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THE CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY OF HALIFAX
The Children’s Aid Society
of Halifax is a private, non profit agency with a community based, volunteer board
of directors. The Society receives government funding to
provide child welfare and protection services for the
City of Halifax (pre HRM boundaries), and very proudly serve 600 to 700 families
at any given time.
Prior to the 1920 formation of the Children's Aid Society
of Halifax, abused, neglected and abandoned children were
dealt with by the Society for the Prevention of Abuse.
The devastation of the Halifax explosion in 1917 left
many homeless orphaned children, and the society was
formed and given a legislated mandate to protect the
children of Halifax.
Dedicated to Serving Families and Children since 1920
A Brief History
In 1914, an act
was passed, giving the Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals the powers of a Children’s Aid
Society. World War I and the Halifax Explosion
brought a critical need for children’s services, as the
absence of husbands and fathers, the shortage of housing
and economic inflation resulted in broken homes and
increased neglect of children. A Public meeting was held
and the Children’s Aid Society of Halifax was founded
and it’s constitution approved April 14, 1920.
Over the
intervening years, the Society has long been an advocate
for children. Representatives to the provincial
government helped to bring in the Mother’s Allowance Act
of 1930. A plea several years later to Halifax City
Council focused attention on the plight of seven and
eight year olds selling newspapers in the street to help
keep their family from starving. A dramatic scene at
City Hall in the mid 1930's prompted the search for
foster homes for mentally handicapped children unable to
be cared for by their parents. Submissions to government
led to new legislation in 1940 requiring the licensing
of maternity homes. Services were given to British
Guest Children brought to Canada during World War
II.
The Children’s Aid
Society is a private non profit agency. Its Board of
Directors is responsible for governing the organization,
and seeing that the agency has the required to funding
to carry out its mission. There are 76 dedicated and
committed professional staff comprised of social
workers, family intervention workers, emergency duty
workers, support staff and administrative staff, all of
whom provide the full range of child protection services to
families living within the City of Halifax.
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A More Detailed History Timeline
Thanks to the late
Mrs. Miriam Jacobsen, a complete history of our Agency
was compiled from it's humble beginning in 1920 to 1990,
and is updated regularly by current staff.
It is a history of
dedicated community members serving on our Board of
Directors, of hard working staff trying to keep up with
increasing service demands, of families struggling to
keep together under societal pressures and the
challenges of parenting, and of children and youth in
care faced with the reality of being raised apart from
their families.
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1914 -
An act was passed in the Nova Scotia Legislature
giving the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals the powers of a Children's Aid Society.
-
1917 -
World War I brought a critical need for children's
services as the absence of husbands and fathers, the
shortage of housing, and economic inflation resulted
in broken homes and increased neglect of children.
-
1920 - A
public meeting was held to organize a Children's Aid
Society. On April 14th the Society's constitution was
approved. There were no paid agents or social
workers, and CAS relied on the Provincial
Superintendent of Neglected and Delinquent Children,
two policewomen and the Truant Officer of the City of
Halifax to conduct investigations and make reports.
The CAS office was located in the Juvenile Court
Rooms, 43 Market Street. The volunteer Board of
Directors carried on the work without any staff.
-
1921 -
11 children came into permanent care of CAS
-
1922 -
The first paid employee, Miss Kavenaugh was hired as a
secretary. Statistics show that she made 615
visits to homes that year. 32 children were
placed in permanent care. The majority of
children lived at the Halifax Protestant Orphanage,
others went to the Good Shepherd Industrial Refuge,
Home of the Guardian Angel, St. Patrick's Home, The
Halifax Industrial School, the Maritime Home for Girls
in Truro or the Nova Scotia Home for Coloured Children
in Westphal.
-
1925 -
Gwendolyn Lantz was appointed as the First Executive
Secretary, a position which she held for 28 years.
She was the only social worker and handled 498 active
cases her first year.
-
1926 -
Two staff were hired, a stenographer and a social
worker who was given a caseload of 158 families.
There was a critical shortage of foster homes. A
major cause of concern was lack of housekeeping
standards and homemakers were needed to complement
services. Other major concerns included mentally
handicapped children not getting the care they
required, children begging in the streets, and
children with behavioral problems.
-
1930 -
At the Annual General Meeting that year, Gwendolyn
Lantz voiced the philosophy of the Children's Aid
Society, which remains the same today. "In
every case involving the protection of the neglected
and dependent child, the preservation of the family is
a constant aim, and children are removed from the
custody of their parents only when such action becomes
imperative."
-
1931 to 1938
- One social worker, the Executive Secretary and a
stenographer carried on the work for five years before
another staff member joined them. Visits by
social workers to foster homes outside the city took
all day due to the reliance on public transportation.
There was a severe shortage of money and many foster
homes were free. Unfortunately some children were
exploited and supervision was difficult. Poor
housing in the city brought more children into the
care of CAS.
-
1939
to 1942 - During the years of World War II,
caseloads soared and by the end of the war the Agency
had 2261 active cases. As servicemen needed
housing in the city, foster homes became even more
scarce. During these war years, British
Guest Children came to live in safety in Canada
and the Agency completed 176 investigations on behalf
of these children for the Provincial Department of
Public Welfare. As well, during this
time 119 children came into the permanent care of the
Agency.
-
1943 -
The Provincial Department of Public Welfare was formed
-
1944 -
The Nova Scotia Association of Children's Aid
Societies was formed. Fred McKinnon was
appointed the Director of Child Welfare, and later he
became the Deputy Minister of Social Services and
continued in that position until his retirement in
1980.
-
1952 -
Gwendolyn Lantz retired from the Agency.
There were few foster homes and crises were publicized
in the local newspapers, just as they are today.
There were recommendations for a Receiving Home to
assess children, a Group Home for boys and improved
legislation to protect children. Tom Blue,
the newly appointed Executive Director committed
himself to an expansion of services, a new
Constitution and By-laws, an effective staff
complement and an increased budget.
-
1953 -
The agency moved to the fourth floor of the Pentagon
Building (no longer existing) on Buckingham Street and
a third social worker was hired as well as a full time
supervisor. That year the Junior League
contributed a volunteer worker for a year. The
average caseload per social worker that year was 180.
-
1957 and
1958 - The Province gave the society $10,000 to
purchase new quarters at 5236 South Street. Tom
Blue left the agency and Conway Ellsworth succeed him
as Executive Director. The three greatest needs
at that time were: more financial assistance,
more staff, and more foster homes. There
was also a continuing and pressing need for the
establishment of a treatment and observation home or
centre for emotionally disturbed children.
-
1962 -
Through the cooperation of the Provincial Department
of Public Welfare, an after hour and weekend emergency
child welfare service was initiated wherein telephone
calls were directed after normal hours to the
appropriate person on duty.
-
1965 -
Conway Ellsworth resigned and the agency entered a
joint service arrangement with the Department of
Social Services whereby the Regional Administrator,
Timothy Daley, would serve as a part time Executive
Director of the Society.
-
1966 - A
very busy year!! The Agency now boasted two
protection social workers, one unmarried mother
worker, and four ward workers with a caseload of 100
children each under their supervision. New
services for children were starting: a
children's unit was established at the Nova Scotia
Hospital; a program for severely mentally handicapped
children began at Beaverbank; the Junior League of
Halifax sponsored Halifax's first day care program, a
new low-cost housing development opened at Uniacke
Square. CJCH Television and Radio Staff
Association put on a fund raising program called "The
Christmas Daddies Show", raising a grand total of
$5,000 from the city of Halifax. A Foster
Parent's Association for Halifax and Dartmouth was
formed, and with the cooperation of its members 62 new
homes for children were found.
-
1969 -
With the support of seven Halifax church
congregations, the Agency began an Emergency
Homemaker Service, hiring Helen Lahey.
It is recorded that she was a wonderful woman, who
took her roll-away bed and joined many a family to
provide "hands on" help.
-
1970 -
Changing trends showed that 54% or more of unmarried
mothers were caring for their babies rather then
putting them up for adoption. Employment for
older wards was a concern and an apprenticeship
project was initiated that went successfully for three
years.
-
1973 -
Timothy Daley resigned and the agency was no longer
under a joint services agreement with the Department
of Social Services. Full time Administrator Karl
Marshal was hired. Under his leadership community
meetings were held on child abuse, openness in
adoption and the needs of adolescents. The CAS "Teaching
Homemaker" program was expanded through a Manpower
Industrial Training Program Grant.
The Board of Directors and Staff launched a publicity
campaign about the needs and hopes of the Agency.
The Agency's Independent House for 16-21 year
olds proved helpful for young people preparing to
terminate their guardianship. The Agency
sponsored a successful Black Cultural Awareness
Program for black children in the Agency's care.
-
1979 -
Karl Marshall resigned. Staff now number 35, and
for nine months operated under the direction of its
three supervisors, Gerry Lawless, Irene McClean, and
Brenda Richard.
-
1980 -
Marilyn Peers became Executive Director. She had
previously been a protection worker, assistant
administrator and a member on the Board of Directors
of the Agency.
-
1984 - A
Memorandum of Agreement with the Nova Scotia Human
Rights Commission was signed establishing an
Affirmative Action Program. The Agency
established a Special Committee on Child Abuse
which brings colleagues from different agencies
together to review policies and practices.
The Labour Relations Board certified CUPE Local 2837
as the bargaining agent for employees at the Agency.
-
1989 -
This year's Christmas Daddies Show
raised over $93,000 for families in Halifax.
-
1990 -
The Agency celebrates 70 years of serving children and
families in the Metro Area. The Agency is now
housed in a lovely brick home at 5244 South Street,
the former home of the first Dean of Medicine at
Dalhousie.
-
Staff at the
Agency now number 53.
-
A group home
"Genesis House" is now a co-ed group home.
-
The Agency has
Charitable Status, and fund raising efforts have been
put on sound footing through the volunteer efforts of
Barbara Newman. Now close to $90,000 annually is
raised from the growing numbers of faithful
supporters, and these funds are used to provide for
additional staff positions until the province can fund
them. An Education Fund is established to assist
youth with training and educational needs.
-
Protocols have
been finalized with the IWK Children's Hospital, the
Halifax City Police, the Halifax City School Board,
and the Archdiocese of Halifax with respect to
handling child sexual abuse referrals.
-
Foster
Parent Week & Annual Banquet has become
a tradition as we recognize the important role and the
commitment of the Agency's most valuable asset.
-
Long range
planning and organizational restructuring has brought
much better delivery of services to clients, and the
added positions of Coordinator of Resource Services
and Coordinator of Program Services has strengthened
the Agency's Programs.
-
The new
Parent Counsellor Program offering therapeutic
foster homes to adolescents comes into operation, and
subsequently becoming a model for other Parent
Counsellor Programs in the Province.
-
With fund
raised monies, the Volunteer Services Program
was initiated, and a Black Recruitment
Project is planned.
In 1990, Marilyn
Peers, Executive Director wrote:
"Over the
past 70 years, we have seen families and their
children struggle against all odds, all trying to the
best of their abilities to raise their children.
We continue to offer them all the support we can give,
for we believe children are best cared for by their
parents. When that care cannot be provided, then we
must be sure we act on their behalf, as would any
caring parent, and see that their needs are properly
met."
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