Press Release |
FEBRUARY 2010 NEWS - CAS update
October 20, 2009
McGuinty Government Wastes Millions on Consultants,
Cuts Funding For Vulnerable Children’s Service in York Region
(Queen’s Park) Newmarket-Aurora MPP Frank Klees today brought the serious funding concerns of the York Region Children’s Aid Society to the floor of the Ontario Legislature.
Klees reminded Children’s Services Minister Laurel Broten, that 36 out of the 51 Children’s Aid Societies in the province are facing a funding crisis, and that the York Region CAS is in even more critical circumstances, because it is already receiving the lowest level of funding per unit of service in the GTA.
To make matters worse, York Region CAS has been told that its budget will be cut by an additional $5.5 million.
Klees pointed out that the Minister has received a letter from the President of the York Region CAS warning that vulnerable children will be put at risk if the cuts are implemented.
“More than a billion dollars have been wasted by the McGuinty government on scandalous consulting contracts,” said Klees. “One would think the Minister would have the resolve to challenge her Cabinet colleagues to at the very least, prioritize funding for vulnerable children.”
Klees expressed the frustration of the President and Board members of the York Region Children’s Aid Society, who he said, “are struggling to understand what the government is doing.”
“On the one hand, the Ministry legislates what services must be provided to protect children, but on the other hand it is refusing to fund the delivery of those services,” said Klees.
“Either the Minister should ensure that the funding matches the mandate, or tell the York Region CAS which of the Child Protection laws it should break and which of the hundreds of children should be left at risk.”
Klees called on the Minister to personally review her ministry’s “flawed funding formula” and specifically its effect on the York Region Children’s Aid Society and its ability to protect vulnerable children.
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Frank Klees, MPP Hansard attached
Newmarket-Aurora Video available on web site
416 509 8999
Ontario Hansard, Tuesday, October 20, 2009 Children’s Aid Societies
Mr. Frank Klees: To the minister responsible for children: 36 out of 51 children’s aid societies in the province are facing a funding crisis. The York Region CAS is one of those but it’s even more critical because that agency is already receiving the lowest per-unit funding in the GTA. To make matters worse, it has now been advised it’s facing a $5.5-million cut to its existing budget. The minister has a letter from the agency advising her that vulnerable children will be at risk if, in fact, this cut is imposed.
So I ask the minister: How, in good conscience, can she say, as she did yesterday, that the most important resource in this province is our children and yet defend these cuts? Will she agree to personally intervene to review her ministry’s flawed funding formula and, specifically, its effect on York region?
Hon. Laurel C. Broten: I do think it is imperative that we look at what has transpired with children’s aid societies over the past decade. I’ll acknowledge in this place that we have seen an unsustainable level of increases to children’s aid societies from $500 million 10 years ago to $1.4 billion now. We need to work with children’s aid societies, such as the York CAS to ensure that children are put first and that their outcomes are a priority. That’s why one of the early telephone calls that I made in this role that I’m privileged to serve in was to the chair of the Board directly at York CAS.
I invited her to continue working with our regional office. Our regional office is currently working with the York CAS to develop a financial plan to address the challenges. They understand, and we understand, that that plan might be one that is multi-year. We all need to work collectively to ensure that we’re meeting the goals.
Mr. Frank Klees: When the minister considers that her government wasted more than a billion dollars on scandalous contracts to consultants, one would think that if she does in fact believe, as she said she does, that our children are our most valuable asset, she would challenge her colleagues to prioritize funding for the most vulnerable children in our society.
On the one hand, the minister legislates what services must be provided, yet on the other hand refuses to fund the delivery of those services. The minister should either ensure that the funding matches the mandate, or direct the agency as to which child protection laws they should be breaking and provide the appropriate liability support and protection for the agencies because they cannot deliver the mandated protection services.