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Wingham Advance-Times, 1980-02-13, Page 6Mitance-Z6es. February 18, MO pen group home or disturbed adolescen By Sharon Diets A group home for Oat* adolescents will open in Goderich to serve the needs of children in the county who cannot be accommodated in foster homes. According to John Penn, director of Family and Children's Services (FCS) for Huron, the new program will match a need which has deve- loped in the county. "These children are too emotionally or behaviorally upeet to be placed in a foster family," he said, "and there is evidence they do better is a group home arrangement." He said group home care has been found to work well with teenagers. The 'program will use the house formerly used by the county's Children's Aid Society Teenage Living Ex- perience (CASTLE) program, which was terminated at the end of November. It will accommodate child- ren who require More than the average family can give them. Abused children do well in group homes, said Mr. Penn; they don't trust foster parents not to abuse them. In a group home they can see other children who are living there and haVe not been abused. The children who have lived there for a time act as role models for the newcomers. Group homes also work well for delinquent children, he added. Skilled home parents will live hi the home and FCS is looking for a married couple with child care training or previous experience as group home parents. The home will accommodate up to six children, ranging in age from 10 to 15 years, and the program will be funded on the basis that one parent will work full-time in the home and the other will have an outside job. The home parents will be paid $12,000 a year plus ac- commodation, with the entire program budgeted at $40,000 a year. Mr. Penn said the program will be funded with the $20,000 from the CASTLE operating budget plus $24,000 saved when two children now in institutions are removed and placed in the home. More money will be saved down the road when children who .would be placed in in- stitutions can go to the group home instead, he. added. He said the average length of stay for a child will be six months to a year. The child's parent will be actively in - .ply in the program and will contribute financially. Parents will 'participate in family counselling sessions aimed at reintegrating the child into the family. The focus of the program for a child who is to remain in the care of FCS over a long term will be to enable him to move into a traditional foster family. The average foster family in SALE ENDS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16 Huron County cares for one'ta three c.hildren. There are four group homes in the county0 which are foster arrange- ments in which a family has agreed to take more than three children ander a speciai. arrangement with FCS. The new home in Goderich will be the first group home intuited as a program by FCS with tf. professional child care workers living in the home. The new project, is still subject to the approval of the Ministry of Community and Social Services and finding group home parents will determine the opening date. Mr. Penn is looking forward to ' having it open by 'April 1. The CASTLE prograin, which was -cancelled, served older teenage girls living with a single social worker who worked outside the home. The program had operated for four yrs, with an Average of thFee to four teenagers at the home.. The girls were either -varcLs of FCS or teenagers rom the community who had eft home. Mr. Penn said that program o. vas ended to make way for the roup home, which will serve i wider range of problems in he county. WHITECHURCH The 4-H club held its second meeting Feb. 9, opening with the 4-H pledge. The seven members present described a piece of macrame seen for the roll call. A club name was then voted on and the memers those the name 'Macrame . e Maniacs'. - Each member madaa listof personality traits, their assets and liabilities and then filled out a chart on their likes and dislikes. Junior .and Senior groups were formed and each got a good start on macrame samplers. The next meeting will be heldat Mrs. Cecilia AAddlaW's on t'eb:. • FANCY COSTUMES—There was lots of glitter and class on the Ice at the HoWick Com- munity Carnival Saturday for the fancy costume category. Winners, In order of merit were, from left: Connie Gibson, Sarah Bell and Kevin Statia. In the background judge Jennie Wilson puts on a sweater after taking a turn on the Ice in an effort to keep warm. MRS. LEWIS STONEHOUSE Belgrave Personal Notes Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Wheeler and Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Stonehouse visited on Sunday afternoon with Mr. and Mrs. WilliamJ. Hughes of Goderich. Danny Thompson of Goder- ich was a weekenervisitor with his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Bert Johnston. , 1Vir. and Mrs. Robert Taylor, Erica and Monica of Alliston spei4 the weekesd1,-*JAAer parents, llinzsad,Mrs. James R. Coultes. The Belgrave Library re- quests that all books must be returned by February 16 as there will be a book exchange at that time. Mr. and Mrs. James Hamni- man, Curtis and Kelly of Rip- ley visited with their aunt, Mrs. Telford Cook on Satur- day. Weekend visitors at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Clar- ence Hanna were Mr.. and Mrs. Brian Storer of Kit- chener, Mr. and Mrs. Wally Croft of Haliburton, Cecil Milligan of Minden and Mr. and Mrs. Eldon Cook of RR 1, Belgrave. Mrs. David Hanna and family of Hanover were week - 'ane wit wienueu uu funeral of her octet 'Aims Weekend vid r et the au! , • 61 (ANGAICAN) WINGHAM John Wow at Centre Street The 1404tOrt the Rev John T.M. THE ANGUCAN PARI$H OF !MOWN% AND LGRAVE " • ST. PAUL'S CHURCH, VtliNGIHAM • SUNDAY, FEE. 17 r:' * THE SUNDAY NEXT BEFoliE 1110 QUINOUAGESiMA , , 19d0Oth;rnor-Sunchw School.. 11:00 o.m.—Mattins & Sermon In the Parifihtloonfla- A Social Hour will be heldafter theServIce Ash Wednesday, The First Day of kluiro 7:30 p.m.—The Penitential Service, Holy Eucharist' Sermon Home Hairstyling OPENING FEB. 19 Tues., Fri. and Sat. mornings. Thursday nights. Men's Hairstyling Wed. afternoons. Call novv for your appointment Phone 357-1672 All Paris Stara, Elan and New Editions Sportswear jg, price FOR THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE Send Our Flowers with Your Heart to the Love of Your Life on VALENTINE'S DAY, Thursday, February 14. Ashton's. India: arid Men' s Wear Phone 528-2126 AN ELEGANT WINNER—Jennle Wilson of FordwIchs dressed In an authentic old time costume, WW1 the oldest skater prize at the Howick Community Centre. She re- ceived the loudest applause of the night for Nor skating ability and her costume. She was also a ludoe at the carnival. att •FLOWERS"' BOUQUET OR FTD VALENTINE BUD VASE a romantic arrangement\of fragrant flowers in a. FTD Heart - Shaped Ceramic Dish with Lovebirds. carnations in a FTD hand -decorated ceramic bud vase. LEWIS FLO RS 135 Frances St. Wingharn, Ont, Tel. 357-3880 11/2 Blocks South of the Wingham Public School . . \.