Former Ontario Child Advocate Urges Reform Following Infant Death

Former Ontario Child Advocate Irwin Elman has issued an urgent call for reforms in the child welfare system after the tragic death of an infant in 2017. The infant, identified only as “M”, died at the age of 14 months while in the care of the Children’s Aid Society (CAS). A coroner’s inquest into the death found that CAS had failed to adequately assess the risks to M and her mother. Elman, who served as Child Advocate from 2007 to 2016, said the inquest findings “exposed a systemic failure” within the CAS. He highlighted several areas that require urgent attention, including: *

Enhanced Risk Assessment:

Elman called for more comprehensive and standardized risk assessments to identify potential dangers to children and their families. *

Mandated Caseworker Training:

He emphasized the need for mandatory training for caseworkers that focuses on recognizing and managing risk, understanding child development, and working effectively with vulnerable families. *

Increased Supervision and Support:

Elman recommended increasing supervisory oversight and providing caseworkers with access to additional resources and supports, such as child psychologists and family support workers. *

Improved Collaboration:

He stressed the importance of strengthening collaboration between child welfare agencies, health care providers, and law enforcement to ensure a coordinated response to high-risk cases. Elman pointed out that these reforms were not new and had been recommended in previous reports. However, he said it is crucial to implement them immediately to prevent further tragedies. “We need to invest in our child welfare system and make sure it has the resources, training, and leadership to protect our most vulnerable children,” said Elman. “The death of M is a wake-up call that we can no longer afford to ignore.” The provincial government has announced a review of the CAS system and has committed to implementing reforms. However, critics argue that the government’s plans do not go far enough and fail to address the systemic issues identified by the former Child Advocate.Calls for Child Welfare Overhaul Grow After Tragic Kingston Case

Calls for Child Welfare Overhaul Grow After Tragic Kingston Case

In the aftermath of a shocking case of alleged abandonment and neglect in Kingston, Ontario, calls for an overhaul of the province’s child welfare system are intensifying. A 32-year-old woman is accused of abandoning her two young children in their apartment, resulting in the death of her infant son due to neglect. According to neighbors and a source close to the family, the mother has a history of substance abuse and domestic instability. Tragically, other children had previously been removed from the mother and the biological father, who was not living with the family at the time.

Systemic Issues Highlighted

Former Ontario Child and Youth Advocate Irwin Elman attributes the tragedy to systemic issues within the province’s child welfare system. He emphasizes the lack of coordination between child welfare agencies when families move from one jurisdiction to another. Elman believes that children’s aid workers should be able to access information about families from other parts of the province to prevent such incidents.

Local Agencies Aware of Mother

Local child and family services agencies in Brockville and Kingston were aware of the mother. Multiple neighbors claim to have alerted child welfare authorities about her pregnancy and expressed concerns about the children’s safety. Despite these warnings, authorities failed to intervene effectively. One neighbor claims to have witnessed child welfare workers arriving at the building but leaving after failing to hear the children screaming.

Demand for Investigations

Families and Children’s Services of Frontenac, Lennox, and Addington released a statement acknowledging that they had received as much information as possible to make decisions in line with provincial standards. However, they could not comment specifically on the case due to privacy legislation. Ontario’s Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services has expressed that the well-being of children in the province is a top priority. They have not confirmed whether the circumstances surrounding the infant’s death will be reviewed, although it is stated as protocol in cases where a child has died while receiving services.

Calls for Reform

Elman calls for a special committee to investigate the case and recommends interventions by the Office of the Chief Coroner and Ontario’s Ombudsman. He believes a biannual report should be issued on the number of child deaths in care and seeks recommendations on how to reduce that number. Liberal MPP Ted Hsu echoes these calls for investigation, expressing concern about any evidence of systemic problems that led to the tragedy.

Criticism of Provincial Funding

Children’s aid societies in other regions have also raised concerns about inadequate provincial funding. Cuts made by the Ford government have left many agencies with significant budget shortfalls, compromising their ability to provide effective services. The recent tragedy in Kingston underscores the urgent need for reform in Ontario’s child welfare system. Systemic issues, lack of coordination, and insufficient resources must be addressed to ensure the well-being of vulnerable children and families.

Former Ontario Child Advocate Calls for Reform Following Infant Death

A former Ontario child advocate is calling for immediate reform after an infant died in care. In a statement, Irwin Elman said the incident “underscores the urgent need for systemic changes” in the provincial child welfare system. “This is a tragic and preventable death,” Elman said. “We must do everything we can to ensure that something like this never happens again.” Elman’s call for reform comes as the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services investigates the infant’s death. The ministry has confirmed that the infant was in the care of the Children’s Aid Society of Niagara when he died. “Our hearts go out to the family and friends of this child,” said Children’s Aid Society of Niagara CEO Stuart Alway. “We are committed to cooperating fully with the investigation and implementing any necessary reforms.” Elman said the investigation must be thorough and transparent. “We need to know exactly what happened and why,” he said. “Only then can we start to make the changes that are needed.” Elman has outlined several specific reforms that he believes are necessary, including: * Increasing funding for child welfare services * Reducing caseloads for child welfare workers * Improving training for child welfare workers * Creating a more robust system of oversight and accountability “These are just a few of the changes that are needed,” Elman said. “We need to do everything we can to ensure that our most vulnerable children are safe and protected.” The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services has said it is committed to working with all stakeholders to improve the child welfare system. “The safety and well-being of children is our top priority,” said Minister Lisa MacLeod. “We will take any and all necessary steps to ensure that our children are protected.”