Fw: Jon Dunn Foster Care Council of Canada

FWD

Subject: The Foster Care Council Of Canada
From: "John Dunn"
Date: 2/28/2004 1:11 AM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id: ogers.com

The Foster Care Council Of Canada
326 Nepean Street, Ottawa, ON, K1R 5G6
(613) 786-1487
http://www.afterfostercare.com


INTRODUCTION:
The Foster Care Council Of Canada (FCCC) is a non-registered organization,
which is in no way affilliated with The Children's Aid Society, or with any
Ministry, and was founded by foster care survivor John Dunn (That's me!).
All funding so far has been covered by John Dunn, who pays for flyer
duplication, advertising, transportation, internet access, web site
development, and all costs associated with the Council's operation out of
his monthly Social Assistance income of $145.00. -65.00 bus pass, and 45
Internet leaving only $35.00 per month to live on. John Dunn is in therapy
at the University of Ottawa Psychological Services on the sixth floor under
Tracy Abarbanel as a result of his life in foster care.

The reason that the Council must remain a non-registered organization, is
because of the Child and Family Services Act's reporting regulations. If I
am to be trusted by families who are trying to improve their lives, I have
to remain in a "non-professional" position in order to avoid the legal
punishment of $1,000.00 fines for not reporting as they call it...
"potential" harm to a child because a parent wants to quit drinking, or
smoking pot for instance.

What do I mean by this? As an example, let's say a parent has a great love
for their child(ren) and wants to improve their family life by deciding to
quit drugs or drinking. Lets say the parent goes to a twelve step program,
and gets involved. That parent might be experiencing financial difficulties
and decides to go to a Children's Aid Society for some guidance or
assistance, even emotional support and encouragement from the Children's Aid
Society for doing the "RIGHT THING".

If the parent is lucky, they will get a worker to does not "go by the book"
where possible, but rather one who uses common human decency, and realizes
that the parent is trying, so goes out of his/her way, risking his or her
own job, reputation, and tens of thousands of dollars invested in a College
or University education in the field to assist and support this family by
using 'creative paperwork' instead of apprehension of the child, which is
the mainstream culture of the Children's Aid Society, a CHILD PROTECTION
AGENCY, not a family assistance centre.

As I said, if the parent is lucky. If the parent is not lucky, things can go
terribly wrong. Depending on the personality of the worker, their own
personal history, family relations and experiences, attitudes towards low
income families and individuals, social class, bias of physical appearances
such as weight, clothing tastes, ideals, the level of "burn-out" or
"Emotional Exhaustion" as they call it in the industry, the years of
experience that the worker has, and the workers ability to understand and
react appropriately and empathetically (understandingly) to a parents
natural and instictive reaction to attack when their children are
threatened, all add up to spell out the type of relationship that might then
follow between that worker, and the family in need.

There are also many other factors which contribute to the "child
apprehension culture" of the C.A.S, such as "teams", who take away or
redirect the stress, feelings of personal responsibility and emotional
exhaustion from the individual worker as a result of decisions that the
C.A.S. feel should be made, for example, child apprehension, in order to
ensure that funding is made available for that particular case.

Basically going to the Children's Aid Society is a gamble. You could get
lucky, and get a great worker as some have had, or you could get a bad one.
It is a gamble you have to decide to take or not.

SEEKING EMOTIONAL SUPPORT? / WANT TO CHANGE YOUR WAYS? / NEED SAFE GUIDANCE?
One thing you can count on is that The Foster Care Council Of Canada's
decision not to register as a business or a not-for-profit organization,
allows you to come to us to talk without the threat of child apprehension
looming over your head for attempting to improve your life and the life of
your child.

If you think your child is at serious risk of harm from yourself or from
someone else or your child is already suffering from serious harm, I advise
you to go to a Children's Aid Society at this point because they are a CHILD
PROTECTION AGENCY. We have no power to protect your child.

If you feel you are only seeking emotional reassurance and support, or
someone to be proud of you for your decision to quit drugs/alcohol or other
negative behaviours, or you are simply looking for some advice on a
situation, feel free to come to us without the threat of losing your child.
Sometimes, the reason someone goes to a Children's Aid Society when they
decide to quit drugs or drinking or other harmful behaviour, is because they
want some reassurance that they are doing the right thing. They might be
very isolated from the community, and find it hard to get positive emotional
support from anyone! This is where I would like the Council to fill in.

I would like the Council to provide a place where you can go to say "Hey!
Guess What! I am three months clean!!", or "I finally got the certificate I
was trying to get" or what ever your goals and dreams are, and to get some
support, and positive feedback instead of negatives all the time.

I would like the Council to be able to hold celebrations for our community's
families and individuals who have made the move towards self improvement,
and improvement of their children's lives.

TOGETHER WE CAN!
As Tracy C., an Ottawa mother of a girl in foster care, who I am very happy
to have met for the courage, love and dedication she has shown to her
daughter, and for the way she has inspired me to believe even stronger that
people can change when they put their mind to it and are given positive
reinforcement once said, "Together we can". And I am a firm believer of
this.

The Council will not start a "FILE" on you, creating a paper trail of "my
opinions" which could be erroneously misinterpreted down the road by someone
with the authority to dismantel your family.

THINKING OF ADOPTING A CHILD? GIVING YOUR CHILD UP FOR ADOPTION?
With all that said and done, basically I would like the Council to be your
first step in these decisions, which will allow you to see a side of the
Children's Aid Society that the agencies themselves would never let you see
through their expensive advertising campaigns, public relations attempts
such as "Foster The Snowman", and other events.

The Council can show you success stories of those who have been involved
with the Children's Aid Society, if there are any (yes, that is a
challenge!), as well as the negative stories of kids lives in care and the
life long effects of this, parents experiences with the system, and
individuals who have been adopted, or had their children adopted, who spend
their whole lives searching for each other, often only to find a grave stone
before actually getting the opportunity to meet each other. Hopefully this
will assist you in making your decisions without any missconceptions and or
deception in your decision.

The Council is also here to allow foster parents who have been getting
harrased, and threatened by CAS for "getting too emotionally involved" or
other crazy reasons to report to us for posting of the treatment CAS puts
kids through.

We would also like to form support groups, public activities, such as
picnics in the park, and story telling days in public of life in foster
care, etc.

I just wanted to let the Ontario Association of Social Workers know that The
Foster Care Council of Canada is available for Social Workers who feel they
are causing children and families harm as a result of systemic problems,
policies, and abuses of power from supervisors and Executive Directors, to
have a place for them to anonymously report their issues and concerns for
public consumption.

These reports will be made in such a way that the identity of the social
worker will never be revealed, and the area of the province will also be
impossible to detect in the posting of the worker.

Please print and leave around the CAS building, or forward to friends and
other concerned advocates.

Interested in suggestions, comments, concerns and critiques.


Thank-you
John Dunn
Founder
The Foster Care Council Of Canada
www.afterfostercare.com








DESCRIPTORS; CHILDRENS AID SOCIETY, SOCIAL WORK, FAMILY LAW, KINSHIP CARE,
CPS, CHILD PROTECTIVE, SELF HELP GROUPS, ONTARIO, CANADA, ADOPTION