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Home My WebLink AboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1997-04-09, Page 24Page 24 - Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, April t 1997 Death of culla did not involve neglect The death of a child known to the Huron. • County Children's Aid • Society. was accidental and • did not involve neglect, said Tom Knight executive director of the society. An_ interim report • released by the Ontario Child . Mortality Task FOrce,- indicated 100 chi'- . dren in Ontario died in. 1994 and 1995 and were known to the CAS, • While 12 of those 100 were reported as• homk , • . cides, most of the 'deaths were -from natural. causes • '• oraccidents, said 1<night. . • A release fromthe task •force indicates of those .100, 31 were in foster hOrnes or•other homes • considered to be "in care" . • -• of the CAS. None of the • children murdered *mein • ..foster homes. Ten were' .iiving with their-paren•ta with curt orderetsuper.,:. .vision and 59 were living with theirparents, receiv-, • ing support, investigation or asseSsment services "'. from the eAs. • • :4, • - Any children who hive died in Huron dountyput-- side the time frame of the * ;report died •frern Medieal • or accidental reasoni.• • • - • The vast majOritY [in the report] were not in fos•-•-• •ter care ,btit in their own. . 'homes," Said Knight. • .. •.That .makes it More dif-.. ficult. for the CAS to Ilion- • i tor those children, • ° „ The task force behind the report. consists . of members of CASs; . the Ontario Coroner's Office and the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services. ILwas estab- lished last fall in response to concern'in Ontario and other parts of -Canada about deaths of children -assOciated with child wel- fare agencies. •Although a full report is not expected Until. this su-mmer, 'the task force released US interim report •'on. March 25 warning that the' absence of a common database is hampering the ability of the societies and other agencies as they- try to keep track of faniiliet.in trouble, alert each other of high risk cases and keep- ing track of: the incidence • of abuseand neglect. —.....kni•ght-is hoping some • of the recommendations coming from. the report -wilt help .alleviate the dif= • ficulties in keeping. track of children 'who may be at risk.. For• For ekample, ,without a • data base;,lie said theY have no way orcross, ref- •erencing some. of the • information they r6ceive. about a child or family who may need CAS:help., In the rase Of a 'family • vvho,has separated; with • some .rnembers joining. Ashfield. Township council wants more information on waterworks project Township council, Will be asking the • . Ministry of. Environment and Energy for more detail on' the requirements to • upgrade the Courtney sub-. • diviSion waterviorks. , New requirements from • .. • • the' ministry- were outlined ' •• in a recent letter to Councii . but'before it discusses the, :Work with the. 14. ratepay- affeeted by the projeet, council wants _la, know what the minimum requirements Albert expressed concerns • to Ashfield ,,ToWnship. about the condition of the north beach; •• • ,Helen Gardiner asked • what had .happened that there ia' now sand piled up • on the.beach. • . Council explained that • an ice. jam in January caused some flooding Orobleins. Township' work Ors dredged the area *alleviate'lhe flooding,' which is the reason for -the .. Mounds of sand. No for - • another, itsomplicates the CAS's ability.to keep track of a child who may have a. •file with the.CAS, "That's one of the pieceS • that needs to be in place in theprovince," Knight said. •• A data base would also help. the different CASs • keep track of families as they -move from • county to county. • - • Knight su.ggeSted the • recomniendation should •g.o far'enotigh to include a national data basebe,cause • families with children who may be at risk, don't always 'stay in one Province. Although,. not in • the• interim report,: not. anticipating' a recommen- dation ,for changes to the Child and Family Services Act. • Knight said the Child Welfare -Act Used tO. foeus ' . on the rights Of•the child, but now, with the Child •and Family Services Act, thereis more emphasis on , ••the family. - This leads to court cases where the CAS recorri- Mends a child be removed from a family but. the . judge. places the child back , in the home. • • • When they are 'in the ;borne Knight said "It. becoines very difficult t�' suPervise.r He said there needs to be . a •middle...groat-id,. Takalo & Burt • CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS 567 Campbell St. Lucknow • • * Personal Taic OetUrtis • prnallBusinesa *rams , Doug 'Miller LUcknowcffice Manager • Registered. • E file Agent • LUCKNOW 514-528-3633 9oderich 5107524-2677 rgiabisaaligiaciasaiagaza Itiron county's compiete E are. . mal plans have been made r.al Flooding on north to rid the area,of the sand beach causes sand piles piles. ' •. al A resident of Port • WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO TAKE A BO 1TING COI RSE rllis SPRING? • AT THE . GODERICH POWER & SAIL SQUADRON BOAT PRO COURSE , •Aprile & 16 VHF RADIO COURSE • 4 Week• . 'Starting April 23 • If,• information tfli . For mom • 1.' Call CPS •'• . 367-2686. p BIM Randal Maar Mutant • Avallaida. Defamed Paysaaat Plan; Efficlaway • (• Coaditfohaira • inuaithing 14, Heating • • 013 Cliff Mimi Mottuiriical Ltd. #28.739•14 ( III 'I it C ; •KENTA • E••, fill. Hesidquinters. 13 • '.ar Small 4.Mtd-stzed, Cgs E El T3 Passenger Sr Cargo....13. Pickup Tiucks. 13 La El 0 Dail Vireekly• ILI ni Monthly •E • Ell Insurance .Rentalszt' 13 More ' • •• • 13 • El13 . 0 Free Deltvezy • • •11 13 . rs in • • El • ' • E [I. CAR 10iiiiitit thatrits 11 111 • DIVision ofSuflcoast Ford Ell " ,111 500 Huron Rd., Godericb. 13 1:11 CALite01.1ACTAnfor Helen in CCII 524-8347.E .13tIMMIMIttlf5Elltir5Eldeli between the two acts, . adding tbt decision to remove a child from a home is not made lightly. • But complicating their ability to keep. track of •children at risk is the workload of the CAS's social workers. Between cuts to, the Huron COunty CAS base budget and inflation, Knight said they are work- ing with. about 20 per cent • less money and a 40 per .cent increase in .the . ber of cases they have. Add thlito an economic, 06writuin that places .stirsses• on families facing uncertain futures,. and • knight- said there is. a Workload witli:which they can't cope.- 4 "We don't. even have -the staff to deal ,with what .we .; were doing before," he :said, adding the'Huron ,Couaty CAS:is better off than many other societies. •Knight is glad:to We the report and hones it will piece together some of the problems within the-Sys- teinsthat look after dren. ••• • "I'M looking forward to ,. the recommendations," • said Knight who,sees the •potential in the final report helping the Huron County CAS and the 54 'other • societies in Ontario. •• Knight •said there is; an, • extremely good 'system between the courts, province and legislation. He said there are a few areas, suchlas the data base, wheie work is need- ed to help. Make a differ- ence in the work the CAS does. "It's a good system but there are, pieces that con- tinually need to be upgrad- ed," he said. - • Members of the local Cancer' Society had such a successful .day selling daffodils Friday that they sold out. Left, Delores Sokoloski, makes, a purchase from Cathy Hamilton, society volunteer. (Helm photo) • POLYESTER. 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