History of the Children’s Aid Society of Haldimand & Norfolk

Declaration of Incorporation approved by the Lieutenant Governor for The CAS of Haldimand, one of the first in the province

First recorded meeting in Norfolk to consider formation of a child protection organization. Norfolk merged withWaterford CAS in 1909. In 1908 the office was located on West Street in Simcoe.

Charles R. Bilger was appointed the first Superintendent of the Haldimand Society.

Travelled 1600 miles in Norfolk County by horse and buggy, 142 wards in foster care.

Adoption Act passed, 25 adoptions completed in Norfolk.

Haldimand operating budget $6,094.56, reported surplus .92

Haldimand CAS motto changed from “The Child First” to “Better Save the Child than Punish the Criminal”, with a view towards proactive child welfare practices

Norfolk Society incorporated.

Mr Charles Bilger, First Superintendent at Haldimand CAS advocated for preventative in-home services, stating: “The CAS is not content with simply looking after neglected children and trying to pull them out of the stream of blighting influences but are seeking to go upstream to the source of the trouble and so place a protective influence about the child in its own home.”

First social worker hired on a part time basis at Haldimand CAS. First invitation from Norfolk CAS to attend a conference.

Established Juvenile Court under the operation of the Norfolk CAS

Women were invited to become Board members for the first time in Norfolk.

Charles R. Bilger was recognized for his 30 years of service at the Haldimand CAS AGM. Following his resignation Evelyn Caswell O’Brien was hired as Local Superintendent at Haldimand CAS.

Helen Kinnear was appointed Judge of the Juvenile Court in Haldimand, necessitating her to resign as a Director of the Board

Mr T Don Jackson hired as Local Superintendent at Haldimand CAS.

Installed dial phone system, established staff pension plan in Norfolk.

BSW courses offered by Toronto and McMaster Universities – Society sends two social workers

Dial telephones installed in Dunnville office

Hired first teaching homemaker in Norfolk.

Amalgamation discussions – Haldimand unanimously opposed to consolidate with any other County or area; Norfolk rejected amalgamation with Brant

New Child Welfare Act becomes law

146 children in care in Norfolk, a 16% decrease

Established Foster Parent Association; Society changed its operating name to Family & Children’s Services of Norfolk to reflect preventative nature of services.

Norfolk Staff become members of CUPE.

Name changed to “Family & Children’s Services of the County of Haldimand” to reflect objective of preserving the family unit

Fresh Air Fund formed to send children to camp

Amalgamation talks rejected by Haldimand

Amalgamation talks rejected by Norfolk

Child Abuse Treatment Team implemented in Haldimand County.

John Spiers became Acting Director at Haldimand CAS, nine offices and a meeting room added to building in Dunnville

Haldimand CAS returned surplus of $50,000 to Ministry, unprecedented

Norfolk office moved from County Administration Building to Argyle Street location in Simcoe

Amalgamation talks rejected by Haldimand

Second expansion at Haldimand Dunnville location for larger board room, kitchen and offices

Court work doubles in Norfolk due to CFSA

Special Needs Foster Home program became a reality.

Treatment foster care program initiated in Norfolk

Organizational and structural review; CAS Strategic Planning process to develop a plan for the amalgamation of Haldimand and Norfolk CASs; formation of an Integration Task Force to study the integration of services to children and families.

Intervention spectrum introduced to both agencies. Volunteer Program implemented, shared between the CASs and Children’s Mental Health Services

Amalgamation with Norfolk CAS approved by the Boards after many discussions and planning. Strategic planning committee develop bylaws, governance model and service model for a regional child welfare service. Letters patent signed.

The Children’s Aid Society of the County of Haldimand and the Children’s Aid Society of Norfolk amalgamate on October 1, 1994 to form the new Corporation known as “The Children’s Aid Society of Haldimand-Norfolk.

Mr William Bevan was the first Executive Director, followed by Lorne Hassard, Brian Hillier, Janice Robinson in 2009, Bernadette Gallagher in 2019, Shannon Chevrier in 2020 and Sally Johnson appointed January 2022.

Mark Jarrett was the first Board President, followed by Jean Montgomery, Linda Jansen, Mary Mercato, Jane Anderson, Marion Dowds, Petar Guzina, John McColl, Renee VanKooten, and Craig Mannell, elected as President in 2016.

A more generic service structure was developed to enhance the response to families through more continuity in service.

Staff moved from the Dunnville office (Haldimand) to the Simcoe Argyle Street office (Norfolk) and later a branch office opened in Cayuga.

The Board and Executive Director, Brian Hillier, developed a proposal to the Ministry for a program in support of youth, “Living Independently For Tomorrow”, LIFT. The program was running successfully by 2002.

All staff moved to the social services building in Townsend.

A Youth Advisory Committee was developed as a vehicle for youth to support one another directly and to effect changes in a system which they often feel is beyond their control.

With the financial support of the Ministry of the Attorney General, the Society began the “Youth in Motion” initiative.

Transformation Agenda – A series of strategies were developed in three key service delivery areas by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services’ ChildWelfare Secretariat to achieve better outcomes for children and youth who need help:

• More flexible services when families and children need help from child welfare agencies
• A strategy to reduce court delays and encourage alternatives to court
• A broader range of care options for children and youth, which support long-term and permanent homes

Kinship Services Standards were introduced by the Ministry

June. The Society has been identified as one of the leaders in the field in its support for its kids which is emphasized in the report of the Child Advocate’s report. The recommendations include a strong emphasis on family-based care and extending the emotional and financial support to youth to the age of 25.

The Board and Executive Director, Janice Robinson developed the tagline “Nurturing Lives and Dreams”, guiding the Children’s Aid Society to help build a community where every child is nurtured and loved, where their dreams of a positive future can become reality.

The “Bring Our Children Home” campaign was launched to bring back to this community, those children who are placed outside of Haldimand and Norfolk. This campaign to recruit foster families has been supported through CD 98.9.

The second annual Radiothon was held in May to raise funds for recreational experiences for children in the community and for bursaries for youth who are going on in post secondary education in social work, made possible through the support of Moose FM 92.9 and many generous donors.

Child Welfare Funding Model implemented to allocate funds based on the need for child welfare services, as measured by community socio-economic and volume-based factors, to better align funding to the needs of children, families and communities. The Society continues to experience a 2% reduction in funding since 2013.

The Executive Director, Bernadette Gallagher, reported at the Annual General Meeting that the Society believes that children should remain with their families in their own homes:

• 95% of the children served were in their own homes or with kin
• For those children who could not remain in their own home, 83% were looked after in family-based care
• 12 adoptions were finalized this past year and the family finding program expanded

Public transparency is a provincial trend and the Society has posted performance indicators on our public website. Fiscal prudence is a priority and a child welfare system that has service equity and cultural responsiveness at its base.

Moved to the provincial Child Protection Information Network (CPIN) to increase child safety. Also proposed new legislation to increase the age of protection to 18 years, a new funding model and increased focus on accountability.

The theme of the annual report is focused on the agency’s journey toward a more equitable child welfare service, to listen to First Nations, Low German Mennonite, African-Canadian families who have been saying that the traditional model of service does not meet their parenting needs and is removed from unique cultural traditions. Need to be aware of the racial and identity diversity of the community, have a board of directors and staff that reflect the cultural makeup of the community, and make space for positive disruptive change.

Helen Miller joined the CAS-HN Board of Directors, representing Six Nations of the Grand River Council.

The new legislation, Child, Youth and Family Services Act, requires the voice of the child and youth to be front and centre in our service.
Shannon Chevrier was appointed as Executive Director, as Bernadette Gallagher is appointed as Ministry Supervisor at Brant FACS.

Amalgamation discussions with Brant FACS begin to improve services and gain fiscal sustainability. Talks are stalled by COVID-19 and resume in the fall. Much work is completed, including establishing a Joint Board Steering Committee as well as management and staff committees to review a new organizational structure, budget, services and complete an “Amalgamation Proposal and Agreement”. Both agencies engage with staff and stakeholders to receive feedback about rebranding and services of the new organization.

The Amalgamation Proposal is approved by MCCSS with an amalgamation date set for April 1, 2022.

July 07. Proposal to amalgamate Brant FACS and CASHN is submitted to MCCSS.

Fall. MCCSS agrees to provide funding for one-time amalgamation costs.

January 26. MCCSS approves amalgamation proposal.

March 31.  Last Day as The Children’s Aid Society of Haldimand and Norfolk.