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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1972-10-19, Page 3• - dill we were to be asked what the CAS has been doing in the last .year to underscore its ser- vice to the public, " indicated Mr. Heath, "I would say it has been a combination of two em- phasizes. Pulling all stops to prevent children coming into care, and beefing up our services to families and children living with their parents. No community or -Children's Aid Society should • take pride in announcing that it has ox" number of children in its care. Todo so would be im- plicit acknowledgment of its failure as a community - with the CAS as the legal agent of that community - to provide alterna- tives to removal of children from • their homes. We cannot emph- asize too strongly the need to build on the strengths of families rather than the weaknesses, and build on those strengths in pre- ference to underlining the weak- nesses. In the majority of family • situations coming • to our attention, we are not talking about the overtly neglectful parent at all, but rather situations where the family unit can be improved and strengthened. Mr. Heath said, and added "I would go fur- ther and say that it would even be preferable to leave a child in a "marginally poor''family situa- tion than to remove him because of what separation can do to harm both parent and child. Even where circumstances dictate that a child must come into our cwre, our planning is geared to return the child to his home as quickly as possible. Where long term care is needed, or permanent separat- ion of parent and child is seen as the only alternative, the de- cision to do so is the result of a great deal of professional soul- searching and due process of law • before our Family Court Judge." Last Sunday, all the churches in the County received bulletin covers or inserts outlining a few facets of the CAS and its work. It stressed the responsibility of people to become involved in the • work of the Society and to report situations to the CAS where a person , feels a child is facing extreme neglect or possible abuse. "I am still amazed at how people will rationalize 'they* failure to report serious neglect problems to a CAS," he noted. '"The Law requires people to rerort child abuse, and the same Law protects the person acting in good faith who reports the abuse. Even where people do report Serious situations to us, there is often unwillingness to come forward for court purposes and present the personal evidence which, may be needed for a judge to render a finding to protect the child. One of the most tragic situations in my work in CAS occurred a few years ago in,. Hamilton where a child died from physical abuse in an apartment building not fifty feet from tha Society's office. At the inquest which followed, person after per-- son testified about their suspic-:. ions and knowledge of the abuse over a • six month period and yet not one had ventured across the street to express his concern, • and seek CAS intervention." The church bulletin also em- phasized the need to encourage parents with problems to be referred to the Society for coun- selling and assistance, and par- ticularly when problems are first a arieleg. "The sympathetic con- cern of a friend, relative or neighbour, and The encourage- ment to seek help With family problems are both particularly important, and do much to prevent problems frOm reaching a stage where the situation is lop hopeless, and we are forced to render an emergency service with little hope of resolving problems and getting the family back on an even keel. As a Society, we are en- • This is Children's Aid Week in Huron County, and the County's Childrents Aid Society is taking an active part in bring- ing the message of its services, and the needs ef children and families before the public. Bruce Heath, local director e of the CAS, outlined some of the trends and service changes taking place in the Society's werk in the County. f - HAVE- NOU ANY BROKEN WINDOWS • Now is the time to bring your frames in to have new glass installed. SEE AND H EAR CHARLIE THOMAS ON CHANNEL 8 CKNX TV FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20 — 7:30 P.M. TO 8:00 P.M. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26 — 7:30 P.M. TO 8:00 12,M. HON. JOHN MONROE, MP Dart Demon , 2-dri Coupe, 6-cyl. 1 . Oireissize white walls, automatic, radio, body side protector mldg.Jlelux wheel covers, 225 big six engine. Regular $3,393 SALE' PRICE $2,840 Daft Demon , 2-dr. Coupe; 8-cyi. Automatic, radio; body protector mldg., de- lux wheel covers, vinyl trim, oversize white walls. Regular $3,530 SALE $2 925 PRICE Dodge II fIIRlSLrR Oodgelludis I , sAi rstsERvicEl OWCLIFFE OTORS SEAFORTH Phone 527-1670 0 • • We are equipped to replace glass in either aluminum or wood frames. We sharpen knives and scissors Crown Hardware Phone 527:4420 Seaforth Children's eniphosizes `The child in his own hone' TRAM:4113 TO NEW'72 ISCOUNTEI 4-H clubs 4-H SEAFORTH II A meeting wag held at the home of Mrs. O'Rourke on Oct- ober 16. Mrs. O'Rourke and Mrs. DevereauX showed how to make good meals. Joan Dever- eaux, Margaret. Sills and Gerda Willems demdnstrated how to make dainty sandwiches. Mary Margaret Kelly showed how to make western sandwiches. Next meeting will be at Mrs. O', Rourkes, Oct. 23. Joan Dever- eaux thanked Mrs. O'Rourke for the use of her home. ' Every week more and more people discover what mighty jobs are accomplished by low cost Expositor Want Ads. Dial 527- 0240. MINISTER OF HEALTH FOR CANADA WILL ACCOMPANY CHARLIE THOMAS AS HE "MAIN STREETS" IN GODERICH ON THE SQUARE, 2 P.M. TO 4 P.M., FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20th. . "MEET THE CANDIDATE" NITE couraged by the growing trend of pa rents approaching us in the first instance and requesting help. In a recent study in the Society, we ascertained that -3 6% of our family cases were self- referred." (Relative and neigh- bours account for 26% of refer- rals - many with, the active co- operation of parents - 'police for 11%, public health - 10%, schools, health and welfare agen- cies, an other professionals for 1 7%. This continuing emphasis on the child within the family unit has seen the County Society's children in care population re- duced to sixty-eight children at the end of September. "We reached a peak in the summer of 1970 with one hundred twenty-two children in care, and this number has been reducing since that time," Mr. Heath noted. "A year ago, ninety- six children were in care. Of course, related to this child care reduction is the fact that many fewer children are on adoption probation - at the end of Sept- ember only five children ascom- . pared , to seventeen a year ago. A year ago also, there were thirteen children from other Children's Aid Societies on adop- tion placement with us, whereas this September such placements were down to four children." He said that although the CAS must • intervene in some family situations and actually apprehend children, or facilitate a planned consent admission 'into care, these placements must be kept to only situations warrant- ing same or the CAS would be doing a disservice tothe families and children we serve, and to the community at large who support us by their tax dollars and volun- tary donations. Placement of children becomes a fairly expen- sive proposition when you examine actual costs. Last year of an actual operat- ing cost of $261,194 our child costs, when you apportion your social work and administration overhead percentage, totalled $216,424 or about five out of every six dollars. The annual cost of keeping a child in boarding place- ment when you total direct fees, other direct costs, and social service overhead approximates $2,300; this increases to $2,800 for receiving home or obser- vation home placement , and to $8,000 for the specialized treat- ment centre. "If our child care population were to return to earlier trends, I could only anticipate our costs skyrocket- ing,, and we would be forted to return to a'hand-ald service to- families which was often the case in previous years", he said. "Even at present," we have noted some manageRent problems in coping with a thirty percent in- crease in4services to families in the space of one year. It cost the Society slightly under ten thousand dollars last year to field one social worker but if we were to eliminate the placement of even four children in foster homes or one child in. a treat- ment centre for even one year, then I would think the provision of family service staff has been money well spent." J.STEWART PROCTER Ex-reeve .of Morris passes A well known Morris Town- ship farmer and for six years reeve of the township, J„Stewart Procter, RR #5, Brussels, died on Tuesday, October 10 in Wing- ham and District Hospital. He was 74. He had been ill twodays. The son of the late Abram an?. Mary Ann Procter, he was born in Morris. He was educated at S.S. no. 7, the stone school in Morris. He was married on Dec. 14, 1922 to the former Alice M. Imlay of Wingham and began farming in Morris. Active in the community, he served on the township council from 1954 to 1960. In 1961, he was elected Reeve, a position he continued to hold until his re- •tirement in 196-7. He was a mem- ber of Knox United Church. He is survived by his widow, by three sons Charles, Ross and George all of Morris and by two daughters, Mary,Mrs. Charles Thomas of Brussels and Ruth, Mrs. Ken Alton, RR 7,Lucknow. He also is survived, by a brother, Harold Procter, Belgrave and by 12 grandchildren. A sister, Ver- da, Mrs. Bert Armstrong of Wingham predeceased him. A funeral service was held from the S.J.Walker funeral home Wingham, on Friday, conducted by Rev. John G. Roberts. Inter- ment followed in Brandon ceme- tery, Belgrave. Pallbearers were Alex Stark, Walter Short- reed, John Spivey, Wendall Mc- Callum, Jack Higgins and Frank - Garniss. Flowerbearers were Howard Wilkinson, Kenneth Wheeler and William Elston. Classified Ads pay dividends. Mrs. D. Bartliff (Left), President, Huron County Children's Aid Society congratulates Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Dolmage, R.R.#2, seaforth, who were honoured this week for their fifteen years service as foster parents fOr the County Children's Aid Society. bay a F t ?gimp #1,.,niet at .the home_ a andra Ruston and decidedecdecided to Fondue.Park,' at the borne of arg3! Eckert . The girls read from the Member's Pham- phiet, and then two girls did a demonstratiob of western sand- wiches. Every week more and more people discover what mighty jobs are accomplished by low cost Expositor Want Ads. Dial 527- 0240. 4-1friuk.• 411R 111-1IRPN Eg.p.cisip.R,I.S.E*P.O.RTIllits.Phrtii: PCT. 191 moNUM NT All Types 01. II CEMETERY •IYIEMORME: 'OP:XN'-4)4114 PRUM..4r Ol Inquiries. are invited — Wei:4100e Ikhorkgrg.-.. EXETER 234.0620 c4ittr7a,t1 449qt SEAFORTH: Contact Willis Pun.c1aa Or OM Pinder 527.1382. Sus. 327.1150 Ronald's second girl ate more once (R2G 8M1) - Make up your own way to remember your code. Then send it to your friends. • POST A_ CODE POSTPL Charlie Ric ing • cs ron volveci. He doesn't want to stand on a ribbon cutting, hand shaking, flag waving campaign — that's for the birds:,Cbarlie wants a better Huron Riding and he means it. He's a digger not a scratcher. ;He'll discover those area problems and he'll meet the people concerned face to face to discuss them. And he's not afraid of getting his boots dirty if its going to promote Huron and Middlesex,. He's a member of the Tax Review Committee of County Council and a member of the SOcial Services Committee. He belongs to many Federal and Provincial animal breeding associations. He's served on the Regional Development Council for eight years — latterly as vice-president and he's served on the Huron Planning Board — last year as chairman. Charlie is a farmer and understands farming problems. He's convinced that the sugar beet industry could be revived in Huron and Middlesex. He feels there are better ways of marketing corn in peak periods and he'd like to encourage more Canadian farmers to become involved in livestock breeding. And Charlie will fight for other benefits, too. For instance, he'd like more area development, he believes in Goderich Harbour as a potential Great Lakes port, he feels that Sky Harbor airport should be maintained and would fight for a subsidy, if necessary. Stimulation& local industry is another key issue Charlie believes in. He wants to give incentives to light industry to boost local economy. And he wants to make sure the 'brains' of Huron and Middlesex stay in Huron Riding instead of heading south or to the cities. A better Huron Riding is worth fighting for. Charlie Thomas is a fighter. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26 5:30 P.M. TO 7:30 P.M. GODERICH MEMORIAL ARENA AUDITORIUM Yote 1 Meet CHARLIE THOMAS, Liberal Candidate For Huron BEEF-ON-ANBUN SALAD — SPUDS AND BEVERAGE _ "ALL FOR A DOLLAR" SPONSORED V/ HURON LIBERAL ASSOCIATION nomas SPONSORED BY HURON LIBERAL ASSOCIATION,