A person s a person, no matter how small.

Transcription

1 A person s a person, no matter how small. Dr. Seuss YORK REGION CHILDREN S AID SOCIETY 2014/15 ANNUAL REPORT

2 Jill Moore CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, left At York Region Children s Aid Society, we are continuously striving to ensure strong community engagement and services that complement and reflect the needs of children, youth, and families. We remain committed to passionately serving the growing communities of York Region. It is an honour to work alongside such dedicated staff, foster families, and volunteers who together make a difference in the lives of so many children and youth. À la société d aide à l enfants de la région de York, nous nous efforçons sans cesse d offrir un engagement communautaire solide et des services apportant un complément aux besoins des enfants, des jeunes et des familles. Nous demeurons déterminés à servir avec ardeur les collectivités en croissance de la région de York. C est un honneur de travailler en compagnie d un personnel, de familles d accueil et de bénévoles dévoués qui, ensemble, font une différence dans la vie de tant d enfants et de jeunes. Colette Prévost, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER DIRECTRICE GÉNÉRALE Excellent Service. Growing Partnerships. Visionary and Forward Focused. York Region Children s Aid Society continues to be forward focused as we strive to deliver evidence-based services and programs to children, youth, and families. We are dedicated to meeting the particular needs of families within unique socio-environmental and cultural communities through supportive and nurturing engagement. We remain energized and eagerly engaged with our many community partners as we work to champion a visionary service structure that is tailored to the highest standards of care. It is our belief that a collaborative approach to leadership is instrumental in advancing the social fabric of child welfare in our region. We are guided by our interest in ensuring the safety, well-being, and permanency of children and youth. Through an advanced strategic planning process, York Region CAS has positioned itself as a strong partner in the continuum of children and youth services. We look forward to building a collaborative energy aimed at an integrated service approach. Our recognition of the value of partnership, engagement, diversity, and difference will help shape our vision as we strive to achieve innovative service excellence. I am proud to thank and applaud the staff, volunteers, board, and families who are committed to changing the lives of children and families. Together we will continue building excellent services and growing our community partnerships while maintaining a visionary forward focus. Warmest regards, Colette Prévost CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, right Jill Moore CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS Colette Prévost CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 2014/2015 Annual Report 1

3 At a glance Aperçu 5,530 FAMILIES SERVED FAMILLES SERVIES 341 STAFF MEMBRES DU PERSONNEL 191 VOLUNTEERS BÉNÉVOLES 117 FOSTER FAMILIES FAMILLES D ACCUEIL 14 BOARD MEMBERS MEMBRES DU CONSEIL Un service d excellence. Des partenariats en croissance. Un organisme visionnaire et tourné vers l avenir. La société d aide à l enfants de la région de York continue d être tournée vers l avenir en s efforçant de fournir des services et des programmes fondés sur des données probantes pour les enfants, les jeunes et les familles. L organisme se consacre à répondre aux besoins particuliers des familles au sein de collectivités socioenvironnementales et culturelles uniques, par l entremise d un engagement de soutien et attentionné. Nous conservons notre vitalité et demeurons vivement engagés avec nos nombreux partenaires communautaires en nous faisant les champions d une structure de services visionnaire adaptée aux normes supérieures de soins. Nous croyons qu une approche coopérative en matière de leadership contribue à faire progresser le tissu social du bien-être de l enfance dans notre région. Nous sommes guidés par notre intérêt à garantir la sécurité, le bien-être et la permanence des enfants et des jeunes. Par l entremise d un processus de planification stratégique développé, notre organisme s est positionné à titre de solide partenaire dans le continuum des services aux enfants et aux jeunes. Nous serons heureux d apporter une énergie coopérative axée sur une approche intégrée en matière de services. En étant conscients de la valeur du partenariat, de l engagement, de la diversité et de la différence, nous pourrons mieux façonner notre vision en visant l excellence d un service innovateur. C est avec fierté que nous félicitons le personnel, les bénévoles, les membres du Conseil et les familles qui s engagent à changer la vie de nos enfants et de leurs familles. Ensemble, nous continuerons de mettre en place d excellents services et d accroître nos partenariats communautaires, tout en demeurant visionnaires et tournés vers l avenir. Sincèrement, Jill Moore PRÉSIDENTE DU CONSEIL D ADMINISTRATION Colette Prévost DIRECTRICE GÉNÉRALE Sylvia Pivko EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BLUE HILLS CHILD AND FAMILY CENTRE What makes our partnership with York CAS successful is the ongoing vision to integrate key services, combined with our common values, shared perspective, and mutual respect. Many children and families coming through child welfare have mental health concerns, so it is a natural partnership for Blue Hills and York CAS to work together. Blue Hills has a 45-year history working to ensure the best treatment and service options for children s mental health. About a year and half ago, a children s mental health professional began sitting at York CAS to provide consultation to workers about children they are supporting. Over the past year, the children s mental health professional consulted on and assisted with 69 cases at York CAS. This is one of nine shared services. Another initiative we have recently collaborated on is the Road 2 Resolution program, an alternative dispute resolution method that involves a meeting with twothird party facilitators, York CAS, and the family. This meeting takes place when a child has been removed from the home with the goal of engaging the family in early decision making and to assist in ensuring positive interactions and practices between York CAS and the family. 2014/2015 Annual Report 3

4 Gordon & Bev FOSTER PARENTS WITH YORK REGION CHILDREN S AID SOCIETY Shannon Crate CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES CHIPPEWAS OF GEORGINA ISLAND York CAS calls me first about any concerns regarding the children of Georgina Island s First Nation. Together, we work with the family to ensure First Nation s customs are respected and so the community can help decide where children and youth live when they can t stay at home. This process was established about 10 years ago and has inspired similar protocol between other CASs and First Nation communities in the province. York CAS strives to understand the way in which First Nations people live and raise their families. Over the past year, York CAS staff came to Georgina Island to complete Aboriginal Alternative Dispute Resolution training and to understand the legislation in the Child and Family Services Act that directs CASs to deliver provisions of service to First Nations families. When I think about the relationship we have with York CAS, this teaching comes to mind: we each paddle down the river, side by side, in our own way of paddling. We might paddle differently, but we are going in the same direction. From attending school activities and sports practices, to youth camps and scouting fostering makes us smile and keeps us young. We have been foster parents with York CAS for 11 years. We began fostering because we wanted to give back to our community. After much training with York CAS, we began doing relief visits for other foster parents. It kind of felt like being a first-time mom again, except having different boundaries because they are not our children. But we felt like this is what we should be doing; like it was our calling in life. We have supported 23 children who have lived in our home, with 11 returning to family or kin, and five being adopted. Currently, we have four boys living with us; two are siblings that have been with us since the beginning. These brothers have grown up with us, enjoying all our regular family activities and outings over the years and travelling across Canada for family vacations with us. We will continue to foster knowing we are making a difference in kid s lives. 4 To learn more, please visit or call our EVER THOUGHT ABOUT BEING A FOSTER PARENT? Foster Parent Recruiter at , ext York Region Children s Aid Society 2014/2015 Annual Report 5

5 There can be no keener revelation of a society s soul than the way in which it treats its children. Nelson Mandela Financials Revenue Provincial Grant 1 $46,138,590 Income & Recoveries $2,272,840 TOTAL REVENUES $48,411,430 Expenses Salaries & Wages $22,205,096 Benefits $6,508,088 Travel $1,209,293 Training & Recruitment $55,495 Building Occupancy $1,156,966 Professional Services Non Client $229,825 Boarding Rate Payments $14,022,006 Professional Services Client $865,586 Client Personal Needs $614,443 Financial Assistance $10,355 Medical & Related $590,714 Promotion & Publicity $25,691 Office Administration $300,674 Miscellaneous $151,525 Mortgage Interest $175,385 Information and Technology $411,417 TOTAL EXPENDITURES $48,532,559 Board of Directors Jill Moore, CHAIR Barbara Gray, VICE-CHAIR Brandy Elliot, TREASURER Al Suleman Amy Lau Ascenzio Farina Avanthi Goddard Bob Ebrahimzadeh Darryl Wolk Jennifer Shelton Karen Singh Mark Foerster Rod Staveley Sara Austin Tahir Shafiq Excess of (expenses over revenues)/ revenue over expenses ($121,129) 1 During the year, the Ministry of Children and Youth Services provided the Organization with funding of $547,839 to be applied towards prior years' deficit. As this funding decision was made in the current fiscal year, the amount is included in the revenue for the year ended March 31, /2015 Annual Report 7

6 Statistics High Risk Infant Nurse Program Police 33% School 21% Other CAS 14% Self 7% Cases by referral source Health practitioner 7% Community member 4% Social services 3% Legal system 3% York CAS Staff 3% Relative 2% Other 2% Anonymous 1% Reason for call/referral Emotional harm/exposure to conflict 32% Request for assistance 18% Caregiver capacity 17% Physical abuse 16% Neglect 9% Abandonment/separation 5% Sexual abuse 3% High Risk Infant Nurses provide assessment and intervention services to vulnerable infants and toddlers and their families to promote infant safety, well-being, and permanence. The nurses specialized role combines medical and community nursing expertise with child protection experience and perspective. Nurses provide prenatal services to expecting mothers and their families. The focus of working with the prenatal population is to connect with pregnant women, and their partners, early in their pregnancies to engage them in services that will promote the delivery of healthy newborns and to ensure necessary supports are in place at the time of birth. The nurses also work jointly with child protection workers to provide medical and developmental assessments of infants and toddlers. Nurses provide services to medically complex children in the care of the agency and support foster parents and kinship providers to meet the needs of these infants and toddlers HIGH RISK INFANT NURSES ON STAFF FAMILIES SUPPORTED PRENATALLY CHILD PROTECTION CASES MANAGED Primary reasons for referral to the program: HIGH RISK INFANT NURSES PROVIDED SUPPORTIVE SERVICE TO FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN FROM BIRTH UP TO AGE TWO 1. Alleged risk of/or physical abuse/ neglect to infant/toddler 2. Caregivers who have a mental health issue that impacts their ability to parent 3. Caregivers who misuse substances Our Work & Services 8,713 5, ,300 3, CHILDREN SERVED FAMILIES SERVED YOUTH SUPPORTED (AGES 18-21) CALLS RECEIVED CONCERNING THE SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF A CHILD INVESTIGATIONS COMPLETED PRESENTATIONS TO THE COMMUNITY VIA THE AGENCY S SPEAKER S BUREAU

7 Children in care Children in care 448 CHILDREN CURRENTLY IN THE CARE OF OUR AGENCY 22.5% AGES 0 6 YEARS EAST GWILLIMBURY 4% NEWMARKET 24% 576 CHILDREN IN CARE SERVED DURING THE YEAR GEORGINA 20% AURORA 5% 11 NEW FOSTER HOMES OPENED 117 FOSTER HOMES 18 KINSHIP HOMES 54% AGES YEARS 23.5% AGES 7 12 YEARS MARKHAM 24% OUTSIDE YORK REGION 8% Where they live VAUGHAN 5% RICHMOND HILL 10% Reason for admission to care Permanency for children Our Volunteers 53% CAREGIVER CAPACITY 8% NEGLECT 2% EMOTIONAL HARM/EXPOSURE TO CONFLICT 128 CHILDREN DISCHARGED FROM CARE VOLUNTEERS 20,190 HOURS OF SERVICE DONATED 594,349 km KILOMETRES DRIVEN BY VOLUNTEERS TAKING CHILDREN TO FAMILY ACCESS VISITS, APPOINTMENTS, ACTIVITIES 9 PROGRAMS THAT USE VOLUNTEERS 24% ABANDONMENT/ SEPARATION ADOPTIONS 17 Our Staff 11% PHYSICAL ABUSE 2% REQUEST FOR COUNSELING FAMILIES RECEIVING ADOPTION SUBSIDIES 295 STAFF MEMBERS 9 STUDENT PLACEMENTS 21 AFTER HOURS WORKERS 25 FAMILY VISIT SUPPORT COACHES 25 LANGUAGES SPOKEN BY YORK CAS STAFF 10 York Region Children s Aid Society 2014/2015 Annual Report 11

8 Impact of Donor Support With our focus on childhood enrichment, support for education, and compassionate aid, this year the Children s Fund has helped: York Region Children s Fund 154 CHILDREN living in immediate or extended family settings 114 YOUTH who are moving to independent living, growing up in the care of the agency 22 INFANTS involved with the agency s High Risk Infant Nurse program 35 CHILDREN participating in the Book Worm program to instill a lifelong love of reading OVER 400 FAMILIES and 140 YOUTH who received much-needed support during the holiday season These are just a few examples of your support in action: The York Region Children s Fund has now completed our first full year in operation! We are proud of the work that has been accomplished to provide children and youth served by York CAS opportunities to grow and thrive. A solid foundation has been laid on which we will continue to build. Much work this year has been about sharing the message that, with our community s help, we can enrich the lives of vulnerable children and youth year round to help them reach their full potential. There is still so much to be done, and we look forward to the coming year with hope and purpose. With sincere gratitude, Bruce Herridge CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS Huge thanks to our donors! Thank you to all of our committed donors at all levels for your support throughout the year. You are truly making a difference in the lives of deserving kids! 12 Rachel Agnoluzzi EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHAMPIONS: $25,000+ Frank Scarpitti Charitable Foundation Board of Directors Bruce Herridge, CHAIR Robert Rupnik, TREASURER Patrick Lake, SECRETARY Brian Johns Graham Brown Ian Proudfoot Joanne Giannakopoulos Mark Foerster Rebecca Clark Stella Partipilo EVERYDAY HEROES: $10,000-$24,999 RC Design Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation Barrick Gold Corporation St. Andrew s College Spring Smash Staff of York Region Children s Aid Society Children s Fund Team, Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon Travel costs covered for a college student so she could attend a once-in-alifetime internship in Banff to complete her college tourism program A bus pass for a youth living independently so he could stretch his limited finances to purchase the tools needed to complete his trade program Audited financial statements available on request. FRIENDS: $5,000-$9,999 Aurora Mayor s Charity Golf Classic CP24 CHUM Christmas Wish Magna Closures Dortec Industries Magna International Inc. Newmarket Mayor s Charity Golf Classic RBC Foundation A First Steps kit filled with essential baby supplies given to a new mom when she had the courage to leave an abusive relationship with only the clothes she was wearing Proper winter boots for a 16-year-old because boots were just too expensive as an independent-living youth with no family support HOLIDAY HEROES PARTNERS: York Regional Police St. Andrew s College Hasbro Individualized support so two brothers with physical and intellectual disabilities could attend day camp alongside their friends A trip home for the holidays so a college student could be with her sister, who is her only family Please help the York Region Children s Fund make a lasting difference in the life of a child. To learn more or get involved, please contact: Rachel Agnoluzzi EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR York Region Children s Fund ext 6103 rachel.agnoluzzi@yorkcas.org York Region Children s Aid Society 2014/2015 Annual Report 13

9 Thank you to those who shared their stories and helped to create this annual report. All statistics and financials included in this annual report are for the fiscal year April 1, 2014, to March 31, York Region Children s Aid Society is incorporated as Children and Family Services for York Region. Kennedy Place Leslie Street Newmarket, ON L3Y 9A1 Richmond Hill 120 East Beaver Creek Road, Suite 301 Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4V1 Vaughan 3901 Highway 7 West, Suite 202 Woodbridge, ON L4L 8L5 PHONE TOLL FREE WEB INQUIRIES FOSTER CARE ADOPTION INQUIRIES@YORKCAS.ORG FOSTERING@YORKCAS.ORG ADOPTION@YORKCAS.ORG EMPLOYMENT VOLUNTEER SPEAKER S BUREAU HUMAN.RESOURCES@YORKCAS.ORG VOLUNTEERING@YORKCAS.ORG SPEAKERS.BUREAU@YORKCAS.ORG Photography by Designed by RC Design. Printed on environmentally friendly paper.