English - Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies

support that person to stay in balance. As a child welfare
professional, it is important that you maintain your
personal balance in order to be an effective helper for
children and families. It is also important that child
welfare professionals become an advocate for change in
child welfare organizations.
Child welfare professionals can be encouraged to
participate in the OACAS course Wellness and Self-Care,
part of the Child Welfare Professional Training Series, as
well as developing their own personal wellness path.
“Child welfare professionals are
mandated by the CFSA to “protect
children”. The protocols they follow are
often based on worst case scenarios.
Workers often experience violence and
lateral violence between workers. Are
they receiving sufficient supports to do
the job” - Focus group participant
K. PRACTICE: IMPROVE CAS PROCESSES
REDUCE THE NUMBER OF WORKERS A FAMILY HAS TO INTERACT WITH
Focus group participants noted that they are continuously repeating their story to
various workers. There are different workers for the biological parents, foster parents
and the children in care, which creates division between workers. Ongoing
communication amongst workers can avoid unnecessary tensions. Child welfare
professionals must work in collaboration to meet the needs of all parties involved,
while ensuring that the focus is always child-centred.
PROVIDE ONGOING SUPPORT AND TRAINING FOR WORKERS
Child welfare interventions depend on the individual worker’s perspective, analysis
and critical thinking. To be effective helpers, child welfare professionals require
ongoing investment, using ongoing learning opportunities, practice guides, and
critical supervision and management. Every child welfare program and initiative
requires good evaluation in order to see if it is actually working as intended.
Focus group participants made a number of observations about child welfare
professionals, including:
> > Workers have a high level of liability
> > Workers have varied levels of life experiences and some may find it
difficult to deal with the complexity in some Aboriginal families
> > Workers have a high case load which makes employing a holistic approach
challenging
> > Child welfare protocols and processes are developed from Coroner’s
reports and the worst case scenario of the deaths of children in care
> > Workers feel unsafe, particularly in cases of family violence
> > There appears to be a high turnover of staff
> > The training that is currently being provided does not seem to be sufficient,
some trainers do not understand the Aboriginal-specific issues and the
information available does not make it into the hands of workers
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