Th is is a story told in numbers.Eighty-three per cent of York Re-

gion CAS Crown Wards have spe-cial needs. Nearly 37 per cent need some form of medication. About 45 per cent are in therapy. One in three has a psychiatric diagnosis of one kind or another. Nearly a third have some kind of learning disorder and more than a third have been diagnosed with attention defi cit disorder.

And yet, in the face of these odds, there’s clear evidence that York Region Crown Wards are living bet-

ter lives than they had before they came into care.

“Th e profi le of our kids in care is that they have been badly aff ected by their history. But there’s a lot of opportunity for rebuilding lives,” according to Margaret Osmond, Director of Services for Children. “It can be daunting but the Chil-dren’s Services team is dedicated.”

Just how dedicated was proven recently when the Ministry of Chil-dren and Youth Services conducted its annual review of children who have been wards of the crown for

Crown Ward Review fi nds York CAS meets needs

Welcome to the fi rst edition of CASe Notes, the newsletter of the York Region Children’s Aid Society.In these pages, you’ll read about the people of your CAS – workers, volunteers and the children they support – and about our projects and programs. We’ll bring you news of our community partnerships and about developments in the broader fi eld of child welfare in Ontario.

We hope you’ll fi nd CASe Notes interesting and useful. We invite you to contribute information, ideas and news about the well-being of our community’s vulnerable children and families.

Essential extras normalize livesAccording to some measures, raising a child in a middle class home costs about $10,000 a year. Beyond housing, food, clothing, health care, educations and transportation, about 10 per cent – more than $1,000 – is spent on “miscellaneous”.

“Th at miscellaneous represents life’s essential ‘extras’ – bicycles, school trips, sports teams – things that most kids take for granted but that children in the care of the Children’s Aid Society oft en do without. Yet they are the very things that add richness and normalcy to life, allowing the child in care to be like every other child,” according to Jennifer Grant.

Jennifer is the Director of Communications

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28045 July 24, 2008

YCAS CASe Notes Summer 08 NL

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Margaret Osmond, Director of Services for Children

CASe Notes

Vol. 1 #1, Summer 2008

the quarterly newsletter of the York Region Children’s Aid Society

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2 CASe Notes Summer 2008 •

When a child’s parents are unable to look after the child, others in the family step up and give the child a home. It seems like the most natural thing in the world.

The most natural thing in the world, however, is not always the simplest.

It’s estimated that 65,000 Canadian children are being raised by grandpar-ents, many living on less than $15,000 a year. Most have not parented for decades and are unaware of changes in child-rearing practice, from crib safety to smoking in cars. They need support in more ways than one.

Until recently, however, if the child was not under the protection of the Children’s Aid Society, the CAS had no authority or mandate to become involved.

Now, that’s changing. It’s been recognized that if a child can’t remain

with parents, he or she will do better in an extended family situation than in a foster home.

For example, one of the big problems for kids in care is what happens as they get older. Their connections to extended family have been lost. Sometimes the foster family becomes their extended family, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out that way. That child who has “aged out of care” has nowhere to go for the holidays, for advice or to borrow a roll of toilet paper.

Thanks to new legislation, vulnerable children are now more likely to be able to be raised in a kith-or-kin family.

When the child has not been taken into care, the CAS can help the family plan a suitable kith-or- kin home for the child. The family may be eligible for a child care allowance. This is called Kin-ship Service.

If the child is legally under the pro-tection of the CAS, the extended family home is treated like any foster home. The kin will receive the same training, the same funding – and the same scru-tiny – as any foster home. This is called Kinship Care.

Both Kinship Service and Kinship Care are growing rapidly. Already, about 10 per cent of new admissions of kids in care are in kinship homes.

It should be said that Kinship Service and Kinship Care take enormous resources – they are not a cheaper approach to service for vulnerable children. But if you do it successfully, kinship families save in the long run, if only in better supported young adults ready to take their place in the world because their families are standing behind them. •

from Pat Lake, Executive Director

Latika wants youIf you love children and understand their needs, want to give back to the community in a uniquely rewarding way, embrace differences and diversity, are energetic, active and love to laugh as well as patient, compassionate and open-minded, Latika James wants to talk to you.

Latika is a foster parent recruitment worker at York CAS. She’s looking for individuals and families willing to work in partnership with a professional care team to give vulnerable children a home.

For more information, contact Latika James at 905.895.2318, extension 2284.

more than two years. They reviewed files, interviewed some of the children and conducted surveys. The auditors learned that more than 54 per cent of the children in York CAS care have remained in their first placement, an im-portant factor in creating healthy, stable lives. Nearly 94 per cent are making progress towards promotion in school. More than 87 per cent have contact with their siblings and nearly 46 per cent have contact with extended family members. Eighty per cent of the children surveyed said they believe they are in the right place; 84 per cent said they feel cared for and wanted.

Most important, 83 per cent of the children reside with a family, a very good ratio that means only a very small number of children are in staffed or group homes.

“I’m very proud of my team,” Margaret Osmond says. “We’re mounting an assault on Mt. Everest by consistently supporting improved quality of care experiences for all of our kids in care. That’s our mission.”

In fact, as a result of the review, the Ministry review team leader told Mar-garet Osmond that “If the question is ‘are children in York Region Children’s Aid Society receiving good service?’, the answer is ‘yes’.” •

Crown Ward Review - continued from page 1

Kith and kin raise children in need

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Gladys Fraser says you haven’t really lived until you’ve been a volunteer.

“If you don’t volunteer, you live a very sheltered life. And you don’t know how good it feels to know you’ve helped someone, no matter how small the service you’ve provided.”

She speaks from experience. A former nurse and, after

becoming a mother, dental hy-gienist, she and husband Pastor Delton Fraser began fostering children when their own chil-dren were nearly grown. After

nearly 13 years as a foster parent, she became a volunteer, serving on the Board of Directors and several of its committees. Delton Fraser also volunteers, setting aside time every week for the CAS.

“The truth is, for me, volun-teering started with ‘empty nest’ syndrome,” Gladys Fraser says. “When my youngest was on her way to university, I decided that the best way I could give back to the community was to be a foster parent. It was one of those times when teenagers were act-

ing up and I wanted to be able to help them and their parents.

“I started with one child and found I couldn’t keep my job and look after him. So I quit my job and took in four children. I still have four.”

Over the years, there have been more than 70 foster chil-dren.

“The reward is seeing a child come and blend into the fam-ily. They change their attitudes and their behaviour and, often, they are able to go back home. For those not in a position to

Just help somebody else

• Summer 2008 CASe Notes 3

Connie Nielsen is the York Region Children’s Aid Society Infant Nurse, dedicated to help-ing parents to keep their kids safe and at home.

She visits a family when an infant is thought to be at “high risk” by CAS workers or some-one in the community.

“It may be that abuse or neg-lect has been alleged or the baby might have a medical problem. Perhaps the parent is a young person being supported by CAS

or there’s a history of substance abuse.” She may also visit foster parents who are looking after infants who were premature or exposed to substances before birth.

“I’m looking at health, development, home safety, nutrition and parenting skills. My goal is to find out if the baby is developing and to learn where the parents might need our help and support.

“Often, I make referrals to

other community services and work in partnership with them. We all take a piece of what needs to be done.”

At other times, solutions are simple. “If a baby isn’t gaining weight, it may just be that the parents lack nutrition informa-tion,” she says.

Training for CAS workers is also part of her role. She provides frontline workers with parenting tips they can share with their families, trains staff to

Keeping babies safe and at home

Amy Roberts says she’s seen life from both sides – that’s why she’s planning to become a police officer.

“I was definitely a troubled child. All the stuff I went through as a child and all the help I’ve got-ten since I’ve been in care make me want to be a police officer.”

Taken into care at 15, Amy is now 21, liv-ing with her foster family and taking on online course in criminal justice and public safety.

She recently wrote York CAS a letter.York Region Children’s Aid found me a loving

foster home that I now call my family, you have assisted me in high school, gave me the utmost sup-port in my post-secondary school studies and now provided me with my very own laptop to complete my schooling. I’m not sure if you hear this enough but I just wanted to say Thank You!

Her advice to other foster children is simple. “Try your hardest because Children’s Aid is always there to help.” •

meet the people of York CAS

Always there to help

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4 CASe Notes Summer 2008 •

Kennedy Place 16915 Leslie StreetNewmarket, Ontario L3Y 9A1905.895.2318 1.800.718.3850

Incorporated as Children and Family Services for York Region

Inquiries: inquiries@YorkCAS.orgFoster Care: fostering@YorkCAS.orgAdoption: adoption@YorkCAS.orgEmployment: human.resources@YorkCAS.orgVolunteer: volunteering@YorkCAS.org

CaSe Notes is published quarterly by the York Region Children’s Aid Society. For more information contact Jennifer Grant at jennifer.grant@yorkcas.org

Canadian National Exhibition ClipindalesCN TowerEpic 3 Entertainment Faye’s Hairstyling Forever Young Hair Salon Frost Centre Institute Georgina Cares

Giner & Co. Hair Studio IndivisualsMAC CosmeticsMultiCom Media Newmarket Community

Tennis ClubNogginsOntario Place

Ontario Science Centre Royal City Soccer Club Salon Aldo For Women & Men Samsons Salon & Spa St. Louis Bar & GrillToronto Blue Jays Town of East Gwillimbury Wild Water Kingdom

These people and organizations have recently made contributions to York Region Children’s Aid Society in support of the vulner-able children of our community.

Friends of York CAS

and Fund Development at the York Region CAS and the chair of the Society’s new Children in

Care Fund and the Children in the Community Fund. These funds provide for the special needs of children in the care of the Society and children who remain with their families while being assisted by the Society.

For example, Sarah, a 14-year-old, was taken into care just a few days before her prom. She had nothing to wear for this special event. To her delight, the Children

in Care Fund provided funds for a dress, shoes and accessories.

A graduation trip was provided by the Chil-dren in the Community Fund for Latisha, an 11-year-old who resides with her mom, a woman who has no status in Canada and suffers from mental health issues.

“On behalf of the vulnerable children of York Region, we’re grateful to our supporters in the community who are investing in the social, rec-reational and spiritual well-being of our children by supporting these funds,” Jennifer says.

For information about contributing to the Funds, contact Jennifer Grant at 905.895.2318.•

train parents in the use of car seats and gives every worker a full day of train-ing in identifying high risk infants in the community.

“When babies aren’t thriving, there’s usually a complicated set of reasons. It’s likely a combination of things – a parent’s inability to read baby cues, inexperience, health problems. The training ensures that workers know and react to signs of trouble.”

A mother of four and grandmother to two, Connie admits her work is often emotionally difficult but does have many rewards. “The days you feel you’ve made a difference far outweigh the days you feel awful.”•

go home, it’s rewarding to work with the family to establish and maintain a good relationship between the child and the family.”

Gladys Fraser adds that working with the children often leads to working with the Moms. “The connection to parents is very important in order for a child to be settled and maintain their identity.”

Encouraged by her foster parent peers to serve on the York CAS Board of Directors, she is completing a six-year term.

“There was a learning curve on the Board,” she says, “I love what I do – taking care of children and working with families, but I had to learn how the agency functioned.” She has served on the Board’s Governance/Planning and the Policy/Advocacy/Diversity Committee.

Needless to say, she recommends volunteer work to everyone.“Just help somebody else,” she advises. “Start with driving a child to an

appointment or a medical treatment.”Gladys Fraser is so committed to volunteering, she laughingly says she

plans to volunteer “as long as I can move without being a danger to myself or others.”•

Keeping babies safe – continued from page 3

Just help somebody else – continued from page 3

Essential extras – continued from page 1

Our masthead painting was made by former foster child Jerome who is seven years old. He calls it “a sunny day”.

Jennifer Grant, Director of

Communications and

Fund Development

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