About Us

Supporting Children and Families

Protecting children and helping build healthy families

Ontario's 53 Children's Aid Societies (CASs) are not-for-profit agencies that protect children from physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect. Throughout Ontario, these Societies have been keeping children safe, helping parents build healthy families and providing safe, nurturing environments for young people.

Each CAS is locally based in order to understand and respond to the specific needs of children and families in each community. In some communities, CASs are known as Family and Children's Services.

The government of Ontario funds each CAS for child protection services we're required to provide by law. Some CASs have charitable foundations or other fund-raising programs to raise and distribute money for services that the province doesn't fund. These may include parent education programs, enrichment programs to promote healthy development of disadvantaged children and educational opportunities for children to pursue their interests and build successful lives for themselves.

Keeping children safe by supporting healthy families

Raising children is not easy. Even in the best of circumstances it's a job that takes a lot of time, energy and patience.

It's even harder when you also have to cope with serious problems like poverty, unemployment, domestic violence, inadequate housing, ill health, relationship breakdown or the challenge of caring for children with physical, emotional or developmental difficulties.

Families can come under a lot of stress. This can harm family relationships and distressed parents may abuse or neglect their children. Sadly, the cycle of abuse can perpetuate itself with abused children becoming abusive adults.

Prevention is key

We believe that the best way to deal with child abuse and neglect is to prevent it. That is why we encourage people to contact us before their stress affects their children's safety. We can support families when needed to learn how to rely on their strengths and supports to ensure children's safety.

Child protection is our responsibility

Child protection is our ultimate responsibility. Therefore we must intervene in any situation where a child under 16 has been, or is threatened with, physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or neglect by a caregiver or a person in a position of authority.

Because children are almost always better off growing up in their own homes, we try to keep families together whenever we can. Most of the families we work with receive help through counseling and various support services to create safe homes for their children.

Providing a safe place for children

When parents are unable to safely care for their children, we find places for their children in the homes of friends or relatives, in foster homes or in other kinds of residences. Some of these residences are managed directly by the CAS, and some by other community agencies.

Placements are usually short-term and most children are returned to their homes when their family situation improves. In the meantime, we work with families to create a safer environment for the children's return home.

In some cases, however, children need to be placed permanently away from home. This may include adoption if it in the best interest of the child. If adoption is not feasible, we strive to keep the child in touch with his or her family if this is in the child's best interests. Our goal is to provide children with permanency so they can have a predictable future.

When young people are ready to leave CAS care, we help them learn important life skills so they can manage on their own. When adopted children grow up, legislation now exists to allow them to obtain information about their birth families.

Here is what you can do to protect children from abuse and neglect

Be aware of your duty to report a child's need for protection — and act on it!

Children are dependent on adults for love, support and nurturing. Therefore we're all responsible for protecting them from maltreatment whether by a parent, sibling, babysitter, relative, family or friend.

If you think a child is being abused or neglected, it's your legal duty to report the situation to the Children's Aid Society, even if you've already reported it on a previous occasion.

You can help keep children safe

You're protected from any kind of legal action, provided the report is not a deliberately false accusation. Phone lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For the child's sake, you should report the situation without delay by phoning us at 613-542-7351 between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm and after hours at 613-542-6909.

Learn more about us

Our professional team, foster parents, and volunteers are available to speak to community groups and professionals about child welfare issues and the work of the Frontenac Children's Aid Society. Contact us to request a speaker for your group.

In this section of our website, you will find information about our mandate and history, as well as news and events and our archived annual reports. A contact page and site map are also available.