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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1988-08-23, Page 17F?:w€ new Will `To sooner did he accept °t, „ be,:iou,.. re1f part .Of nd of pr ons #9r .the rtsft -.. SPORTSFEST KICKS OFF ®- Wingham Mayor Jack Kopas, Huron -Bruce MP Murray- Cardiff and Scott Bailey of Carling -O'Keefe went through the motions of certain sports when Sportsfest '88 officially got underway last Saturday at Cruickshank Park in Wingham. The three-day event drew over 1,000 partici- parfts to the town for events such as lawn darts, co-ed three -pitch and horseshoes, to name just a few. Area residents who 'thought they saw a curet or even an unidentified flying object early Sundaymorning, ,really were witnessing a Soviet satellite re-entering the earth's atn osphere. The satellite was said to have gone in a line from Owen Sound to London, passing over this area near midnight. Similar to a comet, it is described as blue -white with a red tail. Source reports seeing frost on Monday morning Those of you who have been com- plaining bitterly about the hot weather of late can take heart— a highly reliable source reports seeing frost on Monday morning. Can fall be far behind? Hearing review.s Family. Children Services budget Weare review committee chairman Barry Dalby has 30 days in which to file his report on a hearing in - Goderich last week to review the proposed budget of Family and Children's Services (FCS)of Huron County. It is that report which Community and Social Services Minister John Sweeney will use to make a binding decision on Huron County Council's refusal to approve FCS's requests for additional funding. The hearing, attended by representatives council, FCS, and the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, reviewed council's decision to reject funding requests beyond the 4.5 budget in- crease which the provincial government recommended and the County of Huron accepted earlier this year. The FCS — which gets its funding on an 80 per cent provincial and 20 per cent county split — had requested approximately $110,000 in additional funding to be used for increasing daily rates for foster parents, making permanent a $36,000 parent aid program, and to expand its Goderich office. Reading from a prepared statement on behalf of county council, Huron County Treasurer Bill Alcock said council is prepared to provide its 20 per cent share ($254,226) of the $1,271,130 allocation as set out by the ministry in February 1988 and subsequently approved by council at its May meeting. However, county council was then informed that FCS was making requests for additional funding for the three programs. In addition, council was also informed in July that the ministry had increased the base -allocation by $30,000 and on Aug. 5, council learned the ministry had once again increased the base allocation an additional $17,925, bringing it to more than $1.3 million. The County of Huron, Mr. Alcock read from the statement, suggests that when county council sets a levy by a certain deadline — and its allocation is based on the best in- formation available at that time — and the provincial government subsequently increases its allocation, the province should pay 100 per cent of the increa County funds are not the provincial government's to adopt whennew changes to allocations are made, Huron County Warden Bob Bell told the hearing. Instead, perhaps, the review . committee should be looking at making the provincial government wholly responsible for funding child welfare. He said the county does not have a problem with the FCS programs. "It's more the dollars than the programs." The presentation for Family and Children's Services of Huron County was made jointly by Executive Director John Penn and Suzanne Symes, president of the board of directors. In the FCS presentation it was noted that the society had a total service plan estimate of $1,374,986 for 1988. This estimate included funding for the parent aide program, foster care, and, occupancy costs — the three major areas of disagreement, the FCS representatives pointed out. The Ministry of Community and Social Services supports the parent aide program with•a $30,000 Level of funding. However, FCS is seeking an additional $6,735 for the program in 1988. In 1987, the one-time funding Of $30,000 for the program by the ministry covered most of the ex- pense, Mr. Penn said. "in 1 ' Y. , we are asking for $36,000. We've placed the salary at the top end of the scale, although the person isn't there yet." Mr. 'Perin also pointed out that Huron County's size adds to the program's travelling costs. "Our preference would be not to sup- plement the program if we could get the funds." The parent aide program is seen as a preventative program in which a worker goes into the horhe of "high-risk" families to teach better .methods of child management and faniity •functioning. The goal is to reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect and thereby reduce the potential number of children needing to be placed in society care. Looking at the Huron County foster care program, the representatives said FCS would like to bring the rates for foster and group homes into line with those of others across the province. "(Ours is) one of the lowest rates paid and it is time we addressed that," Mr. Penn said. In the prepared statement, it is noted that the local agency ranked poorly in a comparison with rates paid by by other child welfare agejt},eies across the province. Out of 51 agencies, Huron County stood between 47th and 51st in the six age categories. In 1987, the FCS base boarding rate was $300,650, the statement said, but it cost the local agency $320,623. With the 1988 ministry allocation of 4.5 per cent, the local agency would receive only $314,179. Instead, the agency is requesting $356,314 to cover the costs and proposed rate increases in the three foster care areas — regular foster care, special rate foster care, and group home. "The recruitment and retention of foster families in today's social and economic environments present a real challenge to our staff," Ms. Symes said in her report. "Despite our attempts to provide training and supportive services to foster families, we have experienced a net loss of 30 per cent of available foster homes over the last five years (61 homes to 42) ." Examples of the rate increases (with present rates in brackets) are: –For regular foster care — 0-5 years, $9,04 per day ($7.69) ; 6-12 years, $10.54 per day ($8.52) ; 13 years and older, $12.85 per day ($10.17). –For special foster care — 0-5 • years, $13.98 per day ($12.58) ; 6-12 years, $15.87 per day. ($13.85); 13 years and older, $19.07 per day ($16.39)° Specialized rates are established according to theneeds of the child° Family and Children Services of Huron County operates a licenced, privately -owned, parent -model group home. Current per diem rates are $32.40. The 1988 service plan estimate provides for a per diem of $36.50 per child plus $1,500 per an- num for parental relief. Aside from the parent aide program and increased foster care rates, the agency is concerned with space at its present location. "The issue of space available for our clients and staffhas been an ongoing problem for several years," Ms. Symes said in her report. The agency, she said, %as oc- cupied the present facility since the early 1970s. However, an increase in st#f over the years has created a demand for more space. Currently, FCS rents the space from the County of Huron and has use of a board room on a reserved basis along with other community groups. Since the 1983 report of an operational review team, the agency has attempted to pursue a variety of options to solve the problem of its physical space requirements, but none has borne fruit, she said° "The situation is critical and reflects poorly -on the service," Ms. Symes' report states. "Further, we are not able to provide for the privacy inherent in the nature of our work nor a structure sensitive to the dignity of our clients." She and Mr. Penn both said the agency would like to put the 1987 surplus of $26,000 toward a plan to hire an architect to desia new facility. "We have to do something about this building very fast," Mr. Penn said. "To make a plan, it will cost us 'between $15,000 and $20,000, and somewhere along the line this will need to be addressed." Qt 0' alga ns i e He 1h gave ,' Hca they ndaug to , All nn, bels oilsecoder ddughter`is�named Carly Eventually Mr. (Kennon Intends to movi to Wingham, bnt.,lit till new town employees he must serve a 90 - day probation period and he doesn't plan . to , make any permanent changes until that's completed. As Wingham's facility. manager, Mr. Quennell is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of various town facilities including the arena, the town pool, ball parks and playground equipment. This is not Mr. Quennell's first experience in this line of work. For five years he worked in Barrie at "a very similar job". During that period, he obtained his `B' class refrigeration diploma through a course offered at Gueliffitniversity. In 1983 the city of Barrie constructed a complex which included both a pool and an ice rink. During his last two years in Barrie, Mr. Quennell gained experience in maintaining both that pool and the ice in the hockey arena. Mr. Quennell replaced Bob Armstrong who had been carrying out most of the duties of facilities , manager for 10 years. "I'm looking ° at some pretty big shoes to fill," says Mr. Quennell: When asked. if ...he had ahy' ajiir plans for the future, Mr: Quernnell replied, "I don't want to comeiii here and, make a bunch of big changes. I want to get to know the people and let them have a chance to know me, that's my major goal right now." Before being hired by the T _ Wingligin, Mr. Quennell worked :in sales and production, management for the Listowel Wheaton Glass Com. Mr.panyQuennell is involved in a wide range of sports in Listowel, including recreational hockey and slo-pitch and he intends to keep up this involvement once he has moved to Wingham. He also referees both WOAA and OMHA hockeygames during the winter. ...This ..sununer he has been coaching an intermediate girls' fastball team in Listowel. . He says he is looking -forward to living n' Wingham and becoming involved in the town's sporting community. MBA DEGREE P. Chris Dubelaar of Wingham received his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Wilfrid Laurier University this spring, obtaining a Shell Scholar- ship for academic achievement. He is a member of MENSA and also has a Bachelor of Applied Science degree. Mr. Dubelaar, who has been designated a pro- fessional engineer, has accepted a position as lecturer in business at WLU and plans to continue his education by pursuing a Ph. D. in 1989.