English - Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies

“When a CAS protection worker came
to the door with a worker/advocate on
domestic violence, my anxiety level
was significantly reduced.”
- Focus group participant
Ongoing assessment and relationship building:
> > Focus on the woman, but also interview the man
and the extended family
> > Put both the man and woman’s name on the CAS
file or the children’s names
WHEN WORKING WITH THE MAN
PRACTICE TIP
Open the file with all family members’
information; not just in the mother’s
name.
I had to prove I went to 30 hours of
counselling but the dad didn’t. I felt
like I was under the microscope, being
the only one being monitored.
- Focus group participant
One father described his two separate
dealings with CAS. One was negative
and the other positive. He said that the
positive experience was a result of a
number of things:
> He was ready to learn to be a better
parent
If you are called to attend to a family experiencing family
violence, it may be that the man has been arrested and
now has a relationship with the justice system. While
the justice system offers some services including Partner
Assault Response (PAR) programs, the man often needs
healing and other support programs to regain his role in
the family.
Child welfare professionals can be an important support
in a man’s overall healing journey by directing the man
to specific programs and offering solutions on how to
move forward.
As a service provider, you may experience fears when
working with men who have been violent. Addressing the
fear will help to increase your overall effectiveness with
the family: Talk to your supervisor, make a plan on how
you will interview the abusive man, make a safety plan to
protect yourself, and consider bringing a colleague with
you. Engaging the man and encouraging him to take
responsibility and change is a difficult but critical piece
of a child welfare professional’s work when working with
families experiencing violence.
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> The worker provided specific tips on
how to parent (e.g. when and how
to put kids to bed; how to have a
routine around cleaning)
> His family was in the kinship
program so relatives were looking
after his children, and therefore
their Aboriginal identity was
continually reinforced
WHEN WORKING WITH THE CHILDREN
Each child is unique, has special gifts and develops
differently. It takes time to understand a child’s
behaviour, especially when that child has been raised
in a different cultural context.
Children require a lot of support when they are not living
with their parents. The focus group participants made
the following suggestions for child welfare professionals:
> Don’t keep the child away from his/her family but
create safe spaces for them to connect
> > Have processes that support children to understand that it is not their fault that
they are separated from their families
> > Make visits between children and their parents a priority. If at all possible, have
children under 5 years of age see their mother every day.