Children’s Aid gets $4.3 million cash boost from province

The local Children’s Aid Society is out of the red after the province agreed to “mitigate” the agency’s $4.3 million deficit in time for its April 1 fiscal year start.

“This is tremendous news and I applaud the government for responding so quickly to the recent concerns shared with the community,” WECAS director Bill Bevan said in a statement released Thursday evening. ““We are on solid footing going into next year and we will continue to find efficiencies in all of our programs and services.”

Earlier this week, the CAS announced it would layoff 18 casual case workers due to budgetary deficits. In its media release, the CAS did not specify whether the additional $4.3 million would reverse that decision.

The layoff news was first announced by Cathy Matthe, president of CUPE Local 2286, who said the cutbacks are forced by a $70-million provincial funding shortfall across Ontario and that the local CAS office is “saddled with a $4.3-million deficit for 2012-13″ plus $1.6 million in historic debt.

The CAS could not be reached for comment on Thursday evening.