Selected Cases

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A youth revealed to us that her concerns about being physically restrained at her group home were not being heard.

Our Office checked on a youth after we heard she was hurt when her group home staff physically restrained her self-injurious behaviour.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

After her second suicide attempt, a 15-year-old girl contacted us from the hospital.

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.

A woman worried about the health and safety of a young relative complained to us that the local children’s aid society (CAS) had done “nothing” in response to her concerns.

A 16-year-old who has a developmental disability and lives in a group home contacted us to raise questions about his rights.

A 13-year-old racialized youth complained to us after her children’s aid society (CAS) called the police to transport her to a new group home – which they did by handcuffing her and placing her in the back of a police vehicle.

A 16-year-old youth living in a group home complained to our Office that staff at the home were not allowing him to contact certain members of his family because his mother – his legal guardian – did not want him speaking to them.

A 15-year-old emailed us that she was being physically and verbally abused by her mother, and had started to self-harm and even attempted suicide as a result.

A 16-year-old living in a foster home sought our help when she was invited to spend the night at a friend’s house, but her foster care agency denied her request, citing COVID-19 restrictions.

An 11-year-old told us she felt unsafe in her group home after another resident threatened her with a knife.

A young person who was serving a youth sentence at an adult correctional facility complained to us that he was not being provided access to services required by his court-ordered plan.

A Black youth living in a rural group home with little access to public transit complained to us that staff would not drive him to get a haircut.

The mother of a teenager with developmental disability complained to us about an incident involving her daughter at a group home.

A mother called our Children and Youth Unit after her local children’s aid society told her it would not review her complaint due to a lack of information.

A 16-year-old youth in care of a children’s aid society felt that her needs were not being met since she had a change in caseworkers.

When a woman complained to us about how she and her family were treated by a children’s aid society, we first advised her to contact her caseworker and raise the issue through the society’s internal process.

Unhappy with his placement at a foster home, a 17-year-old asked his children’s aid society caseworker for a placement change, only to be told the home he was staying in was best for him.

A 16-year-old girl living in a group home told us she had asked her children’s aid society worker to initiate a review of her placement because she felt unsafe, but the caseworker didn't follow up with her.
 

A pregnant youth called us for help when she went for an ultrasound and was told her health card was cancelled.

A young person in a treatment group home called us, saying she felt like she had no one to talk to.

A 15-year-old who had been in a group home for three years sought our help in moving into a foster home where he could become more independent.