Mohammed Said, Child Protection Worker at The Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa
Mohammed Said was born and raised in a small village in Africa. As there was no school available in his village, in order to gain his education, Mohammed was required to stay in a boarding house in another village. While this meant he was able to attend school on a daily basis, it also meant he was only able to see his family during holidays. While staying in the boarding house at the young age of seven, Mohammed managed his money, made his bed every morning, and washed his clothing by hand. Upon completion of elementary school, Mohammed was not among the forty students selected to attend the only government funded high school available for all regional children and although his family could not afford private school, his father, who didn’t have any schooling himself, believed in the importance of education and made the required sacrifices. With high school under his belt, Mohammed was fortunate to attend a university in Cairo, Egypt, in Political Science and Economics. He was privileged to land his first job with The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), providing government assistance in the development and monitoring of children programs. Mohammed was privileged to be part of this organization for 17 years. In 1996, Mohammed migrated to Canada with his family. Having grown up understanding of the value of education, and knowing that his university credentials were not recognized in Canada, Mohammed pursued his Masters in Social Work at Carleton University. Two years later, following his program completion, Mohammed applied at the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa as a Child Protection Worker. After 14 years, he continues to make a difference in the lives of children, youth and families in the Ottawa community. In addition to his daily responsibilities with CASO, including conducting presentations to community groups on an on-going basis, Mohammed is an active volunteer with Ottawa’s Muslim and Arab communities as well as the Ottawa community at large.
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Children’s Aid Society: Protecting children from abuse and neglect
by Mohammed Said
Having a hand in the protection of children is a noble profession which I have been blessed to be a part of, dedicating my entire career to serving children. I had worked with UNICEF for 17 years prior to migrating to Canada and for the last 14 years, have been with the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa (CASO).
When I arrived in Canada 18 years ago, I was not very familiar with CASO. I didn’t understand why an organization would be given the authority to tell parents how to parent. After enrolling at Carleton University to complete my Masters in Social Work, I had the opportunity to learn more about the organization and by the time I completed the Masters program, I knew that it was where I wanted to work. Why you may ask? Because I believe in the mandate and I too, wanted to be part of protecting children from harm.
Fourteen years ago, there were a few visible minority workers in this huge workforce. Today, CASO acknowledges that the work is not the same as it was thirty years ago. The need for a diverse workforce has emerged as a priority allowing the Society to deliver culturally sensitive services. There are still opportunities in this regard, but when I look back over the past 14 years, I see an organization that is progressive. I will give myself the liberty to say the Ottawa CAS Black Community is proud of what we do. This is inclusive of black workers, black supervisors, black foster parents and black volunteers.
Today, we are better equipped to serve families from various cultures and when needed, to acquire help from community organizations and resources. Supervisors work with their staff to learn and become aware of various strategies, and as a Society, we emphasize placing children with kin or culturally matched foster homes. The need for more black staff, more black foster and adoptive homes continues to be imperative. Our black community is rich with human resources and we should be fairly represented in all aspects of child protection, including volunteering.
Yes we remove children from their homes, but ONLY when it is absolutely necessary. We strongly believe that the best place for a child is within his/her family home. However, when an immediate risk to a child is present, the least everyone should do is to protect that child. The reality is that 90% of the time, we’re able to keep children and youth within their families while working with the family to resolve the issues.
In a recent visit to my native country in Africa, I came across an incident that agitated me. I immediately felt compelled to compare the child protection approaches in Canada and those that do not exist elsewhere. The incident in question involved screams coming from the house next door. When I asked what was wrong, I was told that a young child was playing beside the river and drowned. That was the end of the story. The child was gone and no one was held accountable. The reality of the situation is that the child was neglected by his parents.
A few days later I met with a government official responsible for child welfare and told them the story of this young child. I asked about their practices regarding child abuse and neglect and how they learn of the issues a family may be facing? The answer was that they don’t have such practices which led me to provide information regarding the child protection practices in Ottawa. I was pleased to see that the official was very interested to hear more about reporting child abuse, parental responsibility and the community’s role in protecting children.
The Child and Family Services Act states that it is everyone’s duty to report suspected child abuse or neglect. CASO cannot fulfil its mandate alone and want individuals within the community to know that if they have reasons to believe that a child is being abused or neglected, call 613 747 7800, to make a report. Where an individual is unsure, they should call nonetheless and speak with a qualified child protection worker who will assist them in understanding whether their concerns warrant CAS involvement. Recognize that by doing so, you will have contributed to helping a child in need, and for that, you should be proud of yourself.