Service Demands Decrease

Family and Children's Services of the District of Rainy River says the demand for some of its services declined over the past year.

Most notably in the child welfare side where the agency says its saw fewer children and did fewer investigations.

Executive Director Vik Nowak says it doesn't mean the workload for staff has decreased.

"Our kids are dropping, but we're starting to take on the responsibility looking after kids from other jurisdictions," says Nowak. "Those cases are going up, so we have more children in care but they're not our kids. Still, it's a positive sign to see our child welfare numbers are dropping."

Nowak is not certain how long that will continue, given the current economic situation and its impact on families.

The agency also ended the year with a balanced budget, one of few in the province to end the year without a deficit.

In fact, it's the third straight year Family and Children's Services has accomplished that goal.

Nowak says its partly due to their ability to maintain the children in care within the district instead sending them to expensive group homes

"We had no children, except for a very brief time, in group homes during the course of the year. When you're looking at group homes, it costs $300 to $400 per day, sometime more. That can add up very quickly and put you in a deficit position."

Nowak says the agency is not without its funding pressures. Provincial funding for mental health and developmental services program hasn't been increased for more than a decade.

Nowak says it has led to a slow but steady erosion in the programs that is now beginning to affect staff.

Each month, an estimated one hundred children across the district access mental health programs while another 100 receive developmental services programs.

Another 30 children are currently on waiting lists.