Is the Children's Aid Society Ontario really that bad?

I was doing some research on child protection services and the net is full of complaints about CAS in Ontario. Are they really that bad. I begin to wonder because they certainly don't like to return phone calls.

No,about maybe half the CAS agencies are okay...and probably trying to do the right thing! But unfortunately alot of them here in Ontario are starting to get corrupted because of the funding formula and the powers that are afforded to this agency without little or no accountability for their actions! Unfortunately my Wife and I have had nothing but headaches with this agency or what is too often a vindictive measure taken by someone with a personal axe to grind,usually in the form of a vindictive neighbour-using the anonymous caller gimmick . In our situation,this was brought upon us by a neighbour who illegally placed a fence on our side of the property. She also just happens to work for CAS. The agency probably knows that what its doing is wrong-but they will pursue it relentlessly! Or at least until you challenge them to prove otherwise,or demand them to take you to court! Their really bad at being deceptive when it comes to the truth,and seem to take issue with alot of things that most people would consider trivial nonsense. Alot of them will purposely keep a case ongoing in order to justify their intervention because this is how they get paid... by the Province-on a case by case basis. In other words...more cases-more money,younger the kids-more money,get them into Crown Wardship or Foster Parent gimmicks-even more money! By the way,my Wife and I live in a fairly good area,and have a better than average income.We also have a very minimal Debtload,and own most of what we have! We have three happy children who have had a relatively high quality and carefree life,good vacations etc. And no...we don't abuse them at all! But we do discipline them and expect a certain amount of help whenever there are chores to be done. This is also based on age and ability to carry out the task,and we do reward our kids for their efforts. But as far as our vindictive neighbour is concerned...we enslave them and don't supervise them enough,yet my wife goes by proper guidelines set out by their agencies,and we get several copies from various others as well-and we generally agree with what they say! However,the agency has a bad tendency to contradict itself on guidelines. And it also conveniently forgets or re-edits the rules to suit their individual and all too often distorted perspective! They seem to think there is a "one size fits all" when it comes to parenting and children! And they don't seem to recognise that kids will do things at the spur of a moment,that reflect badly on the parents-but yet the parents are perfectly good parents! Also this agency will try to case your home,and set you up for a fall. We once tossed out a bag of potatoes that we never got to using over Christmas...they appeared at the door suggesting that we might be serving rotten food to our three children.Hello??? Thats why we are tossing them in the garbage in the first place-Idiots! In another instance-my Mom was babysitting for the wife and made a pot of Kraft dinner for our son. A CAS worker in Cambridge showed up at the door insisting that my mother let her in. My mother refused of course-because its not her home to let people into,so she asked this lady for a badge or name. This lady refused to identify herself saying that she can't reveal herself. So now they think they are a Secret agency??? Later on when my wife returned home,this same woman returns and walks right past Amy "as soon as she opened the door",and proceeds to look through our home snapping photos,and acting like she owned the place. And she also photographed the leftover pot of KD,that my mother had left over from our sons lunch! This woman had no legal right to do this! They also wrongfully annulled my custodial rights as a Parent over my 9 or 10 year old daughter-Why? Because once in a while,when I am home-I take my girl to Tim Horton's! I get a newspaper to read and a coffee,and my daughter gets a Juice or Milk-and her favourite Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese! And this is a crime? I wonder how Ron Joyce would feel about this,being an ex-cop and co-founder of Timmie's! The fact that "Tims" in the eyes of Cambridge CAS is inappropriate for kids? But of course when my wife enquired on this one-they were perfectly okay with McDonald's! Complete with all the excessive salt and sugar and trans fats,we quickly learned that McDonald's was the restaurant of choice for the Cambridge CAS! Can't wait to see what Brantfords restaurant of choice is??? And this was the ultimate turning point when I started to declare war on this agency! This is just the tip of the Iceberg! They've even resorted to telling my Wife to trash the husband or we'll take the kids. Took a bottle of Peach Schnapps out of my Liquor cabinet,placed it on the counter and photographed it??? Puulllleeeeezzz- I don't drink Schnapps,and what I do drink-I have about an ounce or two,usually when I get home for supper. And that is only ever a few weeks or so,because I'm a Long Haul Driver. My Wife? Don't think so....she is a Mormon,and she does not consume alcohol,coffee or tea-other than Herbal tea! We only keep an extensive selection of Booze in the home,for when friends and/or family come over-theres something for everyone who wants it. And quite a few of the bottles have not even been opened! So no...we are not abusers of alcohol. When we realised what was going on in our home,and how they were starting to become a wee bit corrupted. The wife and I called the Ombudsmans office and Lutherwood CODA. The Ombudsmans office is well aware of this agencies attrocities and behaviours,but can do little-because the province won't give any authority or investigative powers over the CAS. Lutherwood CODA helped the most! Alot of them are Ex-CAS workers,who know how this agency works and thinks. Alot of them have left CAS because they realised how wrong this agency is...they often know the corrupt workers as well-by Name and Reputation! We began to realise that this agency is more about the wholesaling of children-than it really is about "child safety", that is why so many children in their "Wardship" often end up even more abused-even dead! AND they offer no accountability or even apology for their actions or mistakes. But they'll be the first to hit the Media with an apologist who'll say Gee Whizz,don't know what went wrong-we did everything we could??? Maybe if the Province gave us more powers and funding,this could've been prevented??? Ooopps! Sorry...we had no idea that the Grandparents or Foster Parents were former abusers-our computors must not have been working properly that day??? I like this one! Oh,we thought the Doctors were handling this one,how could we have screwed up??? Easy! Just ask Jordan Heikampf or other children who died or starved to death...while in CAS custody. The most recent incident involved a boy in Toronto named Jeffrey Baldwin. He died imaciated and weighing less than a toddler,he was about five or six "at the time" and CAS wasted no energy in trying to wash their hands of this Attrocity and other indiscrepancies that came up later...Luxury Automobiles,Carribean Vacations,Big Bonuses etc...I could go on and on! But thats our story -"My Wife and I"! We finally got them off our backs,when they finally realised we were on to them...we threatened to launch a Criminal Investigation in our case-and take it to the Media! In short order the sent us a letter that the case has been closed-but they always leave you with a footnote saying We'll be back if we receive anymore Anonymous calls Blah Blah Blah! In the previous incident in Cambridge,the Director showed up to our house and suggested that we should just forget about all of this and move ahead,and that Amy and I should just get our marriage back together! Lets back up here a little bit...they were the ones who dictated to Amy to dump the Husband or "We'll take the Kids". And now the Director is saying we should just get back together,and forget about all of this? NO! don't expect any return calls from CAS. They don't feel they have to answer to anyone because "We got more powers than the Police you know"! We are experts on kids,because we read all about it in University while getting our Trashbucket B.A. Degree in Social work. And most of us don't have kids,but still know more about raising them than you do...Stupid Parents!!!! My wife and I feel that there is a need in Society for a Child Protective Service but? It must be accountable to the Public and the Ombudsmans Office for Ontario. It must never be used in a vindictive fashion-under the guise of the so-called Anonymous caller gimmick or for personal revenge or gain. And if so used in this way-Criminal Charges should be levied against such people who would use this agency to further their "selfish interests". Also the CAS needs to be revamped with a better funding formula...not a performance based one,where they get more cash for more cases opened...Period! They should only be allowed to intervene in a matter where there is definate proof of Neglect,Sexual Improprieties,Malnourishment or Beating and Injury.Period! And in any circumstance where the parent/parent(s) show a blatant disregard or interest in the safety or welfare of their children. No? I'm not talking about Discipline or Corporal Punishment,or little Johnny brought the wrong kind of Drink to School today(ie) Soda vs.Juiceboxes! The monies should be going to the children who need it most desperately...not to opening files on otherwise good parents who are having an occasional bad day or week,with the usual child problems that Parents will experience from time to time. Realistically everybody has a "Dysfunctional Family" at some point in their lives! But there are too many Children in Ontario,who have been wrongfully taken away and/or disenfranchised from their parents-who objected to the CAS's un-scientific and "In your Face" approach! If you disagree with them-you are considered to be uncooperative. Argue with them...you have an "Anger Management" problem? But of course it's okay for them to treat you in that very same fashion,and harrass you at Home,School and even your Workplace. And to the CAS workers out there who are doing the job properly-My Wife and I commend you! To Those who abuse the system and bend the rules to get their way to wrongfully steal a child-We hope you burn in Hell! And I'll finish this statement with their favorite line...How Do You Feel??? Terri you can reach Amy and I at-theerrander@rogers.com or at (519)751-4442. We'll be more than happy to fill you in on the mindlessness on this overpowered and way out of control agency! You'll probably Howl when you find out from the Wife and I,what sort of Dumb responses that have come out of the CAS. And finally I think you will realise that there is a good reason why so many people including Doctors,Caregivers,and numerous other "Real Professionals" have a tremendous dislike for the CAS! This Agency also has a high turnover rate in its employees'....is it because they finally woke up and smelled the coffee? Or did they finally realise that what they are doing is Cruel and Evil,and amounts to a very unrewarding job! You be the Judge! I also think that Ron Joyce of Tim Hortons' should place a ban on Waterloo CAS,and forbid them from entering his child unfriendly Donut chain...would'nt want those CAS clowns eating their Soups and Salads and Bagels and Cream Cheese and Sandwiches-He can send them packing over to McDonald's! Where I'm sure that they'll find some Menu choices that are far more Preferable to their Bent and Moronic Mindset!

I have no connection with C.A.S. but I'm sure they try their best.Caseloads are high and not enough time to do it all right.I guess they must prioritize as best they can.Curious, has anyone ever volunteered their time to help C.A.S.? Report It

Volunteers have helped make a difference in many areas where staffing cutback have impacted on the very people they are supposed to help. Report It

Child protection my behind! CAS in Ontario certainly has it's issues. They are often the talk of the coffee room at work. I will post a complete answer when I get home later today. Sorry for the incomplete answer.

About fourteen-odd years ago, I -- and two roommates -- called them repeatedly; we had awful neighbours who hit their kids regularly.

Dad was a drunk we were once subpoena'ed to testify against after seeing him in a ridiculous punch-up with some other guy; not nice. Also disturbingly, the five of them were crammed into a tiny two-bedroom apt that was barely that -- just the two bedrooms and a wee kitchen and bath -- and all five of them used one room as a bedroom; the other was occupied by a television. Yikes.

Anyway, none of the three of us got anywhere with them -- this was in Ottawa -- and given how obvious and loud and visible the problems were, we couldn't have been the only ones calling. Quite frustrating.

I think they are terrible. Once they have a file on you (parents) it never goes away even if the complaint was unfounded. They don't offer much for help for the children or the parents if they are in a difficult situation. I agree with the one answer...you can call about abuse that you have witnessed and they don't seem to respond unless that abuse is reported by a teacher or the police. What's the sense of having them if they pick and choose which complaints they investigate? We actually went to them once because our neice was starting to get into trouble, running away, and such and they told us until she had broken the law and was arrested they couldn't do anything to help. Why wait until the child has gone down that path completely before intervening?? The whole system needs to be revamped.