Ontario’s Ombudsman is beginning a fact-finding mission into a troubling trend involving the province’s Children’s Aid Societies.
More and more Societies, including local CAS Highland Shores, have had to put childen in care into motels and Airbnbs because of a shortage of foster parents and homes.
Highland Shores Executive Director Jess Uddenberg told Hastings County Council Thursday the system needs more support as soon as possible.
“They’re surviving in those places, they’re not thriving. And ironically, we’re better off than many places in the rest of the province because they’re converting meeting rooms into bedrooms for some of these children.”
Highland Shores Children’s Aid Society is one of seven in the province providing information to the Ombudsman.
There are now 179 children in the care of the Society. Last year Highland Shores received over 3,100 calls which translated into about 1,400 investigations.
The vast majority of those did not end up with children having to be taken into the care of the CAS.