This document discusses advocating for thorough background checks for all caregivers of children. The group contacted two people who went through the foster parent and adoption processes - Jean, a long-time foster parent, and an anonymous new adoptive parent. Both supported background checks and described their own experiences with the screening process. The group raised further awareness through social media, petitions, and interviews on the street. They plan to continue advocating for children's safety after graduation.

1. Advocacy In Child
Care
Natasha Davis, Izabela Andova, Natasha Jobe &
Bruna Reis

2. NO
MORE
CHILDREN
SHOULD
BE
FORGOTTEN

3. Advocacy In Child Care
Part A & B
Rationale:
( why this topic is important for us to educate people on)
We believe that this topic is worth advocating because we
want everyone to know how important this is and why. After
being introduced to the “Jeffery Baldwin Story” among
others it is clear that we must be the voice for today’s
generation of children and for their safety and protection.
We want everyone to understand how something so simple
could have prevented a death.
This issues impacts a lot of Early Childhood Educators. As an
ECE’s our job is to keep children safe in a fun loving
educational environment that promotes learning.When
working with these children we think of them as our own.
This topic impacts the safety and well-being of any child who
is in need of care by someone else. All children have the
right to be in a home that is safe, loving, and respectful with
an environment filled by love. They also deserve to be with
people who can show them affection.
Our Advocacy Topic
-We as “ECE’ s” “believe that background checks and vulnerable person checks should be done on anyone
such as“fit caregivers” like foster parents or emergency care centres for children.

4. Continued..
-Do they all do background check?
-How far back into a persons background do you go?
-What education do you need to become a caregiver?
-What is the screening process for someone looking to become a caregiver?
-What would make a person be unacceptable/unfit for this position?
-Before and after if the caregivers are approved, is their a home inspection done to make sure the facility is safe?
-How often do they check on the children?
What action if any is being taken and by whom to strengthen the Ontario`s Child protection laws.
Who is responsible for background checks to help the children in need to be placed in a comfortable and well
nourished homes.
Who is, or is’t doing something about this issue?
We want to make sure that everyone who wants to take care of children go through the same process as everyone
else. No one should have special treatment when it comes to protocol.
How can we help? What can we do as ECE’ s to take action this cause?

5. Advocacy In Child Care
Reflective Summary
While exploring this topic we learned how much people agree with our cause. We realize how strongly
people feel and care about the lives of our children today.This information will assist us by always
remembering that as ECE's why background checks have been created and how important it is for our
children's safety that everyone has one done.
● Article from the CBC News
● Below is a small video of random people out and about and their views on our cause.

6. Advocacy In Child Care
Part DOne of the people who were contacted from the listing of our stakeholders to help support our cause was Jean Vance who is till
this day still a foster parent.
We as a group decided that Jean would be a good person of interest because of her relationship she has built with our group
member.Jean was my foster parent at one point in my life and I felt that she would be a great person to talk about the process
she underwent to become a foster parent.
This is what she had to say:
"The importance of criminal record checks is huge in so many ways. First if, you are applying for a position which requires full
honesty and trust, your employer needs to know that you have nothing in your background which would contradict any of this.
Especially when working with children, for instance, you don't want someone who may have been convicted of any sort of sexual
crimes/crimes against children or in any way which would affect your work with children/youth. In the States they do not check
as close and that is why you see so many individuals whose backgrounds end up in question because no criminal record check
had ever been done. It is mandatory in Canada to have a criminal record check in any position where you are responsible for the
health and welfare/safety of another individual, especially if that individual is vulnerable, eg. a person with emotional/mental
challenges. It basically boils down to the trust and honesty of an individual. The criminal record check is just the icing on the
cake, so to speak. It just verifies that you are free from any criminal activity and are capable of being in a position which
requires honesty/trust/being a person whose character is beyond reproach".

7. Advocacy In Child Care
..... initial contacts continued
One of the other people contacted was someone who recently underwent the in depth process of
adoption who chose to remain anonymous.Because we wanted to respect their wishes we sent an
email asking them questions that we wanted to know about the issue.
Her response:

9. For this assignment, our group decided to
advocate about why it is important for
thorough background checks to happen in
order to take care of children (foster,
adoption, etc). We contacted a couple of
people; a lady who has recently become an
adoptive parent, as well as a lady named Jean,
who has been a foster parent for a while. Both
of these ladies provided our group with lots of
knowledge, as well as support for our cause.
What action did we take?

10. After learning more about the process of becoming a
foster parent, we went out into the college and even
malls to talk to people and get their take on background
checks. We had many people sign a petition to show their
support for these children's safety. We were also able to
record several people to get their input (on camera) about
this. We also started discussions on twitter about this
topic and were able to raise awareness on our social
networking sites.

11. People Who Support Our Cause
Signatures

12. Staff and Students at
Centennial...
http:

13. Canadian foster care in crisis, experts say
"Some children placed in homes before safety
checks made".........

14. "There are thousands of people who do it
just because they care, and can they do it
adequately? Not always. Do they get the
training they need? Not usually," she said.
"We need to find a way to support these
people better, both financially and with
training, education and daily support."
-Wiebe
Foster parents cannot support on
$23-$30 a day
who is supporting the good guys in this
issue?

15. "Some children are placed in foster care
without full safety checks while others wind
up in supervised apartments or
overcrowded homes, say child advocates
who warn of a deepening crisis across the
country"

16. 'When people get desperate …
sometimes kids get put into
homes where those processes
may not be complete.'— Bev
Wiebe, Winnipeg-based social services
consultant
If your name or birth date is the same or
similar as someone who has a conviction,
you now have to get fingerprinted and send
that off to Ottawa for the full report. Well,
that can take a long time

17. After we graduate, our group is definitely
going to continue this project. We will keep
our friends on social networking updated
with what is going on with this issue. As well
as continue to make fellow ECE's and
parents aware of why these processes are
needed. We will keep in contact with Jean
and some of the other people we talked to
in order to ensure these measures are still
being taken.
What Next???

18. Bibliography, Resources
& References
Resources and possible stakeholders
People/ Organizations of Interest:
-Catholic Children’s Aid Society
-Children’s aid society
-Native Child
-Jewish
-Eva’s Phoenix Youth Shelter ( screening process)
-Foster parent Caren- inside insight of their process and protocols
- Ex-foster parent Jean- inside insight of process and protocols
http://parcyouth.com/contact.html
http://www.casmt.on.ca/
http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/topics/childrensaid/childrensaidsocieties/improving.aspx
http://www.torontocas.ca/main.php/category/out-and-proud/
http://www.oacas.org/
News clip from CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/02/19/foster-care-cp.html