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Timely help

Issues: Children’s aid society; Voluntary Youth Services Agreement (VYSA) A concerned adult contacted our Office on behalf of a youth who was denied a This link opens in a new tab Voluntary Youth Services Agreement (VYSA) by a children’s aid society (CAS). VYSAs are available to 16- and …
A concerned adult contacted our Office on behalf of a youth who was denied a Voluntary Youth Services Agreement (VYSA) by a children’s aid society (CAS). VYSAs are available to 16- and 17-year-olds who have left home because of concerns about their safety, and who are in need of child protection services.

ID help

Issues: Children’s aid society; Rights (Get help) A 14-year-old needed our help getting identification documents to register for school and access health care, after he was removed from his home by a children’s aid society (CAS) over safety concerns. The youth looked to his CAS worker for support …
A 14-year-old youth needed our help getting identification documents to register for school and access health care, after he was removed from his home by a children’s aid society (CAS) over safety concerns.

Lost Opportunities

O N T A R I O O N TA R I O ’ S WATC H D O G Lost Opportunities Investigation into the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services’ implementation of the decision to close custody and detention programs at Creighton Youth Centre and J.J. Kelso Youth Centre OMBUDSMAN REPORT Paul Dubé, …
Investigation into the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services’ implementation of the decision to close custody and detention programs at Creighton Youth Centre and J.J. Kelso Youth Centre.

A helping hand

Issues: Children’s aid society; Rights (Good care); Rights (Get help) A youth sought our help with retrieving belongings she had left behind at her family home after experiencing physical abuse at the hands of her stepfather. She told us that she didn’t feel safe returning there without the support …
A youth sought our help with retrieving belongings she had left behind at her family home after experiencing physical abuse at the hands of her stepfather.  

Refusal reversed

Issues: Children’s aid society; Voluntary Youth Services Agreement (VYSA); Rights (Get help) A 16-year-old complained to us that her children’s aid society (CAS) had refused to allow her to enter into a Voluntary Youth Services Agreement (VYSA) after she had left her home due to the abusive …
A 16-year-old complained to us that her children’s aid society (CAS) had refused to allow her to enter into a Voluntary Youth Services Agreement (VYSA) after she had left her home due to the abusive behaviour of her aunt.

Overcoming obstacles

Issue: Rights (Get help) A youth in care sought our help in filing a complaint about staff at her residential placement. She complained about the required forms not being made available, staff lacking knowledge about the complaints process, and not receiving a timely response. After we reached out …
A youth in care sought our help in filing a complaint about staff at her residential placement.

Duty to report

Issues: Duty to report; Rights (Safety) A mother complained to our Office that her son’s school didn’t notify the local children’s aid society (CAS) about allegations he made to his teacher that his grandmother had hurt him. In response, we contacted the CAS, which agreed to connect with the school …
A mother complained to our Office that her son’s school didn’t notify the local children’s aid society (CAS) about allegations he made to his teacher that his grandmother had hurt him.

Online schooling okayed

Issues: Children’s aid society; Disability; Rights (Good care); Rights (Identity) A 14-year-old in care told us her worker was insisting that she go to school in person, even though her preference was to continue to attend school online. The youth had mental health issues, including anxiety, and …
A 14-year-old in care told us her worker was insisting that she go to school in person, even though her preference was to continue to attend school online.

Restraints cause concern

Issues: Group home; Physical restraints; Death and Serious Bodily Harm Report (DSBH); Rights (Safety); Rights (Get help) A youth revealed to us that her concerns about being physically restrained at her group home were not being heard. Our staff learned this while following up with the youth about …
A youth revealed to us that her concerns about being physically restrained at her group home were not being heard.

A difficult day

Issues: Group home; Physical restraints; Death and Serious Bodily Harm Report (DSBH); Rights (Safety) Our Office checked on a youth after we heard she was hurt when her group home staff physically restrained her self-injurious behaviour. We learned of the incident through a mandatory report known …
Our Office checked on a youth after we heard she was hurt when her group home staff physically restrained her self-injurious behaviour.

Restraining restraints

Issues: Group home; Physical restraint; Police involvement; Disability; Death and Serious Bodily Harm Report (DSBH); Rights (Safety) Our staff reached out to a youth after we learned that he had his arm broken while being restrained by staff at his group home. The incident was reported to us …
Our staff reached out to a youth after we learned that he had his arm broken while being restrained by staff at his group home.

Rethinking reliance on police

Issues: Children’s aid society; Police involvement; Death and Serious Bodily Harm Report (DSBH); Rights (Get help); Rights (Fairness) Our Office made inquiries when we learned that a children’s aid society (CAS) asked the police to bring back a youth who had left her foster home without permission …
Our Office made inquiries when we learned that a children’s aid society (CAS) asked the police to bring back a youth who had left her foster home without permission to return to her family home.

Whistleblower heard

Issues: Group home; Quality of care; Rights (Good care); Rights (Safety) A whistleblower came to us with several disturbing allegations about a group home serving children and youth who are medically fragile or have other vulnerabilities. These included allegations of physical abuse, hygiene issues …
A whistleblower came to us with several disturbing allegations about a group home serving children and youth who are medically fragile or have other vulnerabilities.

Delivered at last

Issues: Children’s aid society; Rights (Your file) A woman who had been granted full custody of her niece – with the support of a children’s aid society (CAS) – contacted us after waiting four months for a certified copy of the original court order, which she needed in order to apply for a health …
A woman who had been granted full custody of her niece – with the support of a children’s aid society (CAS) – contacted us after waiting four months for a certified copy of the original court order, which she needed in order to apply for a health card and other important items for the girl.

Dogged determination

Issues: Disability; Rights (Identity) After a youth living in a treatment home complained that his request for a service dog was refused,* we followed up with his CAS worker. She raised the issue with the home, which agreed to develop a new policy regarding service dogs, which they provided to us. …
After a youth living in a treatment home complained that his request for a service dog was refused, we followed up with his CAS worker.

Talk or else

Issues: Group home; Rights (Good care); Rights (Safety) A 13-year-old in a group home complained that staff were forcing him to talk to them and share his feelings, rather than respecting his privacy. He said they threatened to remove privileges, like making calls to his parents or using an iPad, …
A 13-year-old in a group home complained that staff were forcing him to talk to them and share his feelings, rather than respecting his privacy.

Culture change

Issues: Children’s aid society; Black youth; Rights (Identity); Rights (Get help); Rights (Fairness)  Black 16-year-old complained that her CAS worker was dismissive of her requests for hair and skin products that met her cultural needs, making her feel like she was being treated differently …
A Black 16-year-old complained that her CAS worker was dismissive of her requests for hair and skin products that met her cultural needs, making her feel like she was being treated differently because of her race.

Repairing wrongs

Issues: Children’s aid society; Duty to report; Quality of care; Rights (Get help); Rights (Fairness) A woman sought our help after her two foster children disclosed to her that their former foster parent had been physically and verbally abusive toward them. She had already reported this to the …
A woman sought our help after her two foster children disclosed to her that their former foster parent had been physically and verbally abusive toward them.

Seeking the right support

Issues: Children’s aid society; Disability; Rights (Get help) After her second suicide attempt, a 15-year-old girl contacted us from the hospital. She said she did not want to return to her family home because she did not feel safe there. She had contacted her local children’s aid society (CAS), …
After her second suicide attempt, a 15-year-old girl contacted us from the hospital.

The right balance

Issues: Group home; Rights (Good care); Rights (Get help) A 16-year-old youth complained to us that staff at his group home threatened to lock the refrigerator after he helped himself to food at night when he was hungry. He had lodged an internal complaint at the home, but still felt his concerns …
A 16-year-old youth complained to us that staff at his group home threatened to lock the refrigerator after he helped himself to food at night when he was hungry.