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TORONTO STAR ANALYSIS

TORONTO
STAR ANALYSIS:
4/23/2015

CAS / CROWN WARD DATA


This document shares the findings of a Toronto Star analysis
of 4th Quarter Reports (2008/09 2012/13) and Crown
Ward Reviews (2013) for Ontario Childrens Aid Societies.

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TORONTO STAR ANALYSIS

TORONTO STAR ANALYSIS:


CAS/CROWN WARD DATA

SUMMARY
The data used in this Toronto Star analysis comes from budget reports sent to the Ministry of Children
and Youth Services detailing how each society spends the governments money and from
government case audits of children who have been in the care of foster parents or group homes for two
or more years. Reports and audits dating back five years (2008/9 to 2012/13) were obtained by the Star
through freedom of information requests.
In order to make comparisons between individual societies, Star journalists consulted with experts on
which data points might speak to differences in philosophy and other factors such as geographic
setting and demographics of catchment areas that would impact how children in care are treated.
Such comparisons have never been done before. The Ontario Association of Childrens Aid Societies says
the data was never collected with making comparisons in mind, but there is agreement that this is the
best and only available data to make such comparisons.
The Star shared its preliminary analysis and sought input from the ministry and the OACAS, which in turn
shared it with its member societies.
After receiving feedback from the OACAS, a final findings package was prepared and is available at
thestar.com.
Another caveat: Due to privacy concerns of the ministry, counts of children that were between 0 and 5
were redacted. This has an impact on some calculations. Also, because some of the calculations are over
a time period when some societies amalgamated, the total number of societies varies.
The Stars analysis shows significant discrepancies, indicating that Ontarios most vulnerable children are
treated differently depending on the children's aid society (CAS) that takes them into care. At the
Algoma society, based in Sault Ste. Marie, 30 per cent of children, on average, were placed with kin
during a five-year period ending in 2013. Next door at the Sudbury and Manitoulin society, however, the
number drops to 18 per cent. Its even lower at the Childrens Aid Society of Toronto 11 per cent
and less than 7 per cent at Dufferin Child and Family Services, just northwest of the city.

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TORONTO STAR ANALYSIS

Likewise, some agencies carefully consider mandatory questionnaires detailing a childs history when
deciding on his or her plan of care; others dont. Some put a significant number of children in group
homes, while others almost completely avoid doing so.

From Quarterly Reports, similar discrepancies can be found when examining the amount spent for group
home care the Jewish CAS in Toronto spends 33 per cent of its total paid days of care on group
homes; at Prescott-Russell, its less than 2 per cent.
Significant differences were also found in other important areas, including the number of investigations
conducted by societies, compared to the number transferred to ongoing. It suggests that some CASs
are far more intrusive than others when it comes to investigating families. Questions are also raised
when the number of reopened cases is considered.
In the Crown Ward Reviews, significant differences were found among CASs in the number of times
wards were moved since their most recent admission (more than 8 times at James/Hudson Bay; less
than 3 times at Peel Region), and the number of case workers they encountered (13 at Tikinagan; 3.6 in
Sarnia). Big differences are also evident in other areas, including annual medicals in some CASs 100 per
cent of Crown Wards get them; in BruceGreyCounty, only 65 per cent. Similar gaps are found for annual
dental checkups.
Societies can avoid costly and bitter court battles by using an alternative dispute mechanism (ADR) that
gets parents and relatives to agree on a plan that changes behaviour and protects children. Yet few CASs
use this method. Thunder Bay scores highest by using it the most, while Toronto CAS made little use of
it. Six societies did not use it at all.
What follows is a detailed breakdown of findings for the categories we examined. You will find in most
cases a top 5/bottom 5 CAS ranking, based on percentages and ratios, along with the Ontario average.
You will also find a detailed bar chart for the categories we compared.
The Toronto Star analysis was conducted by reporters Sandro Contenta, Laurie Monsebraaten and Jim
Rankin and data analysts Andrew Bailey and Hidy Ng. If you have any questions regarding the analysis or
methodology, please feel free to contact Jim Rankin at 416-869-4431, or by email at jrankin@thestar.ca.

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TORONTO STAR ANALYSIS

SECTION I: QUARTERLY REPORTS


1) KINSHIP AND CUSTOMARY CARE:
The Star examined how different societies place their children in care by looking at different placement
types compared to overall average number of children in care, for the five fiscal years 2008/2009 to
2012/2013. In order to make meaningful comparisons, the Star grouped together placements with kin
(with and without care designation i.e. Care vs. Service) and Customary Care, a special placement
for Aboriginal children.
Looking at these three types of care, combined, we used average number of children in care plus
children in kinship service (no financial support) as a denominator. We calculated percentages for each.
The higher the percentage, the more use of these placements. (Aboriginal children can be placed in a
special arrangement called customary care. Essentially, any family or community member who can raise
a child in accordance with his or her band communitys customs.) Keeping children with relatives or
community members is considered preferable to other placement types such as foster and group
homes.
TABLE 1: KINSHIP AND CUSTOMARY CARE

CAS
Weechi-it-te-win Family Services Inc.
Tikinagan Child and Family Services Inc.
Anishinaabe Abinoojii Family Services
Dilico Anishinabek Family Care
Chatham-Kent Integrated Children's Service
Ontario Average
Native Child and Family Services of Toronto
Family, Youth and Child Services of Muskoka
Highland Shores Childrens Aid Society
Catholic Children's Aid Society of Toronto
Jewish Family and Child Service of Greater Toronto
Children's Aid Society of Toronto
County of Prince Edward Children's Aid Society
Dufferin Child and Family Services

Percent Rank
68.1%
1
64.6%
2
54.8%
3
35.0%
4
31.3%
5
22.9%
15.6%
39
15.2%
40
15.1%
41
13.8%
42
12.0%
43
11.6%
44
9.4%
45
6.5%
46

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2) GROUP HOME CARE


We compared group home days of paid care to total days of paid care. It indicates the extent to which
societies place children/youth in group home care. Urban societies tend to use group homes at higher
rates than non-urban ones.
During a five-year period, the Jewish CAS of Greater Toronto spent 33.2 per cent of its total days of paid
care on group homes, and the Catholic CAS of Toronto 21.9 per cent. That compares to less than 2 per
cent for Prescott-Russell CAS.
Six societies spent more than 20 per cent of total days paid care on group home care during the fiveyear period. Nineteen societies spent less than 10 per cent of total days of paid care on group home
care.

TABLE 2: GROUP HOME CARE

CAS
Jewish Family and Child Service of Greater Toronto
Payukotayno: James and Hudson Bay Family Services
Catholic Children's Aid Society of Toronto
CAS of the RegionalMunicipality of Waterloo
Windsor-Essex Children's Aid Society
Children's Aid Society of the City of Sarnia and the County of Lambton Inc.
Ontario Average
CAS of the City of Guelph& the County of Wellington
Children's Aid Society of Brant
Dilico Anishinabek Family Care
The Children's Aid Society of Haldimand-Norfolk
Weechi-it-te-win Family Services Inc.
Services aux enfants et adultes de P-R Services to Children and Adults

Percent Rank
33.2%
1
27.2%
2
21.9%
3
21.1%
4
20.5%
5
20.4%
6
12.4%
5.4%
41
5.4%
42
4.6%
43
4.6%
44
4.5%
45
1.9%
46

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3) ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION (ADR)


The Star looked at the number of cases that societies deal with through an alternate dispute resolution
process, an option that requires coordinating meetings with family and relatives and/or mediation. The
Star compared the number of ADR cases with the number of ongoing support services- number of
cases served. We created a ratio of cases served to ADR cases. This allows for a comparison of ADR use.
For example, in Thunder Bay, for every 11 cases served, there is one case that goes to ADR.
Overall, the actual numbers during the five-year period are quite low. First Nation societies seem to be
doing very few of these. Thunder Bay, Prince Edward, Renfrew and Brant use it most often,
proportionately.
Societies in major urban centres like Toronto, Ottawa, and Peel rarely use it, and 6 societies didnt use it
at all.
TABLE 3: ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION

CAS
The Children's Aid Society of the District of Thunder Bay
County of Prince Edward Children's Aid Society
Family & Children's Services of Renfrew County
Children's Aid Society of Brant
Kawartha - Haliburton Children's Aid Society
Children's Aid Society of Algoma
Ontario Average
55-Family and Children's of Lanark, Leeds and Grenville
09-The Children's Aid Society of the Durham Region
14-Halton Children's Aid Society
52-Windsor-Essex Children's Aid Society
01-Anishinaabe Abinoojii Family Services
08-Dufferin Child and Family Services
33-Payukotayno: James and Hudson Bay Family Services
44-Tikinagan Child and Family Services Inc.
50-Weechi-it-te-win Family Services Inc.
51-CAS of the City of Guelph & the County of Wellington

Cases
Served
to ADR
Ratio
11:1
15:1
18:1
20:1
22:1
22:1
53:1
205:1
220:1
404:1
792:1
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
37
38
39
40

N/A means ZERO ADR

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4) NEW PROTECTION APPLICATIONS


The Star compared new protection applications, which involve going to court, with ongoing support
services-number of cases served. We created percentages to compare. The higher the percentage, the
more litigious the society.

TABLE 4: NEW PROTECTION APPLICATIONS

CAS
Family & Children's Services of Renfrew County
The Children's Aid Society of the Districts of Nipissing and Parry Sound
Family and Childrens Services of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington
CAS of London and Middlesex
CAS of the City of St. Thomas and the County of Elgin
Children's Aid Society of Ottawa
Ontario Average
Children's Aid Society of the Region of Peel
Dilico Anishinabek Family Care
Halton Children's Aid Society
Anishinaabe Abinoojii Family Services
Tikinagan Child and Family Services Inc.
Weechi-it-te-win Family Services Inc.

Percent Rank
55.2%
1
41.3%
2
34.7%
3
27.0%
4
26.5%
5
25.8%
6
14.9%
7.0%
41
5.9%
42
5.5%
43
5.4%
44
0.1%
45
0.0%
46

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5) INVESTIGATIONS
The Star examined CAS investigations. Included in this look is a breakdown of the referral of cases for
investigation, and the re-opening of cases.

5a) Investigations Completed versus Ongoing


We compared total investigations completed with cases transferred to ongoing, by creating ratios.
The greater the ratio of total completed to cases transferred, the higher the number of investigations
that were unfounded.
York Region investigates seven times more cases than it transfers to ongoing during the five-year period.
Durham, Greater Toronto Jewish, and Halton all investigate six times more. At the opposite end,
Prescott-Russell, Haldimand-Norfolk, North Eastern and three First Nations societies investigate about
two or three times more cases than they transfer to ongoing.

TABLE 5A: INVESTIGATIONS - COMPLETED VS ONGOING

CAS
Children and Family Services for York Region
Halton Children's Aid Society
Jewish Family and Child Service of Greater Toronto
The Children's Aid Society of the Durham Region
Dufferin Child and Family Services
Ontario Average
North Eastern Ontario Family and Childrens Services
The Children's Aid Society of Haldimand-Norfolk
Anishinaabe Abinoojii Family Services
Prescott-Russell Services to Children and Adults
Tikinagan Child and Family Services Inc.
Weechi-it-te-win Family Services Inc.

CompletedToOngoing Ratio
7.2:1
6.5:1
6:1
6:1
5.8:1
4.3:1
3:1
2.9:1
2.9:1
2.8:1
2.2:1
2.2:1

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Rank
1
2
3
4
5
41
42
43
44
45
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5b) Investigations Cases Reopened


The Star compared the number of cases opened with the number reopened in the same five-year
period. The higher the ratio, the fewer number of cases being reopened.
Ten CASs reopened more cases than they opened, including Toronto, Toronto Catholic, Durham,
Ottawa, and Waterloo.
Greater Toronto Jewish CAS has by far the lowest ratio of cases reopened only one for every 16 cases
opened. The next lowest scores are two First Nations societies Anishinaabe and Tikinagan with one
reopened for every seven opened.
Most societies are reopening a case for every one or two opened.

TABLE 5B: INVESTIGATIONS - CASES REOPENED

CAS
Jewish Family and Child Service of Greater Toronto
Tikinagan Child and Family Services Inc.
Anishinaabe Abinoojii Family Services
Kenora-Rainy River Districts Child and Family Services
Weechi-it-te-win Family Services Inc.
Children's Aid Society of the Region of Peel
Ontario Average
Children's Aid Society of Toronto
Highland Shores Childrens Aid Society
Catholic Children's Aid Society of Toronto
Kawartha - Haliburton Children's Aid Society
Children's Aid Society of Algoma
Children's Aid Society of Ottawa
The Children's Aid Society of the Durham Region
CAS of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo
The Children's Aid Society of the District of Thunder Bay
The Children's Aid Society of the Districts of Sudbury and Manitoulin

OpenedToReopened
16:1
7:1
6.9:1
5.4:1
5.3:1
5.2:1
1.5:1
0.9:1
0.9:1
0.9:1
0.9:1
0.8:1
0.8:1
0.7:1
0.6:1
0.6:1
0.5:1

Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46

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6) CROWN WARDS WITH AND WITHOUT PARENTAL ACCESS


When comparing the proportion of Crown wards with access to parents, versus Crown wards without
access, significant differences between CASs again emerge. We created average ratios for this measure,
over the five years of ministry roll-up data. The higher the ratio, greater is the proportion with access.
In Durham, the average ratio of Crown wards with access to those without was 8 to 1. In Chatham-Kent
and Guelph/Wellington and CAS Ottawa, the ratio was 1 to 1. In many other CAS jurisdictions, it was
closer to 2 to 1 having access. In jurisdictions where there was also a Catholic CAS, the Catholic CASs had
a higher proportion of Crown wards with access to parents.

TABLE 6: RATIO OF CROWN WARDS WITH PARENTAL ACCESS TO THOSE WITHOUT

CAS
Weechi-it-te-win Family Services Inc.
Tikinagan Child and Family Services Inc.
AnishinaabeAbinoojii Family Services
The Children's Aid Society of the Durham Region
Halton Children's Aid Society
Family and Children's of Lanark, Leeds and Grenville
Ontario Average
Children's Aid Society of Ottawa
Chatham-Kent Integrated Children's Service
Native Child and Family Services of Toronto
CAS of the City of Guelph & the County of Wellington

Ward Access:NoAccess Ratio


All
61:1
57:1
8:1
5:1
5:1
2.5:1
1.0:1
0.98:1
0.95:1
0.94:1

Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
43
44
45
46

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SECTION II: CROWN WARD REVIEWS


The Star obtained Crown Ward Reviews for each CAS conducted for each of the five years from 2009 to
2013. The format changed in 2012, making it impossible to compare outcomes over those five years.
Subsequent amalgamations of CASs left the Star with only 2013 as a year to look at results. Significant
differences were found in performance.

1) AVERAGE NUMBER OF PLACEMENTS PER CHILD/YOUTH SINCE


MOST RECENT ADMISSION
Placements ranged from a low of 2.6 for Peel Region to a high of 8.6 for Payukotayno James & Hudson
Bay. Also registering a high number of moves are Tikinagan at 6.6, and Elgin, North Eastern and PrescottRussell with slightly more than 5 moves.

TABLE CW1: AVERAGE NUMBER OF PLACEMENTS

CAS

Average number of
placements per
child/youth since
most recent
admission

Rank

PEEL

2.6

KENORA RAINY RIVER

2.8

RENFREW

2.9

NATIVE

3.0

THUNDER BAY

3.0

ONTARIO AVERAGE

4.0

VALORIS PRESCOTT

5.5

41

ELGIN

5.6

42

NORTH EASTERN

5.7

43

TIKINAGAN

6.6

44

JAMES AND HUDSON BAY

8.6

45

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2) AVERAGE NUMBER OF CASEWORKERS SINCE CHILDS ADMISSION


TO CARE
The number of caseworkers ranged from 2.7 in Weechi-it-te-win CAS to a high of 12.8 in Tikinagan CAS.
Twenty CASs had Wards seeing five or more caseworkers.

TABLE CW2: AVERAGE NUMBER OF CASEWORKERS

CAS

Average number of
caseworkers since
the child's
admission to care

Rank

WEECHI-IT-TE-WIN

2.7

NATIVE CHILD (TORONTO)

3.2

SARNIA LAMBTON

3.6

WELLINGTON

3.6

DURHAM

3.7

SIMCOE

3.7

ONTARIO AVERAGE

5.1

BRUCE GREY

7.1

41

DUFFERIN

7.3

42

ANISHINAABE ABINOOJII

7.6

43

JAMES AND HUDSON BAY

8.2

44

12.8

45

TIKINAGAN

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3) AAR/ONLAC USED TO DEVELOP PLANS OF CARE


A large number of CASs are not consistently using these important tools to develop plans of care. Bruce
Grey used them in only 21.8 per cent of plans of care, Simcoe in 36.8 per cent, Elgin in 40 per cent. Ten
CASs are using these tools in plans of care 50 per cent of the time, or less.
Only three CASs Algoma, Halton and Weechi-it-te-win used them 100 per cent of the time.

TABLE CW3: PERCENTAGE OF PLANS USING AAR/ONLAC

CAS

AAR/ONLAC
used to
develop plans
of care

Rank

ALGOMA

100.0%

HALTON

100.0%

WEECHI-IT-TE-WIN

100.0%

VALORIS PRESCOTT

95.5%

NIAGARA

91.7%

CHATHAM KENT

91.1%

ONTARIO AVERAGE

64.8%

RENFREW

44.9%

39

MUSKOKA

44.4%

40

WELLINGTON

44.4%

40

ELGIN

40.0%

42

JAMES AND HUDSON BAY

38.2%

43

SIMCOE

36.8%

44

BRUCE GREY

21.8%

45

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4) ANNUAL MEDICAL
Only six CASs had 100 per cent of Crown Wards receiving annual medicals within the specified
timeframe. Bruce Grey had the fewest at 65 per cent.

TABLE CW4: PERCENTAGE OF CROWN WARDS THAT RECEIVE ANNUAL MEDICALS

CAS

Annual
medical

Rank

DUFFERIN

100.00%

HALTON

100.00%

JAMES AND HUDSON BAY

100.00%

MUSKOKA

100.00%

VALORIS PRESCOTT

100.00%

WEECHI-IT-TE-WIN

100.00%

ONTARIO AVERAGE

91.87%

HAMILTON WENTWORTH CCAS

86.30%

41

RENFREW

85.70%

42

HIGHLAND SHORES

85.40%

43

ANISHINAABE ABINOOJII

81.60%

44

BRUCE GREY

65.50%

45

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5) ANNUAL DENTAL
Only five CASs had 100 per cent of Crown Wards who received annual dental care within the specified
timeframe. Tikinagan scored lowest with 56.6 per cent, followed by Bruce Grey with 69 percent. Seven
CASs scored between 70 and 80 per cent.

TABLE CW5: PERCENTAGE OF CROWN WARDS THAT RECEIVE ANNUAL DENTAL CARE

CAS

Annual dental

Rank

ALGOMA

100.00%

ELGIN

100.00%

JEWISH FAMILY

100.00%

MUSKOKA

100.00%

WEECHI-IT-TE-WIN

100.00%

ONTARIO AVERAGE

86.35%

LONDON

74.10%

41

DILICO ANISHINABEK

73.90%

42

DUFFERIN

72.70%

43

BRUCE GREY

69.10%

44

TIKINAGAN

56.60%

45

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6) AVERAGE NUMBER OF FACE-TO-FACE CONTACTS IN PAST 12


MONTHS
Scores ranged from a high of 23 in Algoma to a low of 6 in Weechi-it-te-win. Ten CASs had face-to-face
contact no more than ten times.

TABLE CW6: AVERAGE NUMBER OF FACE-TO-FACE CONTACTS

CAS

Average number of
face-to-face contacts
in the past 12 months

Rank

ALGOMA

23.5

NORTH EASTERN

19.4

NIAGARA

16.6

LANARK LEEDS AND GRENVILLE

15.0

FRONTENAC KINGSTON ADDINGTON

14.7

KAWARTHA HALIBURTON

14.7

ONTARIO AVERAGE

17.3

MUSKOKA

9.9

40

JAMES AND HUDSON BAY

9.8

41

RENFREW

9.5

42

NATIVE

8.8

43

NIPISSING PARRY SOUND

8.3

44

WEECHI-IT-TE-WIN

5.9

45

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7) OVERALL COMPLIANCE
The Star found wide variations in overall compliance in Crown Ward Reviews. Some CASs 13 in all
scored 100 per cent when full compliance (what per cent of the standards were complied with 100 per
cent of the time in the cases reviewed) and high compliance (what per cent of the standards were
complied with 75 to 99 per cent of the time in the cases reviewed) are noted together.

TABLE CW7: OVERALL COMPLIANCE

CAS

% Full

% High

% of cases
=Full & High
Compliance

Rank

ALGOMA

68.4%

31.6%

100.0%

ELGIN

81.2%

18.8%

100.0%

HALTON

68.4%

31.6%

100.0%

HAMILTON WENTWORTH

45.5%

54.5%

100.0%

HURON PERTH

57.9%

42.1%

100.0%

JAMES AND HUDSON BAY

42.1%

57.9%

100.0%

MUSKOKA

68.8%

31.2%

100.0%

NIAGARA

47.6%

52.4%

100.0%

OTTAWA

33.3%

66.7%

100.0%

STORMONT DUNDAS & GLENGARRY

33.3%

66.7%

100.0%

TORONTO CAS

36.4%

63.6%

100.0%

WATERLOO

16.7%

83.3%

100.0%

YORK

45.0%

55.0%

100.0%

ONTARIO AVERAGE

38.5%

48.9%

87.4%

HAMILTON WENTWORTH CCAS

30.0%

40.0%

70.0%

40

SARNIA LAMBTON

30.0%

40.0%

70.0%

40

TIKINAGAN

21.1%

47.4%

68.5%

42

SUDBURY MANITOULIN

16.7%

50.0%

66.7%

43

PEEL

22.2%

44.4%

66.6%

44

BRUCE GREY

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

45

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