More than 20 workers at Children’s Aid Society London & Middlesex (CASLM) have been informed that they will be laid off from their jobs in September.
This announcement comes less than three months after their union, OPSEU Local 116, wrapped up negotiations with the agency, seeking wage increases and better working conditions while pointing to inadequate provincial funding.
“We are already bare bones,” said Gerry Healy, one of the crisis intervention specialists who got a notice on Thursday. “We already did numerous layoffs previously. We really can’t afford to lose any more frontline workers.”
The layoffs will affect 23 individuals directly but will also indirectly impact another 65 staff through organizational changes, according to Jennifer Mc Intosh, first vice president for Local 116. There will be broader effects on the agency as a whole and on clients and children relying on CASLM’s services.
LISTEN | Layoffs disrupting London Children’s Aid Society:
Afternoon Drive7:5623 staff members laid off at London’s Children’s Aid Society
Layoffs are disrupting a service that’s already stretched thin, say union members. Jennifer Mc Intosh, the first VP with OPSEU Local 116, represents the 23 staff members who won’t have work in the fall with the agency.
“We’re concerned about increasing workloads on the staff who do remain and whether that can contribute further to turnover, burnout and instability,” said Mc Intosh.
Union Says Leadership Team Will Not Be Affected
The agency is facing a $5.6 million deficit this year, alongside an additional $2.8 million in unfunded child welfare deficit from the 2024-25 fiscal year.
“We’ve been consistently told that we need to make cuts to our deficit, given our financial challenges at London CAS and just the chronic underfunding of child welfare,” she said. “But it feels like we’re taking one step forward and two steps back all of the time.”
Over recent years, the agency has already lost several licensed placements in various group homes. Due to this reduction and fewer available foster homes, it’s had to resort to unlicensed placements such as hotels that use less qualified staff to fill these roles.
The layoff announcement was one of Mc Intosh’s toughest days in her 25-year career, she stated. None of these cuts impact upper management though she noted that CASLM has one of the largest leadership teams in the province which is well compensated.
In a statement sent out by CASLM, they mentioned they’ve been working with the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) to find ways to address their operating budget.
The organization is revamping its kinship search and disclosure services according to their statement; this has led to layoff notices for 23 employees while creating 17 new positions.
CASLM is also redesigning its service delivery for young people aged 18 to 23 who are supported under MCCSS’s Ready, Set, Go program. They plan on hiring a new team of eight specialized youth support workers focused on aiding youth transitioning into adulthood.
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