Times-Advocate, 1979-03-07, Page 26Page 26 Times-Advocate, March 7, 1979 Reports heard at 68th annual meeting
Year of the Child is every year at Family Services
By JOANNE BUCHANAN
Every year is the Inter
national Year of the Child at
Huron County’s Family and
Children’s Services. The
reports presented at the
agency’s 68th annual
meeting last Wednesday,
showed this clearly.
John Penn, director of the
agency, reported an “ex
ceptionally busy year” in
1978. He said it was a year
marked by significant
changes in child welfare as
well as considerable media
and public concern about the
child welfare system in
Ontario.
During the year, the
agency expanded its
counselling and prevention
services from children to
families (thus the name
change from Children s Aid
Society to Family
Cnildren’s Services).
The agency worked
more families than at
other time, Penn reported.
An average of 209 families
were involved in counselling
services each month,
compared to a monthly
average of 150 in 1977, Penn’s
report showed. But no
significant increase of
children in care occurred
(an average of 81 children in
1978 as compared to 80
during 1977).
One of the major ob
jectives set by the Board of
Directors was to focus
resources on the prevention
of family breakdown, said
Penn who further stated that
this objective had
achieved during the
few, rare, tragic errors have
been magnified to represent
the norm of every child
welfare agency,” he stated
in his report.
the
and
with
any
Public aware
Penn said that child abuse
was not a new issue but that
many people were now
considering it seriously for
the first time. He said the
public is becoming more
aware that child abuse is a
community issue and that we
all have a responsibility to
our children.
Fewer people now argue,
he said, that parents have
the absolute right to
discipline children as they
please. No longer is this felt
to be simply a private matter
of the home and that no one
has the right to intrude.
The rights of children to be
protected from violence are
becoming more important in
our society, said Penn. The
professional and lay com
munity is becoming more
willing to report cases of
child abuse to the agency so
that children may be
protected, he said.
In Huron County in 1978, he
said that 70 reports of
suspected child abuse has
been reported to Family and
Children’s Services
compared to 52 in 1977.
task is to educate
community on the issue of
child abuse.
She has already spoken to
over 1,000 people on this
subject and on the
re sponsibility of citizens in
reporting cases to the
agency, Penn told those at
the meeting.
Funding
financial restraintsThe
under which child welfare
agencies have lived since
1975 have inevitably eroded
their ability to fulfill the
mandate Child
Welfare Act, Penn said.
An increase in budgets of
five percent for 1979 will
involve further reduction of
services, he maintained.
During 1978 expansion of
services was made possible
by the successful application
for grant-funded programs
not included in the general
operating budget and often
supported by local
donations, Penn reported.
A Canada Works Grant
was secured for the Huron
Park-Stephen Township area
to establish a day nursery
and a variety of community
programs. It is now operated
by a community group and
employs three full time staff.
In their Canada Works
Grant application, the Town
and Country Homemakers
included a request for two
parent therapists and a
secretary for this agency,
Penn said. This grant has
given the social work staff an
additional resource to offer
families, he said.
The agency spent $549,161
in 1978, about $2,791 over
budget. The province pays 80
been
year.
Media Focus
The child welfare system
in Ontario received con
siderable attention from the
media during 1978 and much
of it was critical of the
system, he continued.
The role of Children’s Aid
Societies was severely
questioned in the light of
some tragic deaths (like the
Popen case in Sarnia).
“It is unfortunate that the
Children’s Aid Societies are
not able to build up any
“credits” with the public for
the benefits achieved by the
system,” Penn said in the
agency’s defence.
“The fact that 38,700
families are receiving
counselling services and
13,700 children are in
alternate care programs
(foster homes, etc.) does not
seem to receive any
recognition,” he continued.
Penn said he took ex
ception to the generalization
that Children’s Aid Societies
are not effective in
protecting children from
abuse or violent death.
This generalization,
in the Report of the
Force on Child Abuse
1978), overlooks the
work carried out for years by
front line social workers with
high workloads and limited
resources, he said.
“I am certain that
child welfare system
improve and many of
recommendations of
Task Force — if enacted —
will strengthen the present
system.
However, the benefits of
the child welfare system
throughout Ontario are
rarely recognized and
Abuse worker
Penn said that inter
professional co-operation is
necessary to help I
rehabilitate and provide for <
the needs of the abusing I
family.
The Ministry of Com
munity and Social Services
has responded to the public
conern about the child abuse
issue by supporting some of
the efforts of agencies to
protect children, Penn
stated.
In Huron
agency was
securing a
community
worker (Mrs. Kathy Pryde
of Exeter) whose primary
Two of the busy ladies in the kitchen during Tuesday's pancake
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the
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County, the
successful in
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child abuse
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News from
Huronview
February Doug Stevens
and his son provided an hour
of music in the auditorium
consisting of piano, violin,
mouth-organ and ukulele.
Wednesday, February 9th,
the Over-Ninety Club held
their usual monthly meeting
with music by Elsie Hender
son (piano) and Norman
Speirs on the violin. Tea and
cookies were served for
refreshments.
A Valentine dinner of Ken
tucky Fried Chicken was
served to 125 residents in the
auditorium followed by a
program put on by the staff.
Requests were made to have
it again sometime.
The February 21st birth
day party was put on by the
Huronview Women’s Aux
iliary. Rev. Sargeant of
Blvth sang a medley of
tunes, accompanying
himself on the guitar. Mrs.
Lockhart was the Master of
Ceremonies.
Lome Lawson (mouth
organ) and Mrs. Van Eg-
mond (accordion) played a
few numbers while Miss
Nelda McIlroy sang a solo.
Lunch was served and gifts
were kindly accepted by the
residents.
February 26. Marie Flynn
(piano). Lome Lawson
(mouth organ). Warren
Whitmore, Stanley Hillen,
Wilson McCartney, Helmer
Snell (violin) and Ken Dale
on the guitar entertained the
residents for an hour with
the help of our own Cecil
Skinner, Norman Spiers
(violin) and Jim Ruddock on
accordion.
The Anglican Guild Ladies
Club of Clinton led the World
Day of Prayer Service in the
Chapel. February 28. Bowl
ing was held in the afternoon
at the bowling alley in Clin-
PERCY
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Board members are Mrs.
Ross Proctor of Brussels,
Mrs. Russell Snider of
Zurich, Mrs. Roy Westcott of
Exeter, William Alcock of
Goderich, John Cochrane of
Clinton, Charles Thomas of
Brussels and the Reverend
John Oestreicher of Clinton.
Municipal representatives
are Mrs. L. Armstrong,
Warden J. Tinney, Harold
Wild and Harold Elliott.
Honorary life members
were also approved. They
are Arthur Curry, John
Winter, Mrs. Frank
Fingland, R. B. Cousins,
Mrs. Howard Klumpp, Mrs.
Kenneth Johns and James
Doig.
percent of the agency’s
budget while municipalities
in Huron County pay the
remaining 20 percent. The
deficit is expected to be paid
under the same ratio system.
Penn said the agency is
requesting a total budget of
$593,000 for 1979. Although it
is an increase over last year
by about eight percent, he
expects it to be approved at
provincial and county levels,
He says it is a tight budget
but thinks the agency should
be able to “get along okay”,
This year will be a year of
considerable change for
child welfare agencies in
Ontario, Penn told those at
the meeting.
But with continued support
from those who work at the
agency as well as foster
parents and volunteers, he
said the agency could meet
the demands of the coming
year as successfully as in
1978.
Stats and objectives
A list of objectives for 1979
in the annual report include
development of an inter
professional
child abuse team
abuse education, a parent
therapist program, internal
reorganization, a demon
stration program, com
munity work (actively
supporting the objectives of
the Vanastra and Stephen
Township Community
Resource Centres), summer
program (continuing to offer
an expanded summer camp
program funded by local
donations), and a Christmas
project (Christmas Bureau
to provide for needy families
at Christmas).
In a comparison of the
agency’s statistics for 1977
and 1978, it was shown that
470 families were served in
some way by the agency in
1978 as compared to 344 in
1977. Eleven unmarried
parents were assisted in 1978
as compared to 16 in 1977 and
12 adoptions were finalized
in 1978 as compared to 15 in
1977. There were 57 foster
homes active at the end of
1978.
Board elected
Penn’s report and the
auditors’ report were both
approved and adopted and
the election of
the 1979 Board
took place.
RENOVATIONS -
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community
, child
Film
Community Child Abuse
Worker, Kathy Pryde, was
then introduced to those at
the meeting. She showed a
film on child abuse entitled,
“A Chain to be Broken” and
spoke of a positive parenting
focuss and new ways of
communicating with and
disciplining children.
People don’t think child
abuse can happen in Huron
County or on their block but
it can and often does, she
said.
Centralia
Reference For All Previous Work
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PANCAKE FLIPPERS - ’
supper at Trivitt Anglican Church were Tiny WelL and Kay Elston.
members to
of Directors
PANCAKE TICKETS — Ken Bridges purchases his pancake supper tickets from cashier
Charlie Smith at Trivitt Anglican Church, Tuesday night. T-A photo
will double them at no
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PHONE 235-2521
factory
Special when you order
your pizza
tell us
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what your 2
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This offer expires March 13th
Don't Forget
Spaghetti Nite (Tuesday)
Fish Fry (Wednesday)
NOTICE: NEW HOURS
Monday CLOSED
Tuesday 11:30 a.m. -12 midnight
Wednesday 11:30 a.m. - 12 midnight
Thursday 11:30 a.m. - 1 a.m.
Friday 11:30 a.m. -1 a.m. 2 a.m. for take out
Saturday 11:30 - 1 a.m. 2 a.m. for take out
Sunday 4 p.m. -10 p.m.
By MRS. FRED BOWDEN
Centralia U.C.W. met
Thursday evening to
celebrate the World Day of
Prayer with Zion U.C.W. as
their guests. President Mrs.
Freda Rollings welcomed
everyone.
The World Day of Prayer
leaflet was followed. The
ladies taking part in reading
the Scriptures and prayers
were Freda Rollings,
Margaret Cook, Adeline
Elliott, Iva Blair, Sandra
Schott, Janet Hicks and Etta
Powe.
Kum Ba Yah, Sweet Hour
of Prayer and Wonderful
Words of Life were sung.
Lois Wilson and Sandra
Schott sang a duet. Donna
Smith introduced the guest
speaker Mrs. Verna Hicks
who spoke and showed
pictures of her trip to Africa
which everyone enjoyed.
Margaret Cook thanked
Mrs. Hicks. The meeting
closed with the Benediction
and theladies served lunch.
ECK
HEART OF DOWNTOWN VARNA
Huron County
Family Planning Project
Invites You To Attend
FAMILY PLANNING
CLINIC
Every Tuesday
from 6:30 - 9 p.m.
HURON COUNTY HEALTH UNIT
Ann St., Exeter
For Information Call 235-1014
Weekdays or Tuesday evenings
Everyone welcome
You're Invited
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a Sleep Shop and Juvenile Department. The business will
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