If you’ve seen or heard the “I Am Your Children’s Aid” public service announcement, we’d like to hear from you. Please take this short survey and tell us where.

The Ontario’s Children’s Aid Societies’ campaign brings to life stories of the young men and women who have been in care. It also features foster and adoptive parents, caseworkers and social workers who have dedicated their lives to supporting the children in their communities. As such, the “I Am Your Children’s Aid” campaign is powerful and moving.

The Children’s Aid Society of Haldimand and Norfolk with the support of CD 98.9 FM in Simcoe has developed a specialized recruitment campaign which aims to find homes for children and youth in the Outside Paid Resource (OPR) system living outside the communities of Haldimand and Norfolk.

OPR’s are independently owned and operated treatment foster care homes and group homes where care is provided to children and youth in a small group setting. They are licensed by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services and are required to renew their licenses annually.

Unfortunately, there is a critical shortage of foster homes in Haldimand and Norfolk that can manage the behaviour or specialized treatment needs of some of the children and youth that come into care necessitating the use of group homes.

CD 98.9 FM has agreed to host a special, morning show broadcast on Monday, May 17, 2010 which will feature stories from youth in group homes, interviews with youth, foster parents, adoptive parents and Society staff. The broadcast will begin at 6:00 am and continue until 9:00 am taking the form of a “radiothon” style, live recruitment campaign.

The broadcast will feature child specific profiles where radio hosts will intermittently make public pleas to the audience to foster or adopt a specific youth or child.

The campaign will provide a wonderful opportunity to bring youth and children back to their communities. It is our hope that through this very unique and transparent public plea to “bring our children home” we can recruit suitable homes for some of our youth and children.

THE CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETY OF HALDIMAND AND NORFOLK’S
LITTLE DREAMS, BIG DREAMS RADIOTHON

 The Children’s Aid Society of Haldimand and Norfolk (CASHN) is preparing for the second annual Radiothon and is seeking support from local businesses, organizations and the public.

The “Little Dreams, Big Dreams Radiothon” was created to raise money for the Fresh Air Fund which helps children from our communities attend camp and participate in recreational activities.

The Society is also fundraising to help community youth and youth transitioning from the Society’s care by providing bursaries to support post-secondary education at college, university or trade schools. The Society will provide a $1,000 bursary to a student from Haldimand County and a $1,000 bursary to a student from Norfolk County who plan to pursue post secondary education in social work or a related field. Such programs may include a Bachelor of Social Work Degree, Child and Youth Worker Diploma, or Social Service Worker Diploma.

The Little Dreams, Big Dreams Radiothon will be hosted by Moose FM 92.9 and transmitted live in studio and from the Caledonia Zehr’s parking lot on May 28, 2010 for a 12 hour period. The event begins during Moose FM’s morning show hosted by John Hardy at 6 a.m. Throughout the day, audiences will hear live and pre-recorded interviews with youth, staff and foster parents. The Radiothon will also feature information about The Children’s Aid Society’s programs and services and the community Fresh Air Fund.

The Society is hoping to augment this event with fundraising challenges where school classrooms and businesses can compete to win various prizes. Last year several classrooms won pizza parties courtesy of Boston Pizza. We also awarded a grand prize to business which included a promotional package worth more than $3,000.00 in radio spots, print advertising and media support. Similar prizes will be offered to businesses and organizations in 2010.

Scotiabank in Caledonia has made a commitment to match up to $5,000.00 in donations again this year. In 2009, the Radiothon raised $12,737.58. This year’s target is $20,000.00, which we hope to obtain through the renewal of last year’s sponsors and the acquisition of new sponsors this year. All money raised goes directly to children and youth.

You can also help the Society by requesting a donation collection box for your business or office. Donations will be collected prior to May 28, 2010, or you may wish to make your donation on the air during the Radiothon.

Businesses can also support the Radiothon by donating prizes to be given to radio listeners on the day of the event.

If you are interested in becoming a radio sponsor, Moose FM 92.9 in Caledonia is offering special radio packages and is seeking twelve primary sponsors for each hour of the Radiothon. Each sponsor will receive four radio ads and a live interview in their allotted time. The cost for each hour is $500.00.

Due to overwhelming interest from businesses last year, Moose FM 92.9 will be offering secondary sponsor advertising spots that will consist of four radio ads, but will not include an on air interview at a lower cost.

One hundred percent of sponsor revenue will be donated by Moose FM 92.9 to The Children’s Aid Society of Haldimand and Norfolk during the Radiothon. For further information regarding radio sponsorship, please contact Nancy Brown Dacko, Vice President and General Manager of Moose FM 92.9 at (298) 284-1070 (ext. 1040).

The Society is also offering select businesses the opportunity to set up their promotional tents in the Zehr’s parking lot free of charge. In return, we ask that businesses help us fund raise during the day through collection boxes, or by donating a percentage of sales proceeds to the Radiothon fundraiser.

You can belong to a community that nurtures the lives and dreams of children.

For further information about how to donate money or compete in our fundraising challenge, please contact:

Igor Bubic
Public Relations Coordinator
The Children’s Aid Society of Haldimand and Norfolk
(519) 587-5437 or 1-888-CAS-KIDS, extension 239

The Children’s Aid Society of Haldimand and Norfolk would like to wish all the families in our communities a happy Family Day.

Family Day has been celebrated on the third Monday of February every year since it was introduced by Alberta in 1990. Saskatchewan adopted the holiday in 2007 and Ontario followed in 2008.

This year, the statutory holiday falls on Monday, February 15, 2010. The holiday was introduced to break the long stretch of work and weather between New Years Day and March Break.

Take the time to enjoy the long weekend with your families.

Remembering Dustin Korey Glass:

Dustin was a youth on Extended Care and Maintenance who passed away in May, 2009 as the result of a tragic car accident. He was eighteen years old.

Dustin faced many struggles in his young life which he began to overcome when he enrolled in the General Education Development program at Fanshawe College.

At the request of Dustin’s family, The Children’s Aid Society of Haldimand and Norfolk has established the “Dustin Glass Memorial Bursary” to honour Dustin’s memory.

This bursary is awarded to two youth in care or on Extended Care and Maintenance who have successfully completed an alternative learning program to obtain their high school diploma or equivalency.

The awards will be presented at The Children’s Aid Society’s Annual General Meeting each year beginning in 2010.

If you wish to make a donation please contact the Society at (519) 587-5437 or toll free at 1-888-CAS-KIDS (227-5437).