have adopted a child from the Simcoe CAS. He had a great foster home with gifted and loving caregivers. I have found most of the CAS workers to be profoundly altruistic and motivated by what's best for the child. You can debate whether the CAS is too dogmatic,or is paralysed with regulatory restraint; or simply that it takes on more than it can handle. After all, you can point out that they place less than 10% of children in Crown Ward care (their's) into adoptive family homes.The process to become adoptive parents in most places is an onerous task - you are held to the highest standard of open custody facility care - in most areas of Ontario. I am aware that the standards are not uniform,that is a shame; not all are culpable here though
Carole
As an organization CAS is almost as useless and corruptpt as WSIB. Both agencies refuse to investigate anything and just react. They should be immediately disbanded and new organizations set up with a proper mandate and properly trained workers. As it stands now, all they do is prey on the week and disadvantaged.
rusty
McGuinty would sell his own mother,do you know what politics stands 4? PO- poor people LI-liars TICS-little bloodsuckers so politicianS stand 4 BLOODSUCKERS WHO LIE TO POOR PEOPLE,Mcskinme &DUNCAN DONUT ARE nothing but blood sucking little parasites.Who in their right mind would vote 4 this scumbags?If the dopey lot votes this ahole in you will get what you deserve,Ontario is the next ghost town,since McGuinty has got in what the f has he done but raped Ontario,used to be a great place to live,just wait till they try to bring in carbon tax they are going to destroy people with obscene pricing for energy and that little bastard will be nowhere to be seen.
mrjbm
Please read 15 (6) of the Child and Family services Act as it applies to the employees of Ontario's Children's Aid Workers. It explains why CAS workers can't be charged when a child dies in the care of CAS.
mrjbm
CAS mandate. People, please read 15 (6) of the CAS mandate. This will explain why employees of The CAS never get charged when a child dies in the care of The CAS.
mrjbm
The real crime here is that The CAS is a (defined by Ontario Law) a private company that receives public money. When a child dies in the care of CAS...1- The CAS is a "private" business, they are not obligated to hand over records when a crime is commited. 2- They have the protection of the provincial government when a crime is commited, hence, the usless corner's inquests. It's in the CAS mandate. Read it people!
democracy vs police state
self promoting hypocrites ,sitting down at $500 plate dinners giving reach arounds to each other how can there be 109 dead children under the care of cas .has there been a criminal investigation into these deaths.
Sam I Am
I've seen these people do nothing but meddle in the lives of good people I know, while letting the real monsters get away with murder. I'm extremely glad their funding has been cut, and I hope they get eliminated entirely.
suckered
Surprise,surprise, when are you twits in Toronto going to wake up and see what the liebrals are about, both provincial and federal. McGinty said I won't lower your taxes but won't raise them either, then when elected brought in the the biggest tax calling it a health care premium. Suckers then elected him again with more B.S. Just wait and see how your ahole burns with the hst. Time to be your own province idiots and quit pulling the rest of us down the drain.
evil but chewy
Let's see this issue raised again and again at election time,complete with billboard exposure,a dog and pony show playing politics with the most vulnerable.
Ombudsman oversight needed
The mounting body count of dead children gets bigger every year. Yet CAS funding goes up every year as well.
Why are the 53 CAS agencies being barred from investigtaive review by the Ontario Ombudsman, and more importantly why are the deaths in particular totally off the scale to be investigated by anyone.
A memorial to these kids is a good idea, and so is the Ombudsman looking into this secret cesspool to find out WHY THESE KIDS ARE DYING? What are they doing, and why are they doing it??
109 dead kids and no one being responsible for it? Criminal, McGuinty cares about protecting CAS not children, what a wretched government; secrecy, lies, corrupt consultants and cover-ups.
Give them more money 109 children died in Ontario last year under children's aid society open file management we need to increase the murder of children and that costs money honey. While the so-called protectors are having fun in the sun the children are used, abused and disposed of like carcasses of beef. We Ontarian's are a fine group of people we support and pay for murder and then we praise the murderers with money. Incidentally we have a section of the 401 from Trenton to Toronto called the HIGHWAY OF HERO'S for the 141 soldiers killed since 2002 seems we need to dedicate the whole 401 the two lanes going West and the two lanes going East for the children murdered in Ontario in the same time period. OVERSIGHT OR IS THAT NO SIGHT.
John Hepworth
Give them more money 109 children died in Ontario last year under children's aid society open file management we need to increase the murder of children and that costs money honey. While the so-called protectors are having fun in the sun the children are used, abused and disposed of like carcasses of beef. We Ontarian's are a fine group of people we support and pay for murder and then we praise the murderers with money. Incidentally we have a section of the 401 from Trenton to Toronto called the HIGHWAY OF HERO'S for the 141 soldiers killed since 2002 seems we need to dedicate the whole 401 the two lanes going West and the two lanes going East for the children murdered in Ontario in the same time period. OVERSIGHT OR IS THAT NO SIGHT.
Ombudsman oversight needed
The York CAS was one of four agencies that failied in the Ontario audit a few years ago. Instead of portraying them as a poor and pitiful agency totally innocent... and all the other hogwash why is this agency not being audited by the Ontario auditor along with the 52 counterpart sister agencies.
The previous audit was by far not flattering - managers jetting to foreign countries and holiday resorts, SUV's and lavish meals, and a lack of police checks for caregivers. A nightmarish report that showed these agencies are spending money on themselves - not children as is constantly being spewed here.
Not only should the auditor audit all of them the Ontario Ombudsman should be give oversight of all of them too. CAS is sneaky even more so.
The man has no shame
Meanwhile McGuinty wastes untold millions
http://tinyurl.com/y9j6gs4
".....the disclosure could reasonably be expected to be injurious to the financial interests of the Government of Ontario,..."
slaughtering puppies
http://tinyurl.com/yaw4too
and dragging law abiding Ontario Citizens into Court on the Public dime and at the expense of Children.
http://www.stopcanineprofiling.com/
Read the truth,then tell McGuinty to stop playing Political games with the lives of your children.
http://tinyurl.com/yh2sye3
Source: Toronto Sun
