TORONTO — A climate of government budgetary cutbacks is making it a challenging time for the child welfare sector, says Richard Cummings, executive director of Jewish Family & Child.
With the province reducing expenditures, his agency’s allocations have been reduced to a level of funding it received in 2010, Cummings said.
In addition to being a children’s aid society for the Jewish community, JF&CS offers services for abused women, as well as family services and counseling, including financial assistance and rehabilitation, and Jewish hospice services.
Cummings said that in the current funding cycle, which began in mid-July, the reductions have been accompanied by an increase in expenditures for services, as well as for salaries, benefits, insurance and pensions.
“The bottom line is that costs are up and revenues are down,” he said in an interview at the agency’s head office.
Over the past year, he said, in anticipation of the budget allocations, the agency had to do some trimming. “We reduced our expenses through lay-offs and other savings, but we are concerned that with further hits, we could be presented with new and difficult challenges.
“We are now endeavouring to identify effective ways to implement changes without eroding the quality of the services we provide to the Jewish community.”
Cummings said the government must see the importance of maintaining these services. “Our voice needs to be heard. [They need to know] that the government should invest in services [directed] at the most vulnerable.
“I am distressed, but I can say without question that we will not put children and families at risk. We are passionately committed to providing child welfare services. It is a treasure to have the only Jewish child welfare agency in the country.”
As a multi-service agency, said Cummings, “we have a unique approach to services that allows us to deliver effective responses. We don’t want to lose the great programming, which provides a host of services beyond the children’s agency envelope.
“We provide case management that allows us to address complex issues, we have a unique approach to services, and we deliver effective responses.”
Cummings said that despite the challenges, he has always maintained trust in the agency’s board of directors and the Jewish community to keep it afloat.
