|
Post by Dean Robinson on Aug 5, 2008 9:54:43 GMT -5
www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=07facaad-49f1-4610-8348-3627a2692691Sonja Puzic, The Windsor Star Published: Thursday, July 24, 2008 A Windsor group home for young offenders is slated to close, after receiving notice from the Ministry of Children and Youth Services that it will no longer receive funding. Renaissance Home Windsor at 830 Ouellette Ave., a small open-custody facility for boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 17, will close Sept. 30. Renaissance Homes, which has about 10 beds and also takes in youth in the care of the Children's Aid Society, is one of a number of Ontario's open-custody residences for youth facing closure because they are underutilized. But Jill Morgan, a staff representative for the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, said the facility is still needed because it serves youth from both Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent. Members of OPSEU will stage an information picket in front of Renaissance Homes today at 12:15 p.m. to draw attention to the issue. Morgan said OPSEU will appeal to MPPs Sandra Pupatello (L -- Windsor West) and Dwight Duncan (L -- Windsor-Tecumseh) to keep the facility open. She said she realizes that Renaissance Homes, which offer counselling and rehabilitative programs for youth, is not used as frequently as it once was, but "it would be like closing a hospital because there aren't a lot of people there." Since the introduction of the federal Youth Criminal Justice Act, which usually calls for violent and repeat offenders to be placed in secure facilities, fewer youth are being placed in the open-custody system, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, Erika Botond, wrote in an e-mail to The Star. "There has been a reduction in bed utilization since the federal government implemented the Youth Criminal Justice Act in April 2003. Over the past two years in the province of Ontario, the number of beds being utilized on any given day is less than 50 per cent," she wrote. "As a result of the continued reduction in the use of custody and detention spaces, a ministry review of the open-custody resources identified the need to further reduce the number of beds being funded." The government funding that went to Renaissance Homes will be reinvested in other facilities. Morgan said the girls from Renaissance Homes will have to be transferred to a facility in London because there is no room for them in Windsor. The boys will likely go to New Beginnings, a male-only facility, Morgan said. "The girls will be two hours away from their families," Morgan said. "It's not good for their rehabilitation." Morgan said 20 staff members will be laid off when the facility closes. Renaissance Home Windsor, which will close at the end of September because the Ministry of Children and Youth is cutting off its funding, is pictured on Thursday, July 24, 2008. OPSEU reps will be protesting the closure Friday. Tyler Brownbridge, The Windsor Star..
|
|
|
Post by Dean Robinson on Aug 5, 2008 10:16:49 GMT -5
here is few comments from this news clipping !!
COMMENTS ON THIS STORY Add Your Comment
Army Thu, Jul 24, 08 at 10:56 PM Imagine that....not enough criminals!
joke Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 12:30 AM what a joke, thy will be 2 hours from thier fmilies... just guessing they wouldnt have to be in a group home if the families actually cared about them in the first place by teaching morals not to commit crimes. and CAS kids, oh well obviously thy families are messed up anyways, normal people dont need CAS
bleeding red Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 12:47 AM the governemt has been bled to death with these "rehabilitation " programs. Raise our taxes big time to cover the costs-NOT!!!!
Mom Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 02:21 AM Parents need to educate themselves about the various Child "Protectiion" agencies across Canada, and the massive power they have to take your child if someone alleges abuse. If your child shows up at school with a bruise, or if you go to the doctor's and your child has a scrape, the teacher and doctor are required by law to report abuse, and many parents have lost their children because of this. Also, thousands of false allegations are made every year, and innocent parents lose their child because a next door neighbour or anyone with a grudge claimed abuse. Family courts are secret, there is no accountability, and the general public is duped into believing that if someone is accused of abuse, they must be guilty. When the bad reports come out, the Child "Protection" agencies just say it's a funding problem, and more laws are made, and more rights are taken away. Educate yourself, before they come for your child. Once your child is taken away, the chances of getting them back are almost non-existent.
Riggs Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 04:59 AM Either encourage abortion to stop youths that don't need to be here in the first place or make it a secure facility...no need for youth criminals in our city...look at the graffiti and youth crime
doh! Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 06:17 AM If you read it right , it just means there are more criminals and they are doing worse crimes and therefore require to be rehab in a real prison , thats so nice to lock up a teen in the big pen . Oh yea , whats that line in the movie says , " fresh meat " .
Ashamed to be Canadian! Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 07:09 AM Can our Government possibly make any more stupid mistakes? I am now in my 40's but as a teen, I spent a whole lot of time in these facilities. I look back and thank God that we had them. It's quite clear that our Gov't is hell bent on taking away anything of any value in this country and promoting idiotic, insane and harmful institutions. Man, we've turned out to be a LOSER country.
frustrated in lasalle Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 07:11 AM the only reason there isn't enough people in that facility is nobody will do anything with these troubled youth until the do get violent or kill someone ..anything short of that is a good stern talking too and inflation of the kids ego to tell them they are untouchable and the parents just need to learn new mechanisims for dealing with it!!!! Time to re-instate the old strap system io think
DM Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 07:19 AM Talk about savings and efficiency: transport prisoners 2 hours up and down the 401, using two special constables or corrections officers for required court appearances in Chatham or Essex.
HLM Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 07:59 AM I am against closure of this home but they should not have boys and girls in the same facility to begin with. This whole group home thing is questionable too!! I have know a couple of girls that stayed in a couple of these group homes and the results were not positive (as for change in behaviour). In the U.S. they have "Detention or Attention" Centers for troubled teens. They also have boot camps. Not all of these teens are candidates for this type of facility but the ones that are habitual offenders or don't follow the rules in a group home could be sent to the Center for a "Wake Up Call". A stay in the center would help them appreciate their freedom a little better. It may not work for all of them (as does jail for adults) but some may come out with a better attitude - or even changed totally. To the people who take care of these teens - check out the "Smith County Juvenile Attention Center" website - this type of facility (similar to a low risk jail) is where juveniles go in East Texas. To me group homes don't work for all ... just like jails don't help everyone either. But closing Renaissance is not the answer.
underutilized??? Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 09:04 AM maybe if punishements were more strict and we didnt let everyone go then these facilities wouldn t be underutilized.... i read the paper everyday, and everyday there are stories about crimes being commited, this doesnt make any sense
Eoin Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 10:04 AM Oops, there goes" lottery for life" employment for some more former provincial NDP supporters.
INSTEAD OF LAYOFFS........ Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 10:21 AM WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO HAVE THEM STAY IN WINDSOR,TO HELP OUT ON THE WALKER ROAD CONSTUCTION....MAYBE HAULING CEMENT.
My Goodness! Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 10:26 AM Young offenders are no different from adults offenders.
Joke??? Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 11:53 AM You are a very noarrow minded person. Kids screw up all the time and Yes from well to do homes with all the right values. These places let kids get a grip and maybe change their spoiled ways I agree. You need to take that perfect life you have a show all the rest how to do it.....boy you are really an idiot !!!!
not good Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 11:59 AM maybe someone should look at the way they are run and by who
windsorite Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 01:00 PM dont have kids if you cant be a PARENT
Gerard Renaud Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 01:17 PM Lets just start putting all young peole in jail, I mean if criminals all start out as kids then just like drugs, children are at the root of all crime. See where logic ends up when you don't look at the entire picture? Prohibition creates organized crime, lack of social suppport helps breed criminals.
Dafydd Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 01:30 PM "...employment for some more former provincial NDP supporters." Well, someone has to look after the children of Liberals and Conervatives.
Ona Kalnas Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 01:34 PM Doesn't make sense to fund all those beds if they're not being used. After all, it's taxpayers dollars.
YOA is the joke!!!!! Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 02:22 PM I wonder if the government is making the right call on this! Can the government now start putting our tax money towards the true rehabilitation of these children, rather than sticking them into these "day cares" Fix their problems, don't just let them call these facilities their homes! Check out the stats on the re offenders... offer better services to help these poor kids who have little or no guidance. Sticking them into a facility where they receive no treatment is terrible. This is where your government is going wrong!!!!
Megan Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 02:26 PM Actually Young Offenders ARE different from adult offenders. It has been proven time & again that the area of the brain responsible for controlling impulse driven actions doesn't develop until late teens early 20's, and later in males than females.
Jo Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 03:06 PM I'm so sorry to hear so many people being so judgemental. Many of these kids come from dysfunctional homes and going into a group home setting is the most normal situation they have ever seen. How can any of us wish ill on them. Perhaps if we had lived with the circumstances many of them have we would see that they really need our support and compassion.
CPS Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 04:32 PM Mom, educate YOURSELF about children's aid societies in Ontario. This isn't the '50s any more. Social workers don't march in your home and take your kids out without due cause. They do investigate complaints (that's their job!) and try to assist families in overcoming issues that stand in the way of good parenting. If you or someone you know did have a child taken into custody by CAS then there must have been a pretty damn good reason because they normally have exchausted all other routes by then.
Suzie Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 04:56 PM Reply to JO - I'm sorry, but many of us come from "dysfunctional families" but do not not turn to crime etc.
rex Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 05:59 PM in the 28 years since Renaissance Homes has been operating, the number of kids committing criminal offenses has not declined and the types of crimes are not all of a sudden less serious. The thing that did Renaissance in is the weak toothless Youth Criminal Justice Act. Under the old YOA the kids were made responsible for their actions although to a lessor degree than an adult offender. But still if a kid broke into your house or stole your car or committed an assault or robbery they were detained and assessed and in many cases sentenced to a period of custody. Now they are routinely released and sent back to the very environment that spawned their deviant behaviour. Progress?
a grand parent Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 06:54 PM then why do they take babys right from the hospital with no just cause i know from experience they took my granddaughter right from birh just because the mothers family was involved with cas for many years they did not even give my son and his girrl friend a chance at being parents . so i went to court to get my granddaughter and got her and i do not trust cas at all
Cathy Cullipher Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 06:59 PM Time for parents to WAKE UP!! and see what their kids are doing these days..Parents need to learn how to raise their children up to know right from wrong,but do they? noooooooooooo they dont care what their kids do,because its to much like work to get them to listen so they throw up their hands & say FORGET IT!!. Group homes are far and few this day in age,just as insitutions are..Many have closed down over the years.Not everyone that comes from a dysfunctional family commit crimes..Wealthy kids do it too.I too have been where these kids are of today's society.Many familiy homes are broken homes because the mom or dad or both are not available.These kids are sad stressed out etc & the only way they can been seen is to commit a crime.CAS can be involved yes,but there are not many people who want to foster a troubled teen,for fear of being taken advantage of.Reply to HLM Groups homes do have boys and girls together some of them are called CO-ED group homes meaning male & female in a home together,but they are sactioned off from each other I should know been in them.
Compassionate Parent Fri, Jul 25, 08 at 07:11 PM I am appauled by the anger undertone in these comments. Often one forgets these children are the direct result of young, underaged parents who are from dysfunctional families themselves. Perhaps we need to look at how we encourage teen pregnancy by allowing them to get financial support and paid housing etc. Many have more than one chiild. But we cannot penalize these young adults for having the misfortune of having homes that lack resources and do not teach responsibility and accountability. Spend some time and talk to these individuals who did try desperately to turn their life around and cannot. It will change you forever. Mentoring and involvement in Big Sister/Brothers or guiding organizations is how you could help.
Diane Booth Sat, Jul 26, 08 at 10:38 AM Thank God people are finally waking up to this holocaust and are terminating funding of this trafficking of our children! It took 8 years of my and others very had work to get this information out. We are up against the mainstream media who work against us and help to kidnap, drug and imprison our children. I hope Canada will lead the way for foster care reform and show a good example to the USA and the UK that we value our children over the louts that profit off this sick industry!
Adam Johnson Sat, Jul 26, 08 at 03:33 PM CPS and Mom: I have read some accounts regarding child protective services across Canada, and Children's Aid Society in Ontario. It would appear that there are many children who are being taken without due process to parents - the evidence is flimsy to non-existent in many cases. Any nasty person can allege abuse, and the standard of proof in Family Court is just abyssmal. We need to open up secret courts and find out what is happening to our children - are they really being abused by so many biological parents, or is that just a lie to perpetuate child removals and all the government jobs and adoptions and all the money that goes with it? One thing that is clear - this government is capable of anything - including lies and corruption and exploitation of the most vulnerable. I suggest we all take the time to do some research of our own regarding Child Protection in Canada. I know that if they take a child, there is very little chance that child will be returned to the biological parent, and there is an excellent chance that child will end up abused, addicted, incarcerated, etc.
|
|