Ontario Childrens Aid Society thevies/misuse of funds?

[temperance]

It's the kind of potential scandal every government hates to deal with.
And it's about to hit the Liberals at Queen's Park with full fury.
Ontario's Auditor General is scheduled to release a report next week on the way the provincial government wastes tax money.
On the top of the list: allegations of rampant misspending at Children's Aid Societies across the province.
Part of the damning report was leaked on Thursday and what it shows is eye-opening.
There are contentions that one society spent $50,000 on an SUV for agency executives.
Another claims kids under the entity's care were taken on trips to the Caribbean, with staff going along for the ride. The cost to taxpayers: thousands of dollars.
But it's not just misspending that concerns the government watchdog. Other allegations say some agents from the C.A.S. were up to three weeks late in going to check on the kids in their charge - and some never bothered to show up at all.
None of the 53 societies that exist in Ontario are named specifically, but it's known the auditor looked at three in the G.T.A. - Toronto, York and Peel Region.
The issue was debated endlessly in the Legislature Thursday, with the opposition on the attack over the allegations.
But the Minister in charge of the C.A.S. wasn't all that interested in answering the questions.

We really need the major watch dogs in the goverment !!!!:laughing7:

 

[northstar]

I hate them they are disgusting liers.

 

[tamarin]

Well, I'm a little tired of looking after other folks' kids anyway. If you can't support children don't have them. If you're brainless, jobless or just plain goofy, don't have them. Kids are a huge investment of time and resources: if you have neither, don't have them.
I know there will be many exceptions but the great majority of CAS cases must involve the children of people who simply weren't cut out to be parents in the first place. Maybe, instead of sex education in the schools we could have parent education. Kids would be told blankly what the responsibilities were and, if they couldn't meet them, not to procreate.
We're all used to scandals in government offices. The latest around a certain former football star heading the correctional services' prisoner grievance program and sitting on his well paid butt for years while collecting $138 000 per annum for doing nothing is just a tiny part of it.

 

[gopher]

We have had many such scandals in the USA among groups that are purportedly intended for charitable purposes. United Way, mega churches, and others abscond with donated funds and many who ask for help from these groups are denied the help they need as a consequence.

It's all a great shame.

 

[northstar]

The Children's Aid Society here in Canada, Gopher, is given way, way to much power, and no one to montior their activities. They get themselves mixed up in custody battles and play nasty games at a time when parenting are struggling to re-establish their lifes. The files kept on people are lacking factual information, investigations are conducted over the phone, they rip and destroy peoples' lifes. The only recourse for a targeted parent is civil action. Civil Action in Canada is different that Civil Action in the states. For one thing their is a seven year waiting list. Another issue is having the money to sue them. In the meantime a file on a person they focus on is filled with a bunch of unfounded uninvestigated fabricated to protect the worker nonesense.

The burden of proof is rarely on them, but in most cases on the target person with whom they are focused on. There is no government watchdog or Ombusman that takes them to task over unproven opinions and they halt any appeal of there decisions by not providing a decision. They threaten and hurt people and children. Yes, sometimes they do a wonderful job, but because they have way to much power they also have come up with some pretty heindonous crap. A very close friend of mine sued them and won, what she went through was pure and utter hell, and what her child went through was worse.

In another situation, they finally released a file that admitted working in direct opposition of a court order and just published a letter without an investigation that condemed a parent. The file was released after the statue of limitations ran out so that they couldn't be successfully sued.

They recently have been found to mis-use the publics funds in order to finance trips and purchase vehicles, there office building have huge lavish atruims with palm trees, and brand new office furniture...tax payors money, multi-millions of tax payors money.

they need to be monitored and need to be answerable in their role in order to not give way to corruption and deciet.

 

[tracy]

I have worked with some excellent CAS workers in Toronto, people truly dedicated to child welfare. I can't imagine doing their job day in and day out. The brief experiences I had with abused children in the hospital were more than enough for me. Anyone misusing funds that could be spent to protect children deserves to go to jail.

 

[Curiosity]

I stopped donating to large organized charities long ago for this very reason....

There are some government-operated charities over which some of my tax dollars go, but other than that - and I have no control over government allocation of funds....

I donate locally, anonymously (so I don't even claim tax credit), and to people directly who will either use it for their own care, or put it to use to help another.....

I use the local newspaper and radio to get my stories and then find ways to contribute money to the person in the form of a money order or cash -

Even in the well run large charities, there is fraud and very poor budgeting. plus their boards seem to have a problem "not" spending the funds on unnecessary luxuries rather than seeing it gets to the needy.

The only organizations I donate to are the Veterans or their families. I personally do volunteer work for local charities for people in need - not involving cash contributions - but my time.

 

[northstar]

Is this a charity really? I think it isn't because it is government run with taxpayors dollars, and yet they ask for charity status and ask for donations. This is a bone of contention with many groups of parents that have seen the effects of divorce on children and felt how custody battles are common ground for accusations as a way to manipulate the system for custody and child support payments.
They should not be a charity in the opinion of many, many taxpayers because they routinely create situations in which the child is not helped at all, or where there is no situation for them to get involved in, if they want to be a charity they need to also be accountable, and they are not. They have a huge amount of power without an outside body such as an ombudsman to monitor activities. Then activities such as that of my friend, who spent thousands and thousands to set the record straight and free her child, will be monitored. In her case, the society spent thousands and thousand in legal fees, and in staff fees, and in payments to those who held the child, then they wer ordered to release the child, as there case was completely found false, and they had to compensate her for the damages, all this came out of the taxpayers and charity dollars. And it was done very quietly, like other messed up cases they get themselves into. My friend and her daughter have since moved, but the situation is very clear in my mind, and so is the face of that beautiful child in the beaming love of her mother.

Next time anyone considers donating, consider a more worthy cause, such as the shelters who put on a nice christmas for children and parents who have gone through hell and are trying to re-build their lifes. They also take donations of toys and good used clothing. The salvation army is another very decent and good company.

The first Prime Minister who comes forward with a promise to monitor the Children's Aid Society and make them accountable for their actions gets my life long support. From what l have clearly seen they are doing a terrible job and taking advantage of people's generousity and good intent.

 

[Curiosity]

Some of my most memorable Christmas moments have been serving at the Mission on Christmas Day...

They have so many volunteers starting at 11 am through 7 pm in two hours shifts - we all get our names in early to suit when we are going to be busy with our own things.... after I serve I like to sit with some of the people I see almost every year who don't really need the Mission Dinner any more but come because they like the people there. I've been doing this for almost ten years now and missed one year....

It's a great and simple way to be in touch with the meaning of the day...

 

[northstar]

ah, that is a great thing to do, Curiosity. Directly effecting the world with your personal warmth, is a fantastic gift.

 

[CDNBear]

Dissolve the institution and let the Governement spend billions trying to devolope a new one.

 

[Zzarchov]

Or make an organization with the powers to abduct your children part of the police force and have to follow said rules.

 

[northstar]

And what is the most pressing problem concerning child abuse? It is peophilia!!!

And here are these incredibly dedicated police officers going on line and undercover and breaking up rings of these sicko's. there efforts are valid and accountable, why are they not empowered with the additional funding for up-to-date training and the sort of pay to compensate for the heidonous work they have to face,

how about setting up an even better task force with even better up to date training and salaries to attract the very best of the best to take this more pressing crimal activity to a almost nill level.

This is where the money should be going, so that it is monitored and goes to a situation which is racing out of control and exploiting and ruining the lifes of millions of children internationally.

It is just sickening how inefficient and wasteful this society that is supposed to help children actually is. The waste of taxpayors money and charity money on cars and vacations is the tip of the iceberg, they should be audited and investigated so taxpayors have a thorough account of how this is mis-managed.

Money re-directed to our police force will at least ensure that the growing and serious criminal activity of peophilia is brought under control, helping millions of children.

 

[gopher]

The Children's Aid Society here in Canada, Gopher, is given way, way to much power, and no one to montior their activities. They get themselves mixed up in custody battles and play nasty games at a time when parenting are struggling to re-establish their lifes. The files kept on people are lacking factual inf...they need to be monitored and need to be answerable in their role in order to not give way to corruption and deciet.

An absolutely staggering statement.

I have read of abuses in the UK and Canada before but nothing of abuses to this extent. The reason I believe it is because of my past experience in the tax field and government tax law enforcement where I worked on "charitable" organizations and their abuses of the tax law.

Absolutely staggering.

 

[northstar]

Another mother's story of abuse by an Ontario CAS agency
(Posted March 21, 2005)Listen to this short excerpt of an interview with an Ontario mother describing how the CAS workers have told her that because of one mistake in the past, she cannot have a boyfriend in her life because CAS workers cant trust her to make her own choices in life. Listen to this mother tell how CAS workers make this mother strip her baby down, including the baby's diapers and then tell everyone except the mother to get out of the home so that there are no witnesses to what the CAS do in the home when they are alone with the mother and her child.
Link to MP3 audio file (Running time: 1 min 19 sec)

Did this York Region CAS worker get caught telling a lie?
(Posted March 8, 2005) Listen to these two short audio clips from messages left on one father's answering machine on two separate days. On the first message, a York Region CAS worker left a message advising the father that she had "instructed" this father's ex-wife to not allow the father to have access to his son. After the father send in a complaint letter to the York CAS, shortly after the letter, the CAS worker quickly changed her tune and called the father back and left a second message on the father's answering machine in which she told the father that she had never stopped the father from contacting his son. Listen to the two recorded messages and be the judge yourself. In your opinion, did this CAS worker get caught telling a lie? At the time that this worker left these messages on the father's answering machine, she was not even licensed to work as a social worker in the Province of Ontario.
Clip 1 - York Region, Ontario CAS worker says that she has "instructed" the mother not to let the father have access to his son.
Link to MP3 audio file (Running time: 47 sec)

Clip 2 - York Region, Ontario CAS worker says in a follow up message that she had never stopped the father from contacting his son.
Link to MP3 audio file (Running time: 39 sec)

Ontario's Children's Lawyer, Clare Burns refuses to answer simple request for information from a taxpayer of Ontario
(Posted December 17, 2004)Listen to this audio clip of a response from the Office of Clare Burns, Ontario's Children's Lawyer, in response to one taxpayer's request for information about a court appeal that Clare Burns had launched. Most citizens in Ontario would believe that public servants should be serving the taxpaying public and would believe that government paid representatives such as Clare Burns should be helping the citizens of Ontario whenever possible, rather than throwing barriers up in front of them. The request that was made of Clare Burns was a very simple one - to provide the caller with the date and location of an appeal that Ms. Burns had spoken of in the Milton, Ontario court on December 16, 2004. This should not have taken Ms. Burn's office any more than a few minutes to obtain. But rather than help this taxpayer with a simple request, listen to how Clare Burns, our Children's Lawyer, responded. It's no wonder that people get fed up with these bureaucrats who spend our money and feel that they don't owe service to those who pay their salaries.
Link to MP3 audio file response from the Office of Clare Burns (Running time: 31 sec)
qoute- from
http://www.canadacourtwatch.com/AudioFiles/001-IndexOfAudioFiles.htm

Just some more of the ample prove that these government agencies make lots of mistakes and are rarely brought to Justice. Why? BECAUSE TAXPAYERS DOLLARS PAY MILLIONS TO HAVE COURT ACTIONS BROUGHT TO pay for LAWYERS TO DEFEND THE ACTIONS of these agencies ...

SO FIRST THE OUTRAGEOUS ALLEGATIONS, THEN ACTION, LIKE TAKING THE CHILD, AND THEN ANY PARENT WHO WANTS TO SAVE THEIR CHILD HAS TO BE PREPARED FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF LEGAL FEES...[ OOPS MY CAPITAL BUTTON IS STUCK IN OUTRAGE!!!!}

These are agencies that are not accountable for their actions to anyone, they have internal investigations on anything that is accidentally leaked to the press...which means the public will never find out aobut the exotic vacations the bonuses, the expense accounts, the wasteful spending, those cases where there is NO investigation and the person is publically accused and their career and relationship with the children is damaged forever.

Yes it is our taxpayer dollars that are currently approving of this government agency that has a greater power and absolutely no accountability to the taxpayers...and palm trees in the new shiny multi-million dollar buildings....

 

[Sassylassie]

I watched some footage on this subject this morning, the fact that a Criminal Investigation isn't taking place leaves me baffled. Of course the story about the head of Ontario Power and the lavish spending is overshadowing the corruption of the Ontario CAS. Mea Culp, I don't think they will ever be held accountable.

 

[northstar]

And you know, this is another example of how politicans have things screwed up in terms of priority.

l mean they just were talking about how much they are being paid and l was shocked to see the small amounts our prime minister just of $200,000 a year , and when you think of it, he is respresenting our country...on that????

And the Mayor of Toronto makes more that Dalton McGuinty????? Not even 200, 000 a year...you know l think that is shameful. I mean with all the pressure and the long weeks and they have to be fully accountable for ever buck spent. And they are usually giving up really good paying jobs like partnership in a law firm, or being a stockbrocker... that is jobs that pay infinately more that Queen's park.

I have no problem with a decent pay hike so that our representatives can look good and live successfully, it is earned.
The CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY on the other hand is for some idiotic reason not accountable yet recieved millions each year.

WHAT ARE WE THINKING!!!!

I have no idea how they got so powerful...

when they are constantly being caught messing up investigations and then suddenly no one hears about the investigations that are won by innocent parents who have had their lifes destroyed.

I know of one example and they had to pay out hundred of thousands of dollars, when you add the legal fees, the cost of court time, the cost of having this child taken and kept somewhere, and then moved several times, and then the cost of paying the psychiatrist and all the people they used to try to tell the court this parent was somehow unable to parent...we are talking a million.

How's that for taxpayers money?

This needs to be tabled because taxpayors have evry right to know what they are paying for...and
l want to know how much that 2 story palm tree in a shiney new C.A.S.building in SOUTHERN Ontario COST and how it helps protect the children of ontario !!!!

 

[temperance]

Shame shame on the society !!

 

[b's mom]

believe it - it happens more than you know

I am in mid fight with my CAS battle. They will stop at no lengths to bury you. Whats worse is no matter what, they have the last word. Your local MP will not get involved, the police will not intervene, even the media shys away from the word CAS. You walk into family court in your local region; it is like a big reunion for the friday night gang. The judge, the Legal aid lawyers, and the case workers are all buddies, they know each others personal lives, right down to the finer details. I can only imagine after a long week, they all kick back and gripe about the whining families they are faced with on a weekly basis. I do not have many options left, nor have I ever had any tricks up my sleeve. I have observed the CAS' countless false accusations & gross error coupled with lack of experience and biased opinions pass before the judge in all of my 20+ court appearances (lost count by now).
I am (allbeit barely) fighting a man(teamed with CAS), who is not my sons father, that appears as though he just may have more rights, in the eyes of the law, to my child than myself. I am an excellent Mother, which historically has been stated in all of the CAS paperwork, up until recently. To put it simply, a random person can just decide they want to take someone to court for custody/access of a child, and if they have a good enough arguement, the court will listen. With CAS added to the mix, it is a shoe-in. I am a tired but determined 29 year old single mother with failing health (due to extreme stress), but a good head on my shoulders, a stable and satisfying career, in an excellent marriage, but most importantly, a strong bond with my only child that no one will break. I may not have money or power to gain the advantage as my counterpart has, but I do have strong will and I have hope that I will have my day of reckoning. I search tirelessly through pages and pages of search engines, blogs, forums.....etc, etc, thinking that I will find my miracle one of these days, hopefully sooner than later. When this is all over, I will not rest until I find a way to have all individuals involved interrogated, belittled, and harrassed in a court of law-and in the public eye. I am screaming at the top of my lungs until everyone can hear me. I do not wish this upon anyone, and my advice to anyone that has children to appreciate them, know how lucky you are, keep them close, and trust no one with them because you just never know when your best friend will turn out to be your worst enemy.

Christine