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THE. BRUSSELS POST OCTOBER 10, 1979 .5
Budget cuts hurt family services
Family and Children
Services director John
Penn's, success wrangling
money from a stingy
provincial government
ministry overshadowed
his criticism of the
province at Huron county
council's September
session Thursday.
In his report to council
Penn spoke in glowing
terms of county council
and his agency staff but
had few kind words for
the provincial govern-
ment.
His criticism stemmed
from the budget
restrictions placed on the
Huron agency by the
ministry of community'
and social services. He
told council the miriistry
continues to "increase
standards and workload"
for local agencies
"without providing, the
necessary resources to
complete the task".
He told council the
budget allocation for
Huron was "more
unrealistic than in former
years".
He explained that the
ministry had made far
reaching changes in the
responsibilities of local
agencies. He said the
province is decen-
tralizing services and
shifting accountability
and fiscal responsibility
to agencies across the
province.
He pointed out that one
such attempt to shift
accountability lies in the
death of a child due to
child abuse. The province
has issued numerous
guidelines and standards
agencies can abide by to
prevent such tragedies
but did not back them up
with any money to make
them operational.
He said that in light of
greater demands the
ministry made on
agencies the province
gave Huron a meagre 1.5
percent increase over
1978 spending.
He said the Huron
increase is the lowest in
southwestern Ontario
adding that some neigh-
boring agencies received
a 10 percent increase for
the same period.
"Programs cannot be
operated at a satisfactory
level if the resources are
not available," he
warned council. "Cer-
tainly a 1.5 percent
budget increase falls
short of the agency's
needs," he added.
Penn said the economic
policies used to finance
Family and Children's
Services "is a sad
commentary on this
provincial government's
response to the needs of
families and children in
1979, the International
Year of the Child".
But Penn mellowed his
criticism by telling
council he had managed
to shuffle workers and his
own budget allocations to
get around the ministry
cuts. He said the agency
would suffer a $30,000
deficit in 1979 but ex-
plained the deficit was in
an area the province
would pick up.
Penn made no attempt
to explain to council how
he had beat the ministry
funding system saying it
was "complicated and
hard to believe".
He said he had a
guarantee in writing
from the province that it
would pick up the deficit
if it was not due to salary.
Penn said he was able to
shift workload around
within his salary
guidelines adding that his
shifting not only meant
the government would
pick up the deficit but
would give him another
worker next year.
He told council his
success at the economic
game was partially due to
success the Huron agency
has enjoyed in preventing
child abuse problems. He
said the preventitive
program here had
reduced the number of
children the agency had
in care by 10 this year.
He added that recent
problems some agencies
encountered in child
abuse cases made them
"jumpy about leaving
kids at home". He said
tthe exact opposite was
true in Huron.
Penn said the funding
problem Huron had this
year was common
amongst the 50 agencies
in the province. He said it
was a constant source of
"frustration and con-
cern".
But the director made
it clear the problem was
with the province only.
He said county council
funds 20 percent of the
Huron agency's work and
has always been "sup-
portive of our work".
He said in many
counties agencies not
only have to contend with
financial restraint by the
province but is also
forced into confrontation
with local politicians.
He said "despite fiscal
restrains and increasing
pressure upon the agency
I believe that the board of
directors and the staff
have done an excellent
job providing a wide
range of services to
families and children in
Huron county".
EVEN A HARMONICA PLAYER — There was all kinds,of entertainment
at the Scottish concert held at the Brussels Legion on Saturday night
.including Darrel Adams of Mitchell who played the harmonica. Mr.
Adams accompanied by Ivan Norris of Staffa on the guitar.
(Brussels Post Photo)
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