strengthen - Ontario Association of Children`s Aid Societies

OACAS PROVINCIAL UPDATE
December 2015
BUILD
COLLABORATE
LEAD SUPPORT
STRENGTHEN
Contents
Provincial Updates
1
Strategic Direction 1
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Service Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Serving the African Canadian Community – Improving Practices for CASs . . . . . . . . . 1
Education Initiatives for Children/Youth in Care or Receiving CAS Services . . . . . . . . 2
OACAS Awards & Bursaries for Youth in Care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
YouthCAN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Aftercare Benefits Initiative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Adoption & Permanency Initiatives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Ontario Practice Model (SAFE, PRIDE, OnLAC). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Shared Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Northern Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Strategic Direction 2
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Adoption Awareness Month Campaign. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Performance Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Redesigning the OACAS Education System to Support Authorization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Learning Management System — OACAS Learning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Professional Regulation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Strategic Direction 3
10
Aboriginal Agencies, Initiatives & Advocacy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Strategic Direction 4
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Sector Decision Making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Child Protection Information Network (CPIN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Enhancing Agency Governance Project. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Worker Safety Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Contents
OACAS / Executive Leadership Section Provincial Projects 16
Jeffrey Baldwin Inquest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Administration and Monitoring of Psychotropic Medication Use Among Children
and Youth in Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Building Capacity for Children’s Aid Societies to Achieve Permanency for Children
in Care with Immigration Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Supporting Capacity of Families: Permanent Relationships through Legal Custody. . . 17
Other Provincial Updates
18
Auditor General’s 2015 Value for Money Audit of Children’s Aid Societies. . . . . . . . . 18
Motherisk Analysis Independent Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
CAS Motherisk Case File Review Project. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Residential Services Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Funding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Accountability Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Legislative Policy Changes and Updates 22
Bill 8 — Public Sector and MPP Accountability and Transparency Act, 2014. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Bill 113 — Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Bill 117 — Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth Amendment Act, 2015. . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Bill 146 — Disclosure of Information Related to the Protection of Children Act, 2015 . . . . . . . 23
CFSA 2015 Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Provincial Updates
by Strategic Direction 1
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Strategic Direction 1
Lead members and engage with partners in the development
of a seamless, integrated children services system that responds
effectively and respectfully to the diverse realities of children, youth
and families across Ontario.
Service Framework
The Service Framework draft document is complete and has been shared with the Zone Chairs/Executive
Leadership Section (ELS) Executive and the Child Welfare Advisory Committee of the Ministry. The
report was presented to the ELS on September 20, 2015. The input from that meeting, as well as from the
Aboriginal Advisory Committee, has been incorporated. A meeting will be set with the Ministry to share the
document with them.
Further conversation will now begin with the field to determine how we use the document to guide initiatives
going forward.
—Mary Ballantyne, Chief Executive Officer, is the lead contact at OACAS (mballantyne@oacas.org).
Serving the African Canadian Community — Improving Practices for CASs
Update
Since September, the One Vision One Voice project has held 14 community consultations across 8 cities in
Ontario, consulting with nearly 700 people. Two youth consultations were added (in Ottawa and Windsor)
to ensure a broad take on the youth perspective. At each consultation, community members, collaborating
partners, advocates, lawyers, service users, foster parents, adoptive parents, kin parents, board members, CAS
staff, and Community Steering Committee and CAS Reference Group members attended to provide input,
learn, and share.
Of note is the very successful launch at the Jamaican Canadian Association in Toronto on September 15.
Minister Tracy MacCharles spoke at a press conference preceding the event, expressing her support for the
project and her expectations for a practice framework that is anti-racist and anti-oppressive in its approach,
thus benefiting all children, youth, and their families. In total, over 80 participants attended the launch,
including MPPs Granville Anderson and Mitzie Hunter, and the CEOs and senior staff of Toronto, Toronto
Catholic, York, and Durham Children’s Aid Societies.
Participants were very pleased with the structure of the consultations. For many, it was the first time they
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had been consulted by the child welfare system. Some CASs are using the consultations as a starting point to
continue to engage with the African Canadian community. At least one CAS planned to immediately bring
together staff who had attended the consultation to develop an action plan addressing some of the concerns
raised by participants. Another CAS has since hosted their own consultation with the African Canadian
community to build relationships and begin a process of change.
OACAS is currently working with agencies in the Northern Zone, to develop and implement a strategy to
engage African Canadians in their region.
Background
One Vision One Voice is being led by a Steering Committee representing the African Canadian community
across Ontario. CAS staff are supporting the Steering Committee’s work, through a Reference Group table
representing primarily African Canadian CAS staff from across the province. MCYS has provided funding
for the creation of a Practice Framework for the child welfare sector, to be developed through a communityled process.
A research report reflecting the themes and critical perspectives from the community, as well as best practice
research and literature review will be prepared in order to support the development of a practice framework
for the field.
There continues to be increasing interest in the issue of over-representation and disproportionality of
African Canadians in Ontario’s child welfare system, due in part to Toronto CAS’s engagement with the
African Canadian community after analysis of their disaggregated service data. One data report from
Toronto CAS showed that while African Canadian youth make up 8% of the Toronto population, they make
up 41% of children in care.
—Kike Ojo, Senior Program Analyst, is the lead contact at OACAS (kojo@oacas.org).
Education Initiatives for Children/Youth in Care or Receiving CAS Services
Update
Joint Protocols for Student Achievement (JPSA) & Education Data Sharing Agreements (DSA) are being
implemented during the 2015–2016 academic year. Funding has been accessed by CASs to support the
process of writing and implementing these initiatives, as well as training staff.
Background
The JPSA and DSA are joint initiatives of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Children and
Youth Services. They are the result of focused policy attention by both ministries in recognition of the
academic achievement gap for children and youth in care compared with the general student population.
Research, including the OACAS “Gateway to Success” educational attainment surveys, confirms that youth
in care graduate high school at approximately half the provincial rate. JPSA aims to support the academic
achievement of individual students in care or receiving CAS services, and the DSA will enable data collection
for the purpose of reporting non-identifying aggregate data to support educational planning at a provincial
level.
—Wendy Miller, Senior Program Analyst, is the interim Youth Services Manager and the lead contact at
OACAS (wmiller@oacas.org).
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OACAS Awards & Bursaries for Youth in Care
Update
The annual call for selection committee members for the 2016 award recipients was sent in October to CAS
board members from across the province. To date, 11 individuals have volunteered to join the committee.
Members will review applications from roughly 100 students according to criteria that include financial.
need, potential for success, community involvement, and resilient personal stories. A webinar will be held
in December to provide an overview of the awards program, application process, scoring criteria, and
documents/tools used. Award recipients will be selected in spring 2016.
Background
The OACAS awards program is based on the generous 26-year history of giving by Ron and Nancy Clark,
and is sometimes supplemented by additional private donations. Twenty youth seeking assistance toward
postsecondary goals will receive Clark bursaries of $4000 per year over 4 years. Grant recipients will receive
one-time grants of $1,000 to support the purchase of books and school supplies.
—Wendy Miller, Senior Program Analyst, is the interim Youth Services Manager and lead contact at OACAS
(wmiller@oacas.org).
YouthCAN
Update
The YouthCAN team (Aurora, Henry, and Brian) are presently focused on three main areas of work:
• Planning for the 2016 cycle of YouthCAN signature events (Bark Lake Leadership event in the spring;
Youth Civics Day to celebrate the annual Children and Youth in Care Day in May; and the August
YouthCAN conference)
• Supporting YouthCAN zone activities across the province
• Preparing a webinar series for youth in high school on accessing financial supports and preparing for
postsecondary education
YPAAG — the Youth Policy Advocacy and Advisory Group — recently provided input to the Ministry of
Children and Youth Services Residential Services Review in November.
In recognition of YouthCAN’s 10th year, OACAS will undertake a review of the program over the next few
months to celebrate the accomplishments, identify opportunities, and plan for the future.
Background
YouthCAN is the joint OACAS–CAS program that provides programming by and for youth in care across
the province. YouthCAN began in 2006 and has grown from modest beginnings to become a vital resource
for youth and agency youth champions. It provides resources and supports in the areas of communications,
advocacy, and networking.
YPAAG — the Youth Policy Advocacy and Advisory Group — is the youth policy subgroup of YouthCAN.
—Wendy Miller, Senior Program Analyst, is the interim Youth Services Manager and lead contact at OACAS
(wmiller@oacas.org).
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Aftercare Benefits Initiative
Update
Enrollment in the Aftercare Benefits Initiative (ABI) continues to grow. As of December 2015, over 1,000
youth are registered in the full program, along with 200 dependent children. An additional 93 youth who
are receiving Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program, and are therefore ineligible for
the health and dental benefits, are registered for the counselling and life skills support services. Benefit use
is also growing — between Q1 and Q2 (2015–2016) there was a 7% increase in claims made by ABI plan
members.
Background
ABI offers comprehensive health, dental, counselling, and life skills support services to former youth in
care between 21 and 25 years of age, and their dependent children. The program, launched on August 1,
2014, is unique because it offers benefit coverage to youth without requiring upfront payments for service.
ABI is funded by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services (MCYS) and was developed by OACAS, in
consultation with a CAS staff and youth advisory committee.
A contract amendment approved by MCYS in the summer of 2015 further extended the counselling and
life skills support services to youth on Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program, who did
not previously meet the program’s eligibility criteria.
Full ABI eligibility criteria, benefit coverage details, and application guidelines are available at
www.oacas.org/abi.
—Brynn Clarke, Member Programs Specialist, is the lead contact at OACAS (bclarke@oacas.org).
Adoption & Permanency Initiatives
Update
The content of the SAFE/PRIDE Portability Guide to assist public and private/international adoption
practitioners regarding the parameters of use of the portable home study and pre-service training has
been completed, and the project has moved on to the distribution phase. OACAS, in collaboration with
SAFE/ PRIDE Portability group members, has developed a pamphlet aimed at helping adoption applicants
understand how the home study and pre-service training is portable between Ontario adoption systems. To
support Adoption Awareness Month, OACAS developed an agency media kit to assist member agencies with
advocating and explaining the various permanency needs, as well as various permanency options for children
and youth.
OACAS, along with legal and clinical representatives from member agencies, the Adoption Council of
Ontario, and the Office of the Children’s Lawyer, continued to deliver the webinar series titled Creating
Openness Within the Permanency Plan: the What, When, Why & How. The webinar series has been well
attended and will conclude December 8 with a session by Adam Pertman, President and Founder of the US
National Center on Adoption and Permanency. The seven sessions are recorded and can be accessed via the
OACAS members’ website under the webinar tab.
At the Children’s Aid Foundation Building Partnerships for Permanency meeting on September 30, 2015,
Kim Stevens, Program Director from the North American Council on Adoptable Children, and Cindy Pielat,
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Director of Communications & Corporate Citizenship, Jockey International, presented the Jockey Being
Family program. Jockey International has identified postadoption support as the focus of their employee
fundraising efforts and community engagement strategy. Jockey International has agreed to partner with the
Adoption Council of Ontario to support adoptive families in Ontario. The details of the partnership will be
outlined at a later date.
Background
OACAS, along with representatives from member agencies, community partners, and provincial stakeholders,
participates in various workgroups to build partnerships to advocate for resources that enable children
and young people to achieve permanency. Members plan and deliver initiatives that support adoption and
permanency options.
—Morag Demers, Senior Program Analyst, is the lead contact at OACAS (mdemers@oacas.org).
Ontario Practice Model (SAFE, PRIDE, OnLAC)
Update
On January 1, 2016, the newly revised OnLAC Assessment and Action Record (AAR) will be released. Data
from the AAR will now be collected during the calendar year, with the provincial report available mid-winter.
A webinar hosted on December 2 outlined the new scales, updates to agency training, support resources, and
how agencies can gain access to the Viewpoint software that engages youth, caregivers, and staff to complete
the AAR electronically.
At the Child Welfare Data Forum held on November 4 and 5 at Ryerson University in Toronto, Dr. Robert
Flynn, the OnLAC project principal investigator, shared his findings of how children 0–4 years old were
faring in care. Dr. Flynn also shared research conducted by two of his Ottawa University PhD candidates
answering the questions (1) What risk and protective factors predict educational achievement among young
people in care? and (2) What do prospective foster and adoptive parents learn from PRIDE pre-service?
Discussions and work continue with Governor State University in Illinois to customize the PRIDE preservice and in-service training for online/hybrid delivery in Ontario.
In late fall a webinar to support the use of the new PRIDE pre-service optional video Caring for Ontario’s
Vulnerable Children-You too can make a difference was delivered. The video was co-produced by OACAS
and Ottawa CAS to help resource parent applicants understand the history of Child Welfare in Ontario and
the needs and experience of families’ children and youth serviced by CASs.
Background
While the three frameworks of PRIDE, SAFE, and OnLAC were developed independently, Ontario has
combined all three to establish an evidence-informed system of care. The key to Ontario’s practice model is
the integration of resource family training through PRIDE, the standardization of the home study process
through SAFE, and an outcomes measurement tool to analyze the trajectory of children’s lived in-care
experience through OnLAC. The development work of the Ontario Practice Model is guided by members
of the Caring for Children and Youth Council.
—Morag Demers, Senior Program Analyst, is the lead contact at OACAS (mdemers@oacas.org).
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Shared Services
Update:
The submission of an OACAS Board approved business case for a Shared Services Program in child welfare
to the provincial government (MGCS and MCYS) was the deliverable for Phase 5, the final phase of the
Shared Services Project. Building on the recommendations from Phase 4, there have been engagements with
the sector to confirm financial costs and benefits anticipated as outcomes of the business case.
To support the achievement of a final approved business case, during the past months the focus of the
Project has been on achieving recommendation from the Steering Committee for the business case to move
forward to the OACAS Board for approval. Additionally, engagement with sector leadership to secure their
support for the business case has been an active focus. Engagement has included local boards, executive
directors, and senior staff about the contents of the Business Case, considerations for local and provincial
strategic impact, and commitment to the outcomes of the business case. Intra-Zone meetings involving
OACAS Board members and local boards and executive directors have occurred in each zone.
Information sharing and discussions with local boards and the executive have been intended to support
decision-making by boards and executive directors about their commitment to participate in the Shared
Services Implementation Project. Signed letters of intent are being received from agencies in advance of
the November 30 target date. As of this update more than 20 agencies of varied size across the province,
including Aboriginal agencies, have signaled their intention to participate in the next work towards creating a
Shared Services Program for Ontario’s child welfare sector.
It is anticipated that the business case and supporting documents will be provided to MGCS and MCYS by
mid-December to enable their review and consideration of funding for a follow-up implementation project.
The commitment of the sector throughout the Project has been appreciated and evident both internally as
well as to funders.
Background:
The Shared Services Project (SSP) is an 18-month initiative that will develop a business case for shared
services to enhance the sustainability of Ontario’s child welfare system. The Project is in Phase 5, its final
phase (July to December 2015).
—Rosaleen Cutler, Child Welfare Subject Matter Expert - Shared Services, is the lead contacts at OACAS
(rcutler@oacas.org).
Northern Strategy
Update
The Northern Child Welfare Advisory Committee met on October 14. The group reviewed the current
landscape of child welfare services in the North as well as information from the Aboriginal Child and Youth
Strategy. Next steps include clarifying the terms of reference and scope of options for analysis by the group.
Northern sustainability was a topic of discussion at MPP Briefing Day on November 24. Delegates from
Northern agencies were able to speak to the Minister about the unique geographic challenges they face and
to make the case for further support. The Minister acknowledged the challenges faced by Northern agencies
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Background
OACAS members strive to ensure that children, youth, and families in Northern and North Eastern Ontario
have the same opportunities for well-being as their fellow Ontarians who live in more southerly regions of
the province. At present, the ability of Northern and North Eastern agencies to achieve this is inhibited by
program models and funding approaches that do not take into account the realities of the North.
A project involving the Northern Child Welfare Advisory Committee (Northern Regional Office from
the Ministry and the CASs from the Northern and North Eastern Zones) kicked off in June to develop a
Northern Child Welfare Strategy. The goal of the project is to develop a specific framework and strategy to
ensure a viable and sustainable child welfare service system in the North so that children, youth, and families
have access to high-quality services.
—Chris Tremeer, Director, Child Welfare Operations Excellence, is the lead contact at OACAS
(ctremeer@oacas.org).
Strategic Direction 2
Build the public’s confidence in and engagement with child welfare
through an accountable and transparent system
Adoption Awarness Month Campaign
Adoption Awareness Month takes place during the month of November. In 2015 OACAS developed a new,
long-term strategy to reframe Adoption Awareness Month so that it celebrates adoption as one of several
meaningful permanency options available to children and youth in care. The new campaign direction is
encapsulated in the tagline “Adoption Awareness Month – There are many paths to lifelong connections”
OACAS support for agencies included artwork featuring the new tagline, a suggested communications
strategy, key messages, and a media release. OACAS support also included links to new informational
material on the OACAS website that describes permanency and the focus on strengthening families and
permanency options, including adoption, kinship care, kinship service, customary care, legal custody
agreements, and return to family.
—Christina Campbell, Advocacy and Media Relations Specialist, is the lead contact at OACAS
(ccampbell@oacas.org).
Performance Indicators
Update
Data extraction, harmonization, and validation processes are underway to calculate individual agency results
for 4 fiscal years (2010–2011 to 2013–2014) for the five publicly reported performance indicators. Agency
results will be publicly reported in March 2016.
The 2015 Child Welfare Data Forum titled “All the Things That Data Can Do: Connecting the Dots to
Achieve Success for Children, Youth, and Families” was attended by 155 participants representing 38
Children’s Aid Societies on November 4 and 5. The sessions provided agencies with strategies, tools, and
research findings that they can use to improve practice and outcomes for children, youth, and families.
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Three Aboriginal-specific performance indicators were identified to be developed at the Aboriginal
Sector Meeting on October 6, 2015: access to learning one’s own language, culture and identity, and selfdetermination / self-governance. These indicators will be developed by the University of Toronto, FactorInwentash Faculty of Social Work.
For the first time, Children’s Aid Societies have reported their validated results for the 26 provincial
performance indicators to the Ministry of Children and Youth Services as required in the Accountability
Agreement.
Background
A provincial performance measurement system has been implemented to measure 26 provincial performance
indicators endorsed by the sector to measure five outcome areas. The three service outcomes of child safety,
permanency, and well-being will help us to understand the impact of child welfare services. Understanding
the two outcome areas of organizational capacity and governance effectiveness will help to answer the
following questions: How well is an agency serving children and families? and How likely is an agency to
continue to improve?
Children’s Aid Societies have invested in the development of skills and capacity within their organization to
validate their data, work with the data results, and report the performance indicator results to their Board
of Directors. For the first time, in March 2015, preliminary aggregate results for the following five service
performance indicators were calculated for 3 fiscal years (2010–2011 to 2012–2013) and reported through
the MCYS and OACAS respective websites to the public:
• Recurrence of child protection concerns in a family after an investigation
• Recurrence of child protection concerns in a family after ongoing services were provided
• The days of care by placement type
• The time to permanency
• The quality of the caregiver–youth relationship for children in care
—Maria Harlick, Senior Program Analyst, is the lead contact at OACAS (mharlick@oacas.org).
Redesigning the OACAS Education System to Support Authorization
Update
Fleming College has been continuing their work to review and gather new background content for the
curriculum design. They have also turned their attention to course design and have begun to outline possible
learning activities for each course. Members of the OACAS Child Welfare Professional (CWP) Course
Working Groups that were established in the summer have been asked to re-commit to participating in these
groups from November 2015 to March 2016. The working groups will review and comment on OACAS
training materials and assessments drafted by Fleming College.
Given the size and complexity of the CWP curriculum redesign and authorization projects, OACAS has
hired two project managers. Karen Bridgeman-Acker is the Project Manager for the Authorization Project,
and will be working with the Authorization Committee to develop a provincial framework for authorization
The new worker training will be ready for delivery in January 2017. Between September 2016 and December
2016, OACAS will work with agencies to ensure that trainers are trained in the new curriculum and also the
use of best practices for adult learning, facilitation, etc. After April 2016, a call-out will be made to agencies
to nominate agency-based trainers for retraining.
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Background
OACAS is redesigning the education system to better prepare child welfare professionals for authorization.
The redesign is based on a competency model and a CWP program blueprint developed with the input of
many stakeholders in 2014–2015. In the 2015–2016 fiscal year, the project shifted from the program design
phase to the phases of research, content gathering, and instructional design and development. To provide
input into these phases, OACAS established working groups for each course consisting of CAS staff and a
handful of researchers and resource parents.
To launch the instructional design and development work of the new blended learning program, OACAS
issued an RFP this summer to recruit a vendor. Fleming College has been contracted to design and
develop the new CWP program, which will consist of online modules, instructor-led classroom modules,
assessments, and assignments. They will also work with OACAS to develop an authorization candidacy exam
and pilot-test the new CWP courses and exam in the spring.
—Erika Steibelt, Manager of Learning Resources Development, is the lead contact at OACAS
(esteibelt@oacas.org).
Learning Management System – OACAS Learning
In late January or early February 2016, OACAS Education Services will make available to all agency staff
Soft Skills self-directed e-learning courses. This library will include courses on financial management, project
management, communication skills, HR skills, leadership/management skills, and various other topics. These
courses range from 30 minutes to 3 hours and are available for all agency staff. These just-in-time learning
courses are all online and can be completed independently.
Workers will be required to register for the courses (new worker, advanced, and management training)
through OACAS Learning, our new learning management system, and will be required to verify that they
have received approval from their supervisor and (or) agency designate before enrolling.
Starting April 30, 2016, OACAS Learning will also be used to register staff for all OACAS courses that begin
after September 1, 2016. This new process will allow agency staff to self-register for all courses through
OACAS Learning. Staff will need to have supervisor/agency approval before registering for any course. A
communication/change management plan is currently being developed and will be shared with the field in
the weeks ahead.
—Hsiang Fei, Supervisor of Training Administration, is the lead contact at OACAS (hflu@oacas.org).
Professional Regulation
Update
Work on professional regulation is currently paused. The next phase of work is expected to resume in early
2016.
Background
The final report and recommendations of the Professional Regulation Working Group (PRWG) were
approved by the OACAS Board of Directors on February 19, 2015. The report, Towards Regulation:
Child Protection and Professional Regulation in the Province of Ontario, contains the following key
recommendations:
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• Promote regulation within Children’s Aid Societies
• Establish an Executive Leadership Section (ELS) Executive Steering Committee and a Professional
Regulation Advisory Committee, and hire a provincial project manager
• Recognize the unique cost and recruitment challenges for Aboriginal agencies and pre-mandated service
providers
• Lead a literature review to determine the link between professional regulation and service outcome
•
As a reminder, the PRWG was a joint initiative of the OACAS Board and the ELS Executive with a
mandate to analyze the implications and steps required to prepare the sector for professional regulation with
the Ontario College of Social Workers, Social Service Workers, and other regulatory colleges, as appropriate.
—Wendy Miller, Senior Program Analyst, is the lead contact at OACAS (wmiller@oacas.org).
Strategic Direction 3
Along with its member agencies, OACAS will support and collaborate
with the Aboriginal communities in bettering the health, well-being
and life chance of Aboriginal children in Ontario.
Aboriginal Agencies, Initiatives & Advocacy
1. Met with representatives from the Association of Native Child and Family Service Agencies of Ontario
(ANCFSAO) on November 6, 2015, to discuss a Memorandum of Understanding with OACAS, MPP
Briefing Day, as well as Reconciliation. OACAS and ANCFSAO jointly hosted MPP Briefing Day on
November 24 and presented the following advocacy priorities:
• Restore the child protection jurisdiction to Aboriginal, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities
• Ensure sufficient funding and effective policies for a sustainable sector
• Ensure sufficient funding and support for the new Child Protection Information Network This was
the first time MPP Briefing Day was jointly hosted by OACAS and ANCFSAO.
2. Held an Aboriginal Governance Forum on November 10, 2015, in conjunction with Harold Tarbell.
3. Planning a targeted Aboriginal Youth in Care conference for winter 2016, to facilitate and support
leadership among Aboriginal youth.
4. Reconciliation will be the main topic of discussion at the December Consultation. It will feature Bob
Watts, from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and Drew Hayden Taylor. The Restoring
the Child Protection Jurisdiction Assessment, based on OACAS’ Reconciliation Framework, will be
distributed to and completed by all agencies at the Consultation.
10
5. Planning a reconciliation event — “Bringing Our Minds Together” — for March 2016. We have sent
letters to the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit political organization leadership advising them of our intent,
and letting them know we will be following up with them in the coming weeks.
6. Attended a fundraising Gala in Winnipeg to support Cindy Blackstock and the First Nations Caring
Society.
7. We are updating our members’ and public websites to include Aboriginal-specific content and
information with an interactive map of Ontario’s First Nations communities.
8. Aboriginal Services is assisting in the roll-out of the Aboriginal practice guide with key stakeholders
(supervisors and managers) who deliver child welfare service to Aboriginal/FNMI communities. We will
commence in January 2016.
—Karen Hill, Director of Aboriginal Services, is the lead contact at OACAS (khill@oacas.org).
9.
Strategic
Direction 4
Strengthen the capacity of the association and its member agencies
to fulfill their mandate.
Sector Decision-Making
Update
A workshop on decision-making, facilitated by Bill Shields, the consultant for this project, took place on
November 18 with the OACAS Board. The workshop examined different possible approaches to sector
decision-making. There was a focus on discussing approaches that were grounded in sector realities.
This phase of the project will focus on the following: roles and responsibilities of the various committees/
groups within OACAS; the different types of decisions that are made by different groups; the processes
used to inform these decisions; the processes that support effective communications of decisions and their
rationale; the processes used to monitor and evaluate decisions and facilitate accountability within the field.
Background
The goal of the Decision-Making Framework is to enable the sector to speak with a unified voice on major
issues affecting the membership and children and families across Ontario through effective, efficient,
responsive, and timely decision-making.
The three deliverables of the project are:
1. Approval by the OACAS Board of the design of the various structures and processes within the
Association along with the relevant changes to the composition of various groups, policies, and (or)
bylaws.
11
2. A document that clearly presents these structures, processes and mechanisms so that all participating
organizations and individuals understand how the Association functions and their role within it.
3. A change management plan to support implementation of these structures and processes within the
Association.
Work will continue on developing the framework using the working terms of reference approved by for the
Executive Leadership Section. Bill Shields will meet with the OACAS Board on December 7, following the
Consultation, to continue the work.
—Mary Ballantyne, Chief Executive Officer, is the lead contact at OACAS (mballantyne@oacas.org).
Child Protection Information Network (CPIN)
Update:
Data migration and change management efforts continue at the six agencies (Kawartha-Haliburton
Children’s Aid Society, Bruce Grey Child and Family Services, Family and Children’s Services of Frontenac,
Lennox and Addington, Simcoe Muskoka Family Connections, the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa, and
Chatham-Kent Children’s Services) with anticipation of a go-live any time between March and June 2016.
OACAS hosted a CPIN delegation with our Minister at MPP Briefing Day on November 24, 2015. Based on
the sector’s CPIN deployment and sustainment experiences, the delegation addressed the following needs:
• Increased funding for agencies to implement and deploy CPIN
• Increased funding is required to sustain costs associated with CPIN
• Noting that funding should not come out of agency operational dollars
• Commitment is required from MCYS to address the sector’s concern about CPIN
Release 1.4 went into CPIN on November 28, 2015, which has encompassed a number of fixes and change
requests to case and financial management, CPIN user administration, and reporting. Examples include:
an application-wide timer to remind workers to save their work, remediation of errors within accounts
receivable, payable, and iExpense, and fixes to protection inquiry and child in care reports. The next major
release is scheduled for the end of April 2016. Releases will now be scheduled on a quarterly basis; however,
priority and emergency fixes will occur as needed.
On December 1, 2015, MCYS sent a letter to agencies who have been selected for CPIN Deployment over
the next 18 months. OACAS continues to bring agencies and sector concerns forward to the Ministry and
will continue to support agencies through the deployment and early engagement process.
Background
The CPIN Liaison at the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies liaises between the Ministry
Children and Youth Services (MCYS) and the field for matters related to the sustainment and deployment of
the Child Protection Information Network (CPIN). On April 1, 2015, the Ministry renewed its commitment
to provide funding for the continuation of the role.
Over the past year, CPIN has been implemented at five Children’s Aid Societies (Halton, Simcoe, Renfrew,
Toronto, and Toronto Catholic). These five agencies now represent approximately 20% of the case volume
for the child welfare sector, with 1,692 CAS staff actively using CPIN and over 17 million records migrated
into CPIN. Deployment to the remaining 42 agencies is projected to take place over the coming 2–3 years.
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An 18-month deployment plan is anticipated to be shared with the sector in the coming weeks.
The new Ministry governance model has now been implemented and populated with CAS representatives
from across the sector.
Additionally, OACAS continues to meet with the Ministry on a regular basis to address sector-related issues
and support the deployment and sustainment of CPIN. The OACAS CPIN Advisory Committee and its
working groups continue to meet on a monthly basis.
For more information on CPIN, along with agendas, minutes, and addenda of the OACAS CPIN Advisory
Committee and its working groups, please visit OACAS Members website ➞ CPIN.
—Aleem Punja, OACAS CPIN Liaison, is the lead at OACAS (apunja@oacas.org).
Enhancing Agency Governance Project
Update
Webinars were implemented and are scheduled as follows:
• September 10 – Understanding and Using the OACAS Governance Framework: Current Models; GI
Survey Results; Roles and Accountabilities Framework – Journey and Practical Use (28 participating
agencies) Toronto Catholic Children’s Aid Society provided a practical example of the use of the R & A
Framework;
• October 8 – Risk Monitoring and Management (29 participating agencies);
• December 3, 2015 – Board Delegation, Committee Composition Practices, and Committee Evaluation.
The 2nd Annual Fall Forum on Governance — Key Governance Issues 2015–2016: What Can We Learn
From One Another? Shared Governance Best Practices, Tools, and Ideas — took place on November
9, 2015. Eighty-five individuals from 41 agencies participated in a fully subscribed event. A panel of
board representatives and executive directors (EDs) from Durham, Waterloo, and Frontenac, Lennox and
Addington Children’s Aid Societies shared their strategic thinking and actions in dealing with external
stakeholders and oversight reviews. Evaluations (32%) were very positive, and respondents reported many
ideas/plans to take back to their own boards to improve quality, e.g., using provincial and local dashboards,
Roles and Accountabilities Framework, and initiating strategic board member involvement in meetings with
the Ministry.
Recommended priorities for OACAS included advocacy with government (CPIN); communication materials
on performance indicators, Shared Services, and CPIN; data analysis; opportunities for more board members
to be involved (e.g., train the trainer); and board / board member and committee evaluation, etc. Messages
from participants reflected a growing empowerment from board members across the province, who
indicated an interest in having a say in sector-wide decisions made by OACAS.
The first Aboriginal Forum on Governance, titled Creating A Better Future Through Effective Governance,
took place on November 10, 2015. Twenty-five individuals from 11 of 13 mandated and pre-mandated
agencies participated. Harold Tarbell facilitated the session and provided a summary report. Participants were
fully engaged and shared their diverse experiences. Themes from participants included struggling agencies
— new and complex; politics; challenges in dealing with Aboriginal and mainstream issues; technology and
facilities issues.
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An Evaluation of the Enhancing Governance Project is currently being conducted with activities including
a Survey, Focus Groups, and Interviews. A total of 166 survey responses were received, of which 90% were
from board members and 10% from EDs. The OACAS Governance Advisory Committee will review a
draft report that is due to MCYS on March 31, 2016. Results will guide future plans for governance capacity
building as well as future request to MCYS.
A 20 Questions Tool for Board Understanding of Performance Indicator data will be reviewed in December
2015.
Background
The OACAS Governance Advisory Committee oversees the Governance Initiative, which is intended to
provide boards and EDs of all 47 Children’s Aid Societies (CASs) across the province with the tools they
need to lead in their accountability role; evaluate their governance performance; foster dialogue between
CAS leaders, provide boards with best practice tools to evaluate ED and society performance; provide EDs
with leadership development; and provide boards with continuous learning opportunities. The work began in
2013–2014.
The Committee established the following objectives for 2015–2016:
• Objective 1: Boards improve capacity to assess governance capacity; Governance Effectiveness Survey.
• Objective 2: Boards improve governance capacity; Webinars — educational sessions Portal — location
for good governance resources Forums on Governance — Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Outreach to
and engagement of Aboriginal communities.
• Objective 3: Boards clarify roles and responsibilities in accountability framework; and Roles and
Accountabilities Framework developed, consulted, and launched.
• Objective 4: The Governance Initiative is evaluated and sustainable.
An independent evaluation is in process to be completed by March 31, 2016. Ongoing standard modules and
some special program modules to be created.
• Objective 1: Boards improve capacity to assess governance capacity
- Governance Effectiveness Survey
• Objective 2: Boards improve governance capacity
- Webinars — educational sessions
- Portal — location for good governance resources
- Forums on Governance – Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal
- Outreach to and engagement of Aboriginal communities
• Objective 3: Boards clarify roles and responsibilities in accountability framework
- Roles and Accountabilities Framework developed, consulted, and launched
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• Objective 4: The Governance Initiative is evaluated and sustainable
- An independent evaluation is in process to be completed March 31, 2016
- Ongoing standard modules and some special program modules to be created
—Karen Engel, Project Manager, Governance, is the lead contact at OACAS (kengel@oacas.org).
Worker Safety Project
Update
The Ministry of Children and Youth Services (MCYS) is reviewing the Phase II proposal, which covers 12
recommendations related to technology, support programs, and antiviolence policies. The Ministry has given
indications of a quick turnaround to review the proposal and approve funding.
The Labour Relations Committee is planning for a project to address four of the recommendations
related to advocacy. The group has representation from Labour and Management and will work jointly on
messaging for the sector.
OACAS Education Services is working on addressing five of the recommendations via the Child Welfare
Professional curriculum redesign. Three of the eight modules will focus on Worker Safety elements. The
Worker Safety Subcommittee is providing feedback in this process.
The Worker Safety Subcommittee and HR Managers are also planning projects to address another 11 of the
recommendations. These will focus on culture and reporting programs and policies within agencies.
All this work will enable the sector to address 33 of the 46 recommendations from Phase I of the project
over the next 12 months.
Background
The Worker Safety Project is aimed at fulfilling the worker safety components that arose out of the
Provincial Discussion Table (PDT) process. The first phase of the project is complete. Phase I involved an
assessment of worker safety practices in the sector and resulted in 46 recommendations to address identified
gaps.
The goal of this project is to have a suite of worker safety policies, tools, and programs that are implemented
in agencies throughout the province. The OACAS Labour Relations Committee is responsible for oversight
of this project.
—Fayaz Manji, Senior Program Analyst, is the lead contact at OACAS (fmanji@oacas.org).
15
OACAS/Executive Leadership Section Provincial Projects
Provincial projects are usually proposed or organized by a defined group, that have the potential to have
impact on the services or processes of CASs across the province.
Jeffrey Baldwin Inquest
Update
The final report will be presented at the December 2015 OACAS Consultation. The Executive Leadership
Section will review the report at that time for final approval and engage in a discussion to determine next
steps. The report will be forwarded to CASs and disseminated to various network groups early in 2016.
Background
OACAS has been leading a provincial project to address the recommendations from the Jeffrey Baldwin
inquest that were directed to the child welfare sector in February 2014. A consultant was hired to work with a
steering committee and five working groups to review the thirteen recommendations that were made to CASs
and to provide responses. The consultant guided the working group through a comprehensive review and the
report was finalized in July 2015.
While there have been significant changes and improvements to the child welfare system since Jeffrey’s tragic
death, the report recommended some additional work in the areas of developing good practice statements
to address gaps; the development of materials and training for agency use; requests to MCYS to improve
outcomes; and reinforce the current standards.
—Sharon Evans, Senior Program Analyst, is the lead contact at OACAS (sevans@oacas.org).
Administration and Monitoring of Psychotropic Medication Use Among
Children and Youth in Care
Update
The workgroup members along with the consultant developed a youth survey and consultation questions to be
used for youth focus groups. The workgroup members conducted one-on-one interviews of agency youth and
held a number of focus groups to gain a better understanding of the youth’s experiences using psychotropic
medication. The group will convene on December 4 to review the youth feedback and to consolidate the
practice guide and consider making it available via a responsive website.
Background
This provincial project originates in the South-West Zone. The project lead is Giselle Taraba, Brant Family and
Children Services. Maria Sanchez-Keane, Centre for Organizational Effectiveness Inc., is the consultant.
The project workgroup will develop a practice guide or app to help child welfare professionals, families, and
youth address issues related to the use of psychotropic medications among children in care, including informed
consent, administration, and monitoring.
—Morag Demers, Senior Program Analyst, is the lead contact at OACAS (mdemers@oacas.org).
16
Building Capacity for Children’s Aid Societies to Achieve Permanency for Children in Care
with Immigration Issues
Update
Presentations on the final project were made to the Resource Managers and Directors of Service network
groups in October and November 2015. The project team also plans to write an article for The Journal for
early 2016. A related project has been established to explore the possibility of securing MCYS funding for
a Centre of Excellence and coordinated response to immigration issues in child welfare. OACAS invited all
agencies to consider being involved in the proposal development, and a working group of seven agencies has
been established. The OACAS Executive Leadership Section will be responsible for reviewing the proposal
prior to submission to MCYS. A proposal is anticipated to be completed in early January 2016.
Background
The provincial project led by OACAS to develop a field guide related to immigration issues for children and
youth in care was completed and was approved by the Executive Leadership Section in March 2015. The
project generated two documents: Building Capacity for CASs to Achieve Permanency for Children in Care
with Immigration issues: Report and Recommendations, 2013, and Immigration Status Matters: A Guide to
Addressing Immigration Status Issues for Children and Youth is Care, 2014. Both documents can be found
on the members’ website ➞ Provincial Projects.
The guide was forwarded to MCYS for distribution to regional offices as well as to the Provincial
Advocate for Children and Youth and foster parent and residential service provider networks. OACAS
hosted a webinar in October 2015 to inform CAS staff of the implications for young people in care when
immigration status remains unresolved.
—Sharon Evans, Senior Program Analyst, is the lead contact at OACAS (sevans@oacas.org).
Supporting Capacity of Families: Permanent Relationships through Legal Custody
Update
The committee reconvened in November 2015 to discuss how to evaluate the usage of the guide material
and to identify additional strategies to increase the use of legal custody as a permanency option in the
province. Initial planning for strategy development includes preparing materials for training within OACAS
Education Services courses, brochure development for kin and resource families, and determining the
current usage of legal custody within the child welfare sector. The committee will update the sector on the
findings of the use of legal custody and will consider a presentation at a 2016 OACAS consultation.
Background
The provincial project report titled “Permanent Relationships for Children through Legal Custody (April
2014)” has been finalized and approved. The report provides an understanding of the barriers to legal
custody and recommendations for improvements and advocacy for individual CASs. The report contains
a practice guide that provides samples of policies, procedures, and templates that can be customized for
individual agencies.
17
Highlights of the report and suggestions for agency use were forwarded by OACAS to agencies in July 2015
to encourage use of the practice guide materials. The topic of legal custody was also presented by committee
members at the kinship symposium in Toronto in November 2015.
—Sharon Evans, Senior Program Analyst, is the lead contact at OACAS (sevans@oacas.org).
Other Provincial Updates
Auditor General’s 2015 Value for Money Audit of Children’s Aid Societies
Update
The Auditor General’s 2015 Audit Report was tabled in the Legislature on Wednesday, December 2, 2015.
Key themes and concerns contained in the report include: premature closure of child protection cases;
compliance with standards related to timelines and record checks; youth are not preparing well for adulthood
given changes to the Continued Care and Supports for Youth program; and that additional opportunities
exist to ensure child protection funding is better used to provide direct services to children and families.
Key messages have been provided to societies to assist with communications and media enquiries and
mechanisms are being established to provide a fulsome response to the six recommendations contained in
the report.
Background
The Office of the Auditor General for Ontario (OAGO) commenced a value-for-money audit of the child
welfare program in November 2014. Two audits were conducted concurrently:
1. Review of the ministry’s oversight and administration of the child welfare program.
2. On-site reviews of 7 children’s aid societies: Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, Durham CAS,
FACSFLA, Sudbury CAS, Former Muskoka CAS, Hamilton CAS and Waterloo Family and Children’s
Services.
Audit Objectives for the value-for-money audit of children’s aid societies cited by the report are as follows:
• Assess whether the Societies have effective policies and procedures for ensuring that children in need
of protection receive the appropriate services in accordance with legislation, policy and program
requirements; and
• Whether funding provided to Societies is commensurate with the value of the services provided.
The audit concluded in October 2015. A draft report was provided to the OACAS to review for errors and
omissions and to draft a general response, as well as responses to each recommendation. This was done in
partnership with the 7 societies that were audited and provided to the OAGO to inform the final report.
—Sally Johnson, Director, Child Welfare Service Excellence and Government and Stakeholder Relations, is
the lead contact at OACAS (sjohnson@oacas.org)
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Motherisk Analysis Independent Review
Update
The final report from Justice Lang is expected to be delivered to the Attorney General on or about
December 15, 2015. Included in the independent review have been two rounds of submissions from
OACAS and CASs concerning the intersection of hair testing and child welfare. While the Hospital for Sick
Children and the hair testing methodology used by the Motherisk Laboratory are the focus of the review,
Justice Lang’s report will certainly reference CASs, and may suggest a further review of the implications of
hair testing in child welfare.
Background
On April 22, 2015, the Government of Ontario announced that it will be expanding the mandate of the
ongoing independent review conducted by Justice Lang into the Motherisk hair analysis program to include
other types of hair testing and an additional 5-year period (2010–2015). The Independent Review requested
submissions from OACAS and CASs in March and June 2015 to help inform the development of Justice
Lang’s final report.
—Andrew Snowball, Senior Program Analyst, is the lead contact at OACAS (asnowball@oacas.org).
CAS Motherisk Case File Review Project
Update
OACAS continues to receive updates from participating CASs on their progress with the data input phase of
the CAS Motherisk Case File review project. However, some agencies have experienced significant challenges
and delays. With this in mind, OACAS asked all participating CASs to aim for completion by November 30,
2015. In late November, OACAS received a further reporting request from MCYS to provide aggregated
data compiled in the project’s Data Collection Template. OACAS has requested this information from CASs,
and has provided this data at a provincial level to MCYS.
In addition, reimbursement criteria and invoices are being prepared for Phase 1 work completed, and Phase 2
file review criteria are being established by the Steering Committee. CASs will be provided with details on
Phase 2 as they become available.
Background
In relation to, but distinct from, the independent review, OACAS is coordinating a file matching and
review project to support all CASs in determining the extent of the use of Motherisk hair testing and child
protection outcomes related to cases involving hair testing. Phase 1 of this project is currently underway
at CASs, with agency staff having been trained on the Data Collection Template via a webinar, and CASs
receiving and signing Data Sharing Agreements with the Hospital for Sick Children. The project is being
guided by a Steering Committee of CAS representatives, including directors of service, quality assurance
staff, and legal counsel. It is expected that the project will be completed in early 2016.
—Andrew Snowball, Senior Program Analyst, is the lead contact at OACAS (asnowball@oacas.org).
19
Residential Services Review
Updates
The OACAS Residential Services Review Advisory Workgroup (RSRAW) submission to the review panel
is nearly complete and is undergoing some final adjustments based on recent feedback from the Executive
Leadership Section. The submission highlights several theme areas and recommendations for improving
residential services as identified by the sector and includes an Aboriginal and youth perspective and a longrange vision. The focus of the submission is on how to achieve better outcomes for children and youth
and recommends improving equity and access to residential services, including children’s mental health
facilities, regardless of region. It also recommends improvement of Ministry oversight and responsibility for
residential services and OPR rates, and recommends that newer research inform group care modalities to
ensure more positive experiences for children and youth.
Background
The Ministry of Child and Youth Services officially launched its review of Ontario’s residential services
system on July 31, 2015. The review is being conducted by three commissioned panel experts: Dr. Kiaras
Gharabaghi, Associate Professor at the School of Child and Youth Care, Ryerson University; Deborah
Newman, former Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities (appointed in
2008); and Dr. Nico Trocmé, Philip Fisher Chair in Social Work and Director of the School of Social Work
at McGill University. The focus of the review is to improve the experiences and outcomes of children and
youth in residential care and to better understand the barriers to providing good residential services. The
review panel is surveying the full spectrum of residential services, including child welfare, children’s mental
health, complex and special needs, and youth justice, and is interviewing children and youth, stakeholders,
and CASs from across the province. The completion of the residential review is scheduled for December 31,
2015.
—Silvia Wynter, Senior Program Analyst, is the lead contact at OACAS (swynter@oacas.org).
Funding
Update
Based on an analysis of the 2015-Q2 submissions received by OACAS:
• 3 CASs are forecasting to be balanced at year-end without accessing the Balanced Budget Fund; 9 CASs
had submitted balanced budgets at the beginning of the year
• 19 CASs have requested access to the Balanced Budget Fund (total requests of $11.5 million), and 17 are
forecasting to balance if the requested funds are approved by MCYS
• 12 CASs are forecasting surpluses in the total amount of $3.4 million, and 6 CASs had forecasted
surpluses at budget submission (total surpluses of $755,545)
• 11 agencies are forecasting deficits in the total amount of $9.8 million; 8 CASs had forecasted deficits at
budget submission (total deficits of $10.2 million).
OACAS and members of the Finance Leaders Network met with the Ministry in November to review
additional data elements that can be provided to improve transparency around the current funding model
20
calculations in the 2016–2017 fiscal year. The group has agreed to consider additional options to provide
more model information to those CASs requiring it.
OACAS is leading a project to review the current funding model and make recommendations to MCYS
for changes. The Ministry’s own review is anticipated to kick off in Q4 and will be completed in the
2016–2017 fiscal year. The OACAS Funding Advisory Committee has been relaunched to provide oversight
for this project and other funding matters. The group has had its first meeting and is currently reviewing a
preliminary analysis to help better define the scope of the funding model review.
Background
The 2015–2016 fiscal year is the third year of the new funding model. The model has resulted in a phased
redistribution of funding among agencies in the sector. At the same time overall funding for the sector has
remained flat. OACAS collects data from agencies to determine which ones are struggling with financial
viability under the new funding model. The Association works with these agencies and the Ministry to
develop plans to help member agencies navigate shortfalls.
—Fayaz Manji, Senior Program Analyst, is the lead contact at OACAS (fmanji@oacas.org).
Accountability Agreements
Update
The Accountability Customization Advisory Committee has completed all four of the meetings initially
scheduled by MCYS to provide advice around guidelines and a framework for the customization process.
The committee has provided MCYS with guidance on both process matters and content suggestions for
Accountability Agreement customization. A key focus has been to prioritize the many competing sector
priorities through the customization process so that individual CASs will have clarity about how to prioritize
scarce local resources to support MCYS priorities. The Ministry has continued to indicate that the topic of
board member liability will be included as part of the Child and Family Services Act (CFSA) legislative review
currently underway.
MCYS has indicated that the customization process will be developed during the 2015–2016 and early 2016–
2017 fiscal years. A pilot test in several CASs across the Ministry’s regional structure will follow. All CASs will
participate in the customization process for their Accountability Agreements in 2017–2018.
Background
Fiscal year 2015–2016 marks the second year of the 2-year Accountability Agreements between the Ministry
and CASs, which were already negotiated but finally imposed last year. The major unresolved items in the
Accountability Agreement are board member liability/indemnification and a process to address funding
shortfalls in light of the balanced budget requirement.
The Ministry has also entered into a process to develop the framework for the customization of
Accountability Agreements in the future. The Ministry has scheduled a series of meetings with
representatives from the sector between now and the end of November to develop the framework. OACAS
sector representatives were drawn from the Governance Advisory Committee and the Executive Leadership
Section (ELS) Executive.
—Chris Tremeer, Director, Child Welfare Operations Excellence, is the lead contact at OACAS
(ctremeer@oacas.org).
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Legislative Policy Changes and Updates
Bill 8 — Public Sector and MPP Accountability and Transparency Act, 2014
Update
Proclamation of Bill 8 has been announced for March 1, 2016. To help CASs begin to prepare for
proclamation, OACAS hosted a webinar in October. Diana Cooke, Director of Investigations at the Office
of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth (PACY), presented on the full mandate of the Provincial
Advocate, including the existing advocacy authority and the new investigative authority. The OACAS Bill 8
Working Group reconvened in November to review opportunities and make recommendations to help
member CASs prepare for proclamation, including:
• Funding offered by MCYS to support agencies
• PACY request to train new investigative staff on the child welfare sector
• Improvements/greater consistency regarding internal complaints processes
• Explore creation of child welfare sector/PACY reference group
• Possible intersections with performance indicator work related to client feedback
Background
Bill 8, the Public Sector and MPP Accountability and Transparency Act, 2014, received Royal Assent in December
2014. This legislation gives PACY investigative powers with respect to CASs and licensed residential facilities
where a CAS is the placing agency.
—Wendy Miller, Senior Program Analyst, is the lead contact at OACAS (wmiller@oacas.org).
Bill 113 — Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015
Update
On November 5, OACAS made oral and written submissions — with input from field representatives — to
the Standing Committee on Justice Policy on Bill 113. On behalf of member CASs, OACAS called for an
amendment to Bill 113 to exempt police records searches for the purpose of CASs carrying out statutory
child protection functions under the CFSA. OACAS was successful: this amendment was accepted and the
statute has been amended.
Background
Bill 113 is a government bill introduced on June 3. The bill calls for a standardized framework for records
disclosure of Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) and other police database searches. The Ministry
of Community Safety and Correctional Services (MCSCS) has the lead for this bill.
The bill has significant implications for Children’s Aid Societies. Although it exempts some types of
vulnerable sector searches, it does not contemplate police record disclosure that is essential to child
protection work (e.g., for caregiver screening). Further, the proposed changes are in direct contradiction to
recommendations from inquests, notably the Jeffrey Baldwin inquest.
22
MCYS also sought input from CAS representatives in drafting a regulatory exemption for child protection
work.
—Wendy Miller, Senior Program Analyst, is the lead contact at OACAS (wmiller@oacas.org).
Bill 117 — Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth Amendment Act, 2015
Update
On November 26, Bill 117 was transferred from the Standing Committee on Justice Policy to the Standing
Committee on Social Policy, and was unexpectedly expedited for public hearings that took place on
November 30. OACAS received input from members and drafted a submission, which was presented to the
Committee. Recommendations from submission are
• That the scope of Bill 117 be broadened to include children and youth from other service sectors
irrespective of their involvement with CAS
• That existing reporting mechanisms (child injury and death, to MCYS and to the Office of the Chief
Coroner) be streamlined to avoid creating an additional reporting requirement on CASs
• That a clause be added to ensure that reporting to PACY does not interfere with the Duty to Report
• That no personal information that would be reported as a result of Bill 117 be released for any
additional purposes until such time that the Ministry of Children and Youth Services completes its policy
work on Access, Disclosure, and Privacy of Information.
Background
Bill 117 is a Private Member’s Bill introduced by Monique Taylor, NDP Children’s Services Critic.
The bill amends the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth Act, 2007, to include an obligation on agencies
and service providers to inform the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth (PACY) promptly if they
become aware of the death or critical injury of a child or youth who has been involved, or whose family
has been involved, with a Children’s Aid Society within the preceding 12 months. Its intent is to address a
perceived gap with respect to receiving relevant and timely information about the injury or death of children
and youth within the PACY mandate.
—Wendy Miller, Senior Program Analyst, is the lead contact at OACAS (wmiller@oacas.org).
Bill 146 — Disclosure of Information Related to the Protection of Children Act, 2015
Update
Bill 146 passed through second reading debate on November 26, 2015, and was referred to the Standing
Committee on Justice Policy. Currently the bill is not yet scheduled to be heard at Standing Committee.
OACAS will provide updates as they become available, and will seek feedback from members regarding any
submissions or presentations made regarding the bill.
Background
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In late November, 2015 OACAS was contacted by MPP Monique Taylor’s office to seek input on her Private
Member’s Bill, Bill 146. MPP Taylor is the NDP Critic for Children and Youth Services. The bill relates to
two proposed changes to legislation, the Employment Standards Act and the Public Service of Ontario Act.
The proposed amendment to the Employment Standards Act relates to eliminating reprisal for employees
who report under Section 72 of the Child and Family Services Act. The proposed amendment to the Public
Service of Ontario Act relates to providing established whistleblower protection to CAS staff, who Bill 146 also
proposes become defined as “child and family service providers” for the purposes of the Act.
OACAS sought clarification on the rationale of Bill 146, and the implications of the legislative amendments
that the bill proposes. On November 24, 2015, OACAS met with MPP Taylor to discuss general advocacy
priorities as well as to seek clarity on the implications of the bill.
—Andrew Snowball, Senior Program Analyst, is the lead contact at OACAS (asnowball@oacas.org).
CFSA 2015 Review
Update
MCYS has confirmed that work to review the Child and Family Services Act (CFSA) is still underway. At this
time there is no update regarding further targeted stakeholder discussions regarding possible amendments to
the legislation of interest to CASs.
Background
On April 7, 2015, MCYS released its report on the 2015 Review of the CFSA. The review of the legislation
must be conducted every 5 years and contains two components: a general review that focuses on areas
determined by the Minister and a specific review of CAS compliance with provisions of the Act that impose
obligations on them regarding services to Aboriginal children and youth.
Minister of Children and Youth Services Tracy MacCharles’ focus for the general review was on improving
outcomes for children and youth (specifically older youth in need of protection, residential services,
information sharing, permanency, and adoption), supporting Aboriginal children and youth, and modernizing
and clarifying the language of the Act.
The OACAS child welfare field submission included recommendations for a legislative amendment on
raising the age of protection to 18, board director liability, information practices (access, disclosure, privacy),
raising the age of eligibility for older youth supports (CCSY), and facilitating interagency and interprovincial
casework.
—Wendy Miller, Senior Program Analyst, is the lead contact at OACAS (wmiller@oacas.org).
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