News Releases    

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 20, 2003

High Children’s Aid caseloads “a disaster waiting to happen,” union says

LONDON – High caseloads at the Children’s Aid Society of London and Middlesex are “a disaster waiting to happen,” the union representing area children’s aid workers says.

“Children’s Aid workers are dealing with more children in care and an increase in the work connected to each case,” said Lynne Easter-Froats, president of Local 116 of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union. “We believe it’s only a matter of time before something terrible happens as a result.”

Children’s Aid workloads are based on outdated criteria from 1997, said Easter-Froats.

“The workload standards our employer uses today were put in place at the same time that a whole raft of legislated requirements came into effect,” she said. “The risk assessment model we use now requires significantly more paperwork. Now that teachers, doctors and other professionals have an increased legal duty to report abuse and neglect, the number of referrals has skyrocketed.

“We’ve got too little time for legal preparation work. We’ve got too little time to support existing foster homes or recruit new ones,” Easter-Froats said.

Studies by the union and the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies suggest staffing would have to rise by 30 per cent to deal with current workloads. But streamlining the paperwork required of children’s aid workers would be a less costly option, Easter-Froats said.

“People are chained to their desks,” she said. “Right now our social workers spend 70 to 80 per cent of their time on paperwork as opposed to direct client service.”

The roughly 400 children’s aid workers are fighting to solve the workload problem at the bargaining table. The union will meet the employer, with the assistance of a conciliation officer, on May 21. Failure at conciliation would start the clock ticking towards a legal strike or lockout date.

- 30 -

For more information:

Lynne Easter-Froats (519) 455-9000 ext. 465; (519) 933-6455 (cell)
Karen Cudmore (519) 455-9000 ext. 229
Tom Watson, OPSEU Negotiator (519) 649-7770