In Whose Best Interest? An Exploration of the Purpose and Expectations of the Assessment and Action Record Through the Eyes of Former Crown Wards

Abstract

<p>This research examines the opinions and viewpoints of former Crown Wards regarding the Assessment and Action Record (the AAR), which is the main documentation associated with the Looking After Children approach implemented for use with all children in care by the Ministry of Children and Youth for the Province of Ontario. This documentation, which consists of hundreds of questions and a research-based, check-list format, forms a significant component of the contact that Children’s Service Workers with Children’s Aid Societies have with children in care. Crown Wards, because they are in the permanent care of their Society, are subjected to the AAR yearly throughout their time in care. Open-ended interviews were conducted with four former Crown Wards from three separate Children’s Aid agencies in southwestern Ontario. While the findings did not bear out the anticipated overt criticism of the AAR documentation, what was salient was the hope that all of the information they gave over the years was being put to good use (that it might help themselves and other Crown Wards), that these former Crown Wards were not aware that they could decline to answer the AAR questions in whole or in part, and that the AAR document is felt to be too long and repetitive. In addition, issues of automatic compliance by children in care with requests made by CAS personnel became a discomforting theme.</p>