A SELF-HELP SUPPORT GROUP FOR GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN and DENIED ACCESS GRANDPARENTS.
OVERVIEW/HISTORY
RE: Grand-PARENTING AGAIN Canada
And SECOND CHANCE FOR KIDS
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Grand-PARENTING AGAIN Canada was founded in St. Catharines in 2000 by Grandparents, Sheila and Hermann Volchert who had gained custody of their granddaughters when they were placed in CAS foster care.
Sheila Volchert was president of Grand-PARENTING AGAIN Canada (GPA) for three years until it became incorporated in October, 2003. She resigned from that position and with the help of Judy Hoover Executive Director, Consumer Survivor Initiative of Niagara, a new name, SECOND CHANCE FOR KIDS was adapted and members who didn’t want to be incorporated are now part of SECOND CHANCE FOR KIDS of which Sheila is the Spokesperson.
In 2001, the Volchert’s were instrumental in bringing concerns to the attention of the local community services department who, with their input, generated a report with recommendations that were submitted to Niagara Regional Committee and Council in April, 2002. These recommendations were approved by the Regional Municipality of Niagara and supported by the Board of Family and Children’s Services Niagara as well as the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies.
We collected over 1,200 signatures on Petitions in several Ontario cities, asking the provincial government to make legislative changes so our grandchildren will benefit accordingly. These recommendations were forwarded to Brenda Elliott, Social Services Minister by the Regional Chair for her perusal and to date that government did not respond to our grandchildren’s needs when being raised by grandparents.
At the present time, we continue to lobby government for recognition and supports for grandparents raising grandchildren throughout Ontario and ultimately, across Canada.
In June, 2004, SECOND CHANCE FOR KIDS Spokesperson, Sheila Volchert attended and presented a delegation speech to the Regional Municipality of Niagara committee members re grandparenting issues. As a result, the same 2002 recommendations were reintroduced at that time and subsequently approved by both committee and regional council on June 7and 17, 2004 respectively. These recommendations are as follows:
1. That the Province of Ontario amend the Child and Family Services Act to recognize custodial care by extended families as a legitimate intervention and that the related funding to support these care arrangements be made available.
2. That the Temporary Care allowance rate pursuant to the Ontario Works Act be altered to reflect established rates for similar care by foster parents.
3. That the Province of Ontario be encouraged to consider legislative change to permit open adoptions.
Copies of the above recommendations have been sent by the Regional Chair of Niagara to Ministers Pupatello and Bountrogianni for their consideration.
SECOND CHANCE FOR KIDS continues to meet with our local MPP’s and MP’s to gain their support. They have done several newspaper articles, appeared on CTS T.V. ‘On The Line’ show, on Cogeco Cable T.V. and continue to advocate on behalf of grandchildren being raised by extended families. They plan on attending at Canadian Association for Retired People (CARP) Executive meetings and do presentations at senior Centres to gain more support. Our MPP’s have told us that it is a lengthy process to get a private member’s bill passed in house. Therefore, the more public support we can get, the better it will be for our grandchildren. What is needed is permanent legislative change.
Sheila Volchert
Spokesperson
SECOND CHANCE FOR KIDS August, 2004
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
WE WOULD ASK THAT IF YOU AGREE WITH THE ABOVE RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUPPORT THESE ISSUES, IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED IF YOU WOULD WRITE A SHORT LETTER TO THE TWO MINISTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR ONTARIO CHILDREN. YOU COULD ALSO CONTACT YOUR LOCAL MPP’S AND MP’S. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN CHANGING LEGISLATION!
HONOURABLE MARIE BOUNTROGIANNI
Minister of Children’s Services
400 University Avenue, 6th Floor
TORONTO, ON M7A 2R9
HONOURABLE SANDRA PUPATELLO
Minister of Community and Social Services
900 Bay Street, MacDonald Block
TORONTO, ON M7A 1N3
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND INTEREST. OUR SITUATIONS COULD HAPPEN IN ANY FAMILY.
Sheila Volchert
Spokesperson
SECOND CHANCE FOR KIDS August,2004
POINTS OF INTEREST:
Statistics Canada in 2002 indicated there are 17,000 children in Ontario, parented by their grandparents with no parents present. Grandparents raising grandchildren have special needs and concerns. They are quite often on limited incomes, widowed, single and/or retired. They take on the care of their grandchildren out of love, concern for their well-being, to give them a sense of belonging and to keep families together. At the present time, they receive very limited help and often are depleting their retirement savings to provide for them. Many have spent life savings and RRSP monies on lawyers in order to gain custody. Many also, have a constant concern that their biological children will attempt to regain custody without having sorted out their own lives, which could place grandchildren in jeopardy once again.
The provincial government gives between $6. and $7. per day for a temporary care allowance which is what our grandchildren are entitled to. That equates to $214. a month for the first child and $174. for each additional child plus benefits. This allowance is only available to those that apply for it and it appears to be the best kept secret. Most grandparents aren’t even aware of this small allowance and it is based on the child’s income and not grandparents. Even amongst those receiving benefits, there are still many inconsistencies across the province. There seems to be misinterpretation of the Ontario Works Act by caseworkers.
Our new Liberal government announced in their budget in May, 2004 that there would be a 3% increase in social assistance and disability benefits. To date, this increase has not been received. The 3% hike is the first social assistance increase in 11 years, and follows the Conservative government’s move in 1995 to slash rates 21.6%.
In contrast, foster parents receive between $25. - $30. per child each day, roughly $800. tax free monies per month, plus clothing, transportation, recreation, holiday and birthday allowances for the children in their care.
HOPEFULLY, OUR NEW LIBERAL GOVERNMENT WILL REALIZE THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF GRANDPARENT AND EXTENDED FAMILY HOUSEHOLDS AND APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS RECENTLY APPROVED IN JUNE, 2004.
WHAT IS NEEDED IS A STATUS IN RECOGNITION OF GRANDPARENTS AND EXTENDED FAMILIES RAISING CHILDREN AND THE EQUIVALENT MONETARY ALLOWANCES THAT ARE GIVEN TO FOSTER PARENTS. IN REALITY, WE ARE THEIR ‘FOSTER PARENTS’ IN THE ABSENCE OF THEIR BIOLOGICAL PARENTS. IN MOST SITUATIONS, GRANDPARENTS HAVE NOT ADOPTED THEIR GRANDCHILDREN.
NATIONAL CHILD BENEFIT SUPPLEMENT
BACKGROUND
The National Child Benefit Supplement (NCBS) was launched in 1998 by the Federal, Provincial and Territorial governments. The NCBS provided an increase in child benefits for low income families with children.
The NCBS has had a positive impact for many low-income families who are working. However, for families on social assistance such as widows/widowers raising grandchildren, grandparents or extended families raising children, disabled and the elderly, the depth of poverty has increased, particularly in ONTARIO, where social assistance rates have been reduced.
In Ontario, the NCBS is treated as income and deducts it dollar for dollar, thereby reducing benefits provided to social assistance recipients. Unfortunately, for those families raising grandchildren, they are affected as a result of this NCBS. In other words, no one can collect the NCBS as well as the social assistance benefits. As a result, their grandchildren have no health benefits whatsoever. We feel this just isn’t right as these are Canadian children, who through no fault of their own, are denied benefits simply because they are being raised by their grandparents.
On June 10, 2002 the following recommendations were submitted to Niagara Regional Council. They were approved and forwarded to Queen’s Park for further review and consideration.
1. A resolution be submitted to the Ministry of Community, Family and Children’s Services requesting that the Province alter its policy regarding the treatment of the National Child Benefit Supplement (NCBS) as income for social assistance recipients.
2. The resolution should recommend that the National Child Benefit Supplement be exempt as income for families in receipt of social assistance.
3. The recommended policy change for the National Child Benefit Supplement should be phased-in over a three year period to enable municipalities to seek alternative sources of funding to support local programming.
On a positive note, in a Toronto Star article, dated May 19, 2004, it stated that the only positive change to date was indicated in May, 2004 budget whereby the Liberals said they would not reduce provincial social assistance benefits by the amount that the federal National Child Benefit Supplement will increase on July 1, 2004.
The child benefit supplement for families earning less than $35,000. a year will increase to $l,511. a year in July, up $48. from $1,463. The previous government said the supplement was only for working poor families and clawed back the supplement to people on provincial welfare.
It was further stated that the province would not deduct the $48. a year and that it will look at whether to eliminate the clawback altogether.
Sheila Volchert
Spokesperson
SECOND CHANCE FOR KIDS August,2004
