We offer an opportunity for children and adolescents to grow within a home-like atmosphere. Our experienced house parents provide a warm, understanding climate for children to mature towards responsible independence.
Connor Homes is a private group and foster care system of homes licensed under the Child and Family Services Act by the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services.
Connor Homes was started by Bob and Elaine Connor in Campbellford Ontario when they decided to take children into their home as foster parents with their first customer Brookside Training School in 1976.
Young people who had been cared for under an indeterminate sentence under the Juvenile Delinquents Act were after many years Institutionalized and it was felt that for some children placement in a family home using community facilities would provide them with skills to rejoin society in a positive manner.
A licence was obtained to operate a Group Home shortly thereafter under the Children’s Boarding homes Act.
In the late 70’s child welfare reform was underway and the home was relicensed under the Child and Family Services Act 1978. Expansion beyond the home in Campbellford started later that year with homes in Warkworth and Roseneath followed the next year with 3 foster homes in Sudbury. Connections with a Psycho therapist were established very early in the development of the homes as it was thought that children would benefit from ongoing therapy to assist them with the effects of abuse and neglect.
Annual licencing with both Group Homes and Foster homes as outlined in the Child and Family Services Act took the service to a new level.
Bob and Elaine continued to have children live in their home till the early 90’s when a decision was made to stop fostering and operate a series of Treatment Foster homes and Group Homes.
Beckett Kitcher, now Quinte Counselling were contracted to provide a more robust service to children. Therapists were hired in every area that we established homes.
Contracts were secured with Ottawa Children’s Aid and homes were located in the areas where children originated from were started.
Outcomes based plans of care were started in 1997, with Risk Screening and databases on the success of children established. We initiated the use of the Oarty Information system a case management tool with computers in every home and information updated daily. This replaced our template driven computerized program which had been in use for at least 10 years previous.
Homes were opened in the near north with Liz Doll taking on the role of Regional Director responsible for Orillia, Huntsville and a variety of Foster Homes in between. Liz brought a new view to the services offered through Connor Homes as she had worked as a public sector Therapist and was an Instructor at the Child and Youth worker program at George Brown.
Sean Connor took over the Ottawa area after a stint at Algonquin College and some work experience with Walker Homes in Ottawa. Sean had been involved with Connor Homes in a variety of positions from Child and Youth Worker to houseparent throughout his time with Connor Homes.
After 2004 we established a focused team approach to Connor homes with a Business and Strategic Plan that drives our Company.
In 2008 we received a three year full accreditation from an International Accrediting body CARF. Connor Homes is one of four programs Accredited in Ontario in the category of Treatment Foster Care and Group Care.
Continuous quality improvement is now an integral part of our operation with a variety of satisfaction surveys and questionnaires driving our service with achievable goals evaluated quarterly by our team.
Connor Homes is an active member of our Provincial Association Oarty with Sean Connor the President Elect and Bob Connor taking the position of Board member and Membership Chairman.
In 2009 we started on the design of a new web based case management software package with a targeted release of June 2010 to replace the Oarty information system and over 20 data bases.
Our program continues to grow in services for our customers with the support of Foster Parents Child and Youth workers, office staff, and tech dept. Section classroom staff and Psych services. We are always looking for positive ways to enhance the services to children and their families.
To provide high quality, effective residential services to children and youth that support helping each individual child to emerge and grow.
Our Methods to Satisfy our Mission:
Our mission in Treatment foster care and Residential Treatment is to approach each placement as an opportunity to view each child as a unique individual who has needs and issues which need to be identified through a family history, antidotal information provided by parents caregivers, therapists family and school personnel. Deficits in information need to be uncovered through risk screening, psychometric testing, strengths and weaknesses; psychological well being and issues delivered using best practice tools.
Our mission is to develop a treatment plan which is accomplishable, measurable and reflective of the child's unique clinical and cultural needs at a fair and equitable price for our customers.
Our mission is to be advocates for children in our communities and participate in Provincial initiatives to raise the standard of care for children, their families of origin and their care givers.
Our mission is use state of the art electronic record keeping programs, with built in security features keeping client records secure. Electronic management systems and Databases keep our programs current and responsive to client and customer needs.
Our mission is to provide a stable well financed working environment for our staff and caregivers using management methods including teambuilding which respect their needs for ongoing education personal development and growth in the workplace.
