Retired Sudbury CAS worker calls for criminal probe into former boss's hotel expenses

A retired employee of the Sudbury children's aid society is calling for a criminal investigation of travel expenses claimed by her former boss.

As highlighted in last week's auditor general report,Colette Prevost spent $90,000on a Toronto hotel room during her time as executive director of the Sudbury children'said.

Prevost has since repaid the expenses that violated her board's policy on travel expenditures.

Janet Giroux, who was asocial worker at the Sudbury children's aid from 1982 to 2012, has written a letter to the Minister of Children and Youth Services calling for police to investigate this case.

You can hear her read the letter here:

Giroux fears that if no one is held accountable, that CAS workers will get even less respect when trying to protect children.

"CAS doesn't have a good reputation in the community as it is. Well, when you have someone who is not being held accountable, why should they be held accountable for their behaviour, when we can't do it ourselves," she said.

Giroux said she is appalled that this money was being spent on unused hotel rooms, when she and her co-workers had to fight to get funding for the kids in care.

"That happens every day," she said. "You have to argue about getting coats for kids."

Giroux's letter also advisesthe province to do away with the volunteer boards that oversee the finances at children's aid societies and have them report directly to the ministry, saying all they do is "rubber stamp" the wishes of the agency executive.

Ministry response

No one from the Ministry of Children and Youth Services was available for an interview, but did send CBC the following statement:

"The ministry takes all concerns regarding the spending of public money very seriously. We are very concerned about any inappropriate use of funds. That is why we have asked for the government's audit department to review these expenses in greater detail. It is our understanding that the individual in question has agreed to reimburse the funds that were inappropriately used.

The ministry has and will continue to take steps to further strengthen oversight and accountability in the child welfare sector to address the auditor's findings, and to further the significant progress that has been made to transform the child welfare sector over the past three years.

The auditor referenced work that has been done to develop and publicly report on Key Performance Indicators for Children's Aid Societies (CASs).

This is just one of many accountability tools. Other tools include mandatory accountability agreements between each CAS and the ministry that are required as a term and condition of funding.

As the auditor has acknowledged in her report, the ministry has itself undertaken recent reviews of CASs to examine expenses among other things. This has included using audit services to ensure that CASs have appropriate and effective governance, oversight, policies, procedures, and plans to address any areas that need to be corrected or improved.

The ministry expects that public funds are used to promote the safety, well-being, and success of children and youth, and will remain relentless in this pursuit."