Letter to The Editor: Disgusted with the Children’s Aid Society

My disgust for people working at the Children’s Aid Society of Algoma, as well as all protection services has informed my opinion over the years. I’ve come to know just what a money business it has become. I requested help many years ago as directed by existing supports and their involvement with my own family was not of any assistance. In fact, they did damage of magnitude. As a long time volunteer in this community, I have met some very vulnerable people who have been hurt due to this agency, and in a way that their families were, and still are, being torn apart. Workers did and still do demonstrate an incompetence to be making the decisions they are making and it disturbs me to see the arrogance of the Children’s Aid Society, it is all on the taxpayer’s dime.

I recently had a child whom was quite often in my care come into conflict with abandonment and unbearable emotional abuse. A Children’s Aid Society worker attended the school by request of the school councillor due to the child’s disclosure, only to have this incompetent and condescending worker hand the unwilling child right back into the situation she feared. In the interview the child told the worker 4 times that she wanted to go to her dad and her Gramma where she felt safe. This worker told her that was not an option because it was not a safe plan. In fact, the dad and Gramma have always been the safe plan.

Initial contact with me was not favorable for this worker because I’m well aware of how they manipulate and try to control people. Opening a file in this type of situation garners support financially for the agency. What angered me the most is I suspected the worker hadn’t read a previous file where as it would/ should reflect the Gramma –me, as a safety plan and when I had the contact at the school the worker had acted on false information given to her by the abandoner. I immediately indicated to the worker that she had quote “blew it already” as she had already made a decision and they couldn’t even do a competent assessment and I went on.

This worker said she felt I was hostile and thought she would ask me to leave. She felt the things I said were inappropriate in front of the child. That the child shouldn’t be hearing this. I then told her she would not be excluding any key player in her interviewing. While waiting in the hall I noticed the CAS worker did not call a school staff member whom had the most contact, heard the most disclosure and could have informed her of an incident that occurred earlier in the day. I also advised the CAS worker “of course the child could hear this as she was well aware of how incompetent the CAS was” and that she was going to be an activist just like her Gramma. When we went into the room I kept up the pressure and asked some questions she had no legitimate answers for, while another student worker snickered while writing everything down. I then turned to her and told her she had better cross her ‘t’s’ and dot her ‘i’s’.

Bottom line dad was out of town and came back within two days and took his daughter out of the unsafe situation this incompetent worker put her in. I then started a grueling path to the Sault Ste. Marie Police Department where I’m told by this incompetent constable that they would not open an investigation but I should talk to a supervisor at the CAS. I phoned and let the supervisor know they would not be getting to investigate themselves through their own complaint process and that I want criminal charges of neglect laid.

Then onto the Mayor’s Office as well as the new Federal elect Terry Sheehan. The Mayor’s Office referred me to Mike Nadeau, Commissioner of Social Services, because according to the Mayor’s secretary it isn’t the Mayor’s responsibility and that Mike Nadeau oversees child welfare.

So Christian Provenzano wants to be the big shot in this city and all I have to say to him in all his willing ignorance is these actions are on a daily and you ARE responsible for what happens in this city. I did make the call to Mike Nadeau who called me back. I will have conversation with him because one of the many hats he wears is that of child welfare. I will have contact with the Child Advocate’s Office and will continue to press for charges to be laid. The existing system permits these CAS worker’s to operate in an unfair court process while hiding behind legislation, with the assistance of the police department underthe willing ignorance of a big shot Mayor! I have had enough of the abuse, neglect and deaths of children in this country while everyone collects their pay cheques. Myself and others plan to do something about it. This will not be going away!

Name Withheld by Editor

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