Wynne defends CAS funding cuts

Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne is defending her government’s decision to cut over $2 million in funding from the Hamilton’s Children’s Aid Society.

Last week the CAS announced it was laying off 70 workers in response to the cuts. This morning in an interview on CHCH
the premier justified the move by saying it is part of overall revisions to the ministries’ budget.

“The funding formula for the Children’s Aid societies is being changed. There’s been a 22 percent increase to the Hamilton CAS since we came in to office in 2003, and the reality is that as caseloads go down, we need to make sure the funding formula responds to the actual work that is being done.”

The director of the Hamilton Children’s Aid says the cuts will impact roughly 1500 to 2000 Hamilton families and may force the CAS to place children in more expensive residential facilities, rather than leaving them in their homes.