HISTORY OF
THE CATHOLIC CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETY
OF METROPOLITAN TORONTO
The St. Vincent de Paul Children’s Aid Society was
organized in 1894 under Archbishop Walsh’s patronage. Remy
Elmsley, a member of the St Vincent de Paul Society and son of
John Elmsley , became President. Other members of the St
Vincent de Paul Society became directors and Mr. P. Hynes
became the
working agent. Initially this new Society was run completely
by the members of the St Vincent de Paul Society but it became
an independent agency known as The Catholic Children’s Aid
Society.
By the turn of the Century, a span of five years, the
association had counseled parents and hundreds of children.
They had placed in homes 418 children who were orphaned,
abandoned, neglected, or in trouble with the police.
Exerts from a
history document
Professor Murray W. Nicolson M.A., Ph.D.
This work although under separate management and
independent of our Society, is very closely allied to it, and
may justly be considered one of our Special Works. It has just
completed the tenth year of it’s existence and the report of
the board of management for the year is most satisfactory.
It states that the work is carried on by the agents of the
Society, acting under instructions of the President and
advisory board. He attends daily at the children’s court to
see to cases brought before the magistrate and inquires into
private cases brought to the attention of the Society. During
the year 259 cases affecting the interest of 332 children were
brought to the notice of the Society.
Through the work of the Society about 130 boys and girls have
been committed to the two Industrial Schools with the best
results morally and otherwise, under the guidance of the
Christian Brothers and the Sisters of the Good Shepherd.
Report of The
Central Council of Toronto 1904
KEY DATES
Archbishop of Toronto, J. Walsh, calls together a group of
Catholic laymen to form an organization to address the
“growing problem of orphaned and abandoned children.
St. Vincent de Paul Children’s Aid Society of Toronto
officially incorporated. One employee hired.
First professional social worker hired.
Name changed to The Catholic Children’s Aid Society of St.
Vincent de Paul.
Influx of immigrants from European countries greatly increases
Society’s workload. As many as 100 babies a month being place
for adoption.
Name changed to The Catholic Children’s Aid Society of
Metropolitan Toronto and the Society’s catchment area extended
to cover the Metro boundaries.
Orphanages and Children’s Homes closed. Most children placed
with foster families. Over 2,000 “unmarried” mothers served by
the Catholic Children’s Aid Society, most of their children
placed for adoption.
Declining birthrate and gradual shift of population to suburbs
decreased Society’s caseload.
Tremendous increase in immigration in Toronto area from
non-English speaking countries increases Society’s caseload
and creates a need for workers to communicate in six different
languages - English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish,
Vietnamese.
Society establishes a Foundation as a separate, non-profit
corporation to raise funds for preventative programs the
government is unwilling to fund.
The Catholic Children’s Aid Society commemorates 100 years of
service to families and children in the Catholic community.
Society of
St. Vincent de Paul
Toronto Central Council
240 Church
Street Toronto, Ontario M5B 1Z2
Tel: 416-364-5577 Fax: 416-364-2055
Home
