Teachers still reporting troubled children to CAS, but much less than before the pandemic

The Rainbow District School Board says it's one thing that hasn't really changed during the pandemic.

A child who is absent from one of its virtual classrooms in the Sudbury area for five to 10 days will be contacted by the board or reported to children's aid. 

"First of all to find out if everything is okay, and B to follow up and find out why they haven't connected," says director of education Norm Blaseg. 

"This circumstance isn't different. We still have those same conversations."

The District School Board Ontario North East — which covers Timmins, Kapuskasing, Kirkland Lake, Temiskaming Shores and points in between — says about 600 elementary students have not been attending online school.

But education director Lesleigh Dye says they have yet to involve child welfare authorities.

"We're really trying to understand the why and we don't have answers yet," she says.

Lucia Reese, director of education for the Algoma District School Board, says staff are still contacting children's aid when there is a concern, but not simply because a child has not been doing assignments online.

"It's not about truancy, it's a different time," she says. 

"We're trying to support students to minimize learning loss, so it's not that we would be tracking attendance during the school year."

The Children's Aid Society of the Districts of Sudbury and Manitoulin says it's received reports about 27 children from teachers during the pandemic.

During the same time last year, there were 158 such referrals.

"I do think the messaging is confusing for parents and I do think there are families by this point who are choosing not to continue pushing their children to participate [in online classes]," says director of services Cathy Brady. 

She says under COVID-19 isolation, the main way they hear about a child in trouble is now through police officers investigating domestic violence.

Brady worries that without "release for families" from socializing with friends or organized sports programs "pressure is mounting" as the pandemic moves into its third month. 

"I would expect our numbers will increase and they might start increasing now," she says. 

Compass, which provides mental health services for children in the Sudbury area, has also seen "significant decreases in volumes" says director of clinical and client services Mark Fraser.

"I think many across the province are asking themselves 'Where are the children? Where are the youth?'" he says.

Like children's aid, Fraser says they are starting to prepare to shift staff to handle a larger caseload and make sure they help "those who need the services the most."

"We're anticipating a surge and we've planned accordingly."