FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 29,  2000

Funding does nothing "for forgotten children"

TORONTO - The allocation of $106 million this year to Children's Aid Societies announced Monday by Community and Social Services Minister John Baird is not nearly enough, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union says.

"Children in desperate need for help were forgotten by the government for the past five years," said OPSEU President Leah Casselman. "Front line workers have been and still are confronted with increasing waiting lists and excessive workloads."

"The Harris government laid off 750 child protection workers in 1995," said Casselman."Now the government is trying to patch things up by hiring some back to cover their tracks."

Casselman added it would take double the current staff to eliminate waiting lists and reduce excessive workloads.

"Workers don't get enough time to investigate cases of abused children and they have too many cases to handle. Abused children need more workers to help them," said Linda Aho, Chair of OPSEU's Children's Aid Societies.

"This government didn't consider a Coroner's suggestion to work with OPSEU on a joint workload study. The proclamation of the new child protection legislation doesn't solve the excessive workload issue," said Dave Calvert, OPSEU Executive Board Member and a worker at Ottawa's Children Aid Society. "We call on them to launch this study immediately."

- 30 -

For further information:

Megan Park; (416) 443-8888, ext. 207
Pierre Floréa (416) 450-1252; (416) 448-7442