Director speaks out about girls' home closure
I read Tara Hagan's article, "Community Girls' Home Closure Under Fire" which appeared in the April 27 edition. As the Executive Director of St. Clair Child & Youth Services, I share many of the concerns expressed by those quoted in the article. However, I am also concerned that the discourse is distorted and I am compelled to speak in the interests of reason on this issue.
The Community Girls' Home, like many residential programs across Ontario, has been experiencing long-term reductions in referrals and admissions. This program is funded to provide nine community beds, paid for by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services. Over the past seven years the Community Girls' Home has averaged only a 64% occupancy for those beds, despite our best efforts to reach out to referral sources and encourage use of the program. This pattern is not sustainable. At the same time, most of our non-residential services are overwhelmed with referrals and families are forced to wait for service.
The Community Girls' Home program has an additional five beds available for use by regional Children's Aid Societies, which is a pay-per-use arrangement. This service will no longer be part of St. Clair Child & Youth Services' business operations, but if these beds are still needed they will not disappear from the community. Any number of private operators can and likely will offer the service to the Children's Aid Societies if required.
It has also been suggested that if young girls can't stay at home, there is no other option for them and they will end up on the street. Here are the facts. Children under 16 years of age who require placement will have up to three options. They can be placed in the treatment foster care system which St. Clair will be developing as an alternative to the residential program and which has been proven to be a viable alternative in other facilities in the province; they will be eligible for placement outside of the community in regional beds if their needs require that level of intrusive care; or, if they are in need of protection, they come under the care of the Children's Aid Society. Youth 16 years of age and older are not eligible for admission to the Children's Aid Society but, in addition to the other two options, will have access to residential options including The Haven, operated by the Inn of the Good Shepherd. The Community Girls' Home residents are, on average, about 14 years of age.
St. Clair Child & Youth Services, the Children's Mental Health Advocacy Committee of Sarnia- Lambton, and various unions have all raised their voices in the community time and time again about the fiscal crisis facing mental health services for children and youth. The lack of inflationary adjustments in our funding has placed us in a position of death by a thousand cuts. The outcome has been further decline to the point where we face a $280,000 deficit this service year. Of that, the Community Girls' Home accounts for $180,000. I would like to clarify that residential service providers cannot simply reduce the number of beds, thereby reducing their costs. Licensing requirements by the Ministry stipulate the staff /client ratio they we may not contravene. As a result, we can't simply provide "a little bit less" residential treatment; it is very nearly an all or nothing proposition.
Our volunteer Board of Directors who govern the agency on behalf of the community were faced with a difficult dilemma: cut services which are in demand and highly efficient in order to finance the deficit of the Community Girls' Home; or find another way to make the best use of the public funds with which they are entrusted. The Board exercised its responsibility and made a fact-based decision, albeit a very painful one. I am confident that, after what is going to be a difficult period of adjustment, we will be a stronger and more relevant service to the people of Lambton County.
Finally, the Community Girls' Home is a residential care program. However, in this community, it is more that a category of service. It has its own history and culture, and enjoys a heartfelt regard by many members of the public. That makes this change much more difficult. But the reality is that the service environment has fundamentally shifted. The utilization of residential care and treatment as a response to the problems of children and youth has diminished, not just in this community, but across the province of Ontario. I believe we should not lose sight of the fact that removing a youth from her home and placing her in a residential program should be the last resort. We are obligated to provide the least intrusive service in our attempts to help families have a better life. The change agenda defined for the Community Girls' Home is designed with that value in mind.
Should members of the public want more information or would like an opportunity to clarify questions or express concerns, St. Clair Child & Youth Services is holding a public forum at our main campus, 129 Kendall Street, Point Edward, on Tuesday, May 4, at 6 p.m.
Rick Shields
Executive Director of St. Clair Child & Youth Services
1 May 2010
