Post by Dean Robinson on Aug 8, 2008 7:05:25 GMT -5
Public oversight still lacking -- (Editorial, comment on this story)
Updated 22 hours ago
The death of seven-year-old Katelynn Sampson in Toronto Sunday and the subsequent charge of second-degree murder of her legal guardian gives rise, once again, to the need for independent oversight of child-welfare agencies.
These organizations do difficult and important work, but their efforts have for too long escaped public scrutiny.
Police charged Donna Irving, 29, in Katelynn's death in what Toronto Police Det.-Sgt. Steve Ryan called "probably the worst thing I've seen in 20 years of policing," such was the damage to the child's body.
Irving gained control of Katelynn after her mother signed over custody, despite Irving's criminal and abusive past, which included prostitution, drugs and assault.
What, if any, involvement child-welfare agencies had is unclear, but Native Child and Family Services is trying to find out what went wrong.
This is not the first tragic case involving organizations charged with overseeing the care of children. In 2003, five-year- old Jeffrey Baldwin died while in the care of his grandparents, a move sanctioned by the Catholic Children's Aid Society of Toronto. Jeffrey weighed just 19 pounds and was covered in scabs when he died.
His grandmother, 51-year-old Elva Bottineau, had previously been convicted of assault causing bodily harm in the death of her own infant daughter in 1970. The CCAS had the information in its files, but missed it.
Child-welfare agencies must regularly make difficult, life-altering decisions. In the daily course of their jobs, they must make choices that will either break up families or keep them together under complicated circumstances. They shepherd child-welfare cases through rigorous legal and decision-making processes to ensure the protection and safety of children. It is a demanding job, and one that, in a majority of cases, they complete with compassion and competence. But child-welfare agencies' decisions have serious ramifications on the lives of children, and thus should be subject to careful public scrutiny.
But they are not. Ontario is one of the minority of provinces in Canada that does not provide some kind of independent oversight of Children's Aid societies.
Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin noted in a submission to the province's Standing Committee on Social Policy in 2005 that Ontario is the only province in which child-protection agencies are essentially contracted out to private institutions in their entirety. Other provinces typically have shared responsibilities between public and private organizations. And despite the fact that CAS's are funded with public money, they are not publicly accountable.
He asked for, but did not receive, authority to investigate child-welfare agencies.
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In the 2007-08 annual report, the Ombudsman reports getting 431 complaints about CAS's. The Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies noted that the number of children in its care in 2007 was up 24 per cent from 2001. At any given time, up to 30,000 children can be in the care of child-welfare agencies, with more than 9,000 as Crown wards.
Marin has lamented that three private member's bills that would have awarded his office the authority to investigate CAS's died on the order paper.
The ombudsman has provided effective oversight over many agencies, including the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., the Municipal Property Assessment Corp. and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.
He does not have the power to lay charges, or force change. As Sun Media columnist Alan Shanoff phrased it earlier this year: "He can only shame it to fix things."
Public scrutiny is a powerful tool. In some cases, more powerful than regulations, since laws can be bypassed if no one outside of government knows.
Few organizations have such an important responsibility as that of Children's Aid societies. Allowing the ombudsman to probe whether systemic flaws exist should be an imperative.
What do you think? Visit the Sudbury Star's website at www.thesudburystar.comand add your voice to the discussion. Or send us your opinion in a Letter to the Editor at 33 MacKenzie St., Sudbury, P3C 4Y1, or e-mail it to letters@thesudburystar.com
Article ID# 1146742
there a many sites popping up on the on web that back your thoughts and the number of children that have died while in the care of the Children's Aid Society of Ontario.
like in politic people are blinded by smoke and mirrors and the tactics that this government funded society uses. they hide behind the act as a shield an act that they have more control over then our own MPP's , The liberal government is scared of the backlash that will be created if the public is educated on the crimes that they have helped this society commit.
even the President of the United States has to pay for his crime of perjury.
main stream media needs to start publishing the real facts.
I myself have proof of perjury in the CAS workers sworn affidavits. you want a story here is your chance. contact me! there are thousands of familys being targeted by this money lobbying group on any given day..
Mr Martin has be given the facts and is ready to bring Public scrutiny to a society that is funded with public money. why the road blocks. thats the real story.
I challenge any main stream media to do some real investigated writing into why the bills are always shot down.
last years eye opener was the audit report start digging deeper and the real truth will come out
Am I a parent that was was affected by this out of controlled Society? no im a 45 year old man that has to live with the horrors that were implanted in my mind as a child. Im a survivor of the CAS, if you can call my life surviving.
Shame on you the Children's Aid Society and Shame on you the Ontario government for allowing such crime to happen with my tax dollars