CAS offered little training

CORNWALL PUBLIC INQUIRY

Cornwall Standard Freeholder

09 September 2008

Posted By MICHAEL PEELING

Caseworkers, group home workers and foster parents for the Children's Aid Society had little education or training as social workers in the 1970s, according to a former manager at the agency. "Is it fair to say it was assumed workers could operate (group homes) on the basis their common sense and integrity would enable them to do a good job?" asked Citizens for Community Renewal counsel Helen Daly of retired Children's Aid Society human resources manager Angelo Towndale.

"That's right," said Towndale under cross examination at the Cornwall Public Inquiry, which is mandated to look at how institutions responded to historical allegations of sexual abuse against minors.

During previous days of Towndale's testimony it was established Derry Tenger, the immediate supervisor of a Second Street group home in the mid-1970s, allowed his staff to physically abuse the young female wards as punishment.

"Most staff at the time didn't have any social work training," Towndale explained. "There was some training, but nothing detailed."

Meanwhile, foster parents had little but there own experience as parents to draw on when dealing with foster children in their care, he said.

Towndale noted most of the foster homes were found out in the counties, adding extensive travel time onto a workload for caseworkers that often numbered as many as 50 children each.

Caseworker Bryan Keough, who was in his early 20s at the time and held a general Bachelor of Arts, worked as a volunteer for CAS in the mid-1970s and took some shifts at the Second Street group home as well, recalled Towndale.

Regardless of his volunteer status, Towndale said he wouldn't want someone in Keough's position employing corporal punishment because "it would have been a conflict if he was punishing the wards."

A former ward of the Second Street home, Jeanette Antoine, alleged Keough mistreated her while serving as her caseworker in the mid-1970s.

Commissioner Normand Glaude pointed out the conflict would lie in the fact caseworkers are "supposed to be a child's recourse" to dealing with his or her abuser directly.

Towndale said it was CAS policy for the organization to work with caseworkers to find a resolution to any allegations of abuse, and if necessary remove the child from the home if it's requested by the child or a foster parent.

Cross examination of Towndale will conclude today.

 The next person due to take the stand is William Carriere, a retired director of protection services for the Children's Aid Society of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.  

mpeeling@standard-freeholder.com