CAST In Trouble, Again...
"The CAS" is stirring controversy - again.
Many might recall the promise of a three part sequel on the topic of The Children's Aid Society of Toronto and their over-representation of Black Children in their care. Those same folks may wonder why part two is written, now, three years after the first. Well, the fact of the matter is, there was not much to say - until now.
The idea of a three part series on the over-representation of Black children "in care," was to present a picture of what was occurring within the walls of the Children's Aid Society (of Toronto and its branches) as related to Black children in care, their families, and how CAS was managing the reality of over-representation. We, at Queeniebrownmagazine.com, wanted to: One -highlight this issue;
Two -encourage a dialogue that would generate suggestions for change
then
Three -share how "Children's
Aid" (in consultation with the Black community) planned to resolve this
very shattering reality.
The sad reality is, The Children's Aid Sociey of Toronto has not, yet, arrived at our idea of Three. The institutions seems stuck between our number Two and Three goals. In other words, things have changed little.
Here is what has happened, to date. Between the first article and this second telling these changes were made: there were several (upper) middle management hires from the African Diaspora - to include a Client Services Manager, as well as the newly minted role of Diversity, Anti-oppression Community Development Director. This "change" still means, out of the seventeen directors responsible for running the agency - ONE can speak to the overall, societal, experience of the over-represented population "in the system." The Client Service Manager is not a regular at the Directors' table - though this current manager does have advanced front-line expertise - why not make that a director title?
Maybe those of us concerned by these numbers should consider that one (at the director's table) is better than zero (like that representing the Black community on the Executive Team). There is zero Black person who can lend a voice to the over-represented children and their families on the Executive Team.
In addition to the ONE director and one manager, five supervisors (across an agency with a staff of about one thousand) were recent successful hires able to speak to the Black Experience. This means, seven (five plus the two that were already supervisors - Oh heck, let's round that up and say ten) out of approximately forty front-line supervisors, can make decisions that will effect the lives of children brought to The Society's attention or that are currently in "The Society's" care. Lastly, a one year pilot project was recently implemented with one Black representative from each branch (of which there are four) to liaise with staff regarding the families they represent of the African Diaspora. This role is to consult with front-line staff, helping them best serve families of African heritage. It is expected that these individuals, known as ABR Leads (Anti-Black Racism Leads, considered a supervisory position), report "their findings" to the (All White Except One) directors; to what end? Who knows.
The New CEO Not Black?
Did the Board of Directors Miss the Opportunity to do Something Extraordinary?
Board of Directors poo pooed their decision.
Maybe the directors, along with the Executive Team, will impress everyone by making these positions permanent, pushing front-line supervisors who can speak to the Black experience (actually) up to ten (one staff in the role was already a supervisor).
We, at Queenie Brown Magazine.com, appreciate this pilot project. We like that this pilot project: One - (potentially) created four more supervisor roles for Black staff. Two - the positions allow for direct communication with front-line staff - particularly those desperate for cultural understanding (with "sensitive" questions or beliefs that may need support). Three - this role bodes similarities to the suggestion our Editor-In-Chief presented to the Minister Responsible for Anti Racism, Minister of Children and Youth Services shortly before this project was implemented. Though not an active front-line role, (hopefully) these ABR Leads offer direct influence and support for those managing the lives of Black families in the child welfare system.
Such positions are necessary across all bodies of government with direct public interaction - like police departments, for example. These positions are necessary because some people sincerely lack an understanding of "other" people because they see them as "other." When we cease to view people we don't know as threats, or with damaging stereo-types, these roles will stop being necessary. Until then, roles like ABR Leads offer open, safe, one to one conversations which could help expand understanding... understanding currently lacking in a system comprised predominantly of those who cannot know.
Hence the disappointment with the new CEO appointment. It was the hope of many, that the face of the new CEO would represent the over-represented group of children/families involved with "The Aid." We hoped, the new CEO would start the position with a true understanding of societal influences upon the Black experience.
We hoped for a CEO who would "get it" because never in the history of The Children's Aid Society of Toronto has a member of the Black community been Executive Director or CEO - not once in it's almost one hundred and thirty years. With that in mind, the over-representation of Black children in care has been a known fact within CAS walls - meaning, management has been aware of this reality, making the odd "effort" to address it - for almost fifty years! And not once was a Black person hired to help turn the ship.
Mid 2017, there was talk that the number of Black children in care dropped a whopping 3% since the first official report on the over-representation of Black children in care (four years ago). But, there is no clear mention of the drop related to non- Black children in care. In so saying, it is necessary to mention the number of children in care - in general - also decreased.
Meaning, on average, front line staff (who manage files of families involved with "The Society,") have less files to manage than they did four years ago. Again, numbers aren't shared, but, we have heard of staff currently having ten files where a year ago they had seventeen - and four years ago they had twenty three. It would seem that an overall decrease of children in care is greater than the 3% representing Black children.
With such facts in mind, it is clear, the Board of Directors poo pooed their CEO decision. They poo pooed by squandering their opportunity to do something extraordinary instead of the usual banal behaviour they have been doing for the past one hundred and twenty-seven years - as if nothing much has changed in the world since 1891.