HOUSECLEANING TIME AT CAS

Long overdue according to critics and victims alike of Ontario's Children Aid societies (CAS). How in God's name did they ever become for profit institutions based upon a financial scheme regarding how many children currently "in care"? How did they become so unaccountable. Why were foster homes not better screened and better supervised?

The article in today's Waterloo Region Record is titled "Province maps out children's aid overhaul". Group homes, foster care and Children's Aid societies are all criticized. Overall the criticism seems muted in comparison to horror stories that have been told by parents who have had their children snatched. Nevertheless it is obvious that the goverment wants greater control over the 46 CASs in the province and that is a pretty strong signal that bad publicity such as the Toronto Star series has hit home. Group homes are also in for much more, long overdue, scrutiny. Too many have been calling the police apparently for even minor infractions of the rules, leading to too many youths being funnelled into the justice system unnecessarily.

Numerous CASs across the province have been accused of child snatching for profit. Too many CAS workers have been accused of being incompetent and unqualified. It is decades after the fact to just now start cleaning up this mess. Shame on Ontario.