Reports, Cases and Submissions

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March 25, 2024

25 March 2024

Submission to the Ministry regarding searches of staff, visitors and young persons at youth justice facilities

The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services has requested input on proposed regulatory amendments to Ontario Regulation 155/18 under the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017, which would outline additional provisions for searches of staff, visitors and young persons on the premises of youth justice facilities.

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October 5, 2023

5 October 2023

Far from home

After he suffered a traumatic brain injury, an eight-year-old boy in the care of a northern children’s aid society (CAS) was airlifted from his home community to a rehabilitation hospital in southern Ontario.

Issue: Children’s aid society; Rights (Placement)

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October 5, 2023

5 October 2023

Opening doors

A youth who was turning 18 called us for help when plans for her to enter a transitional housing program and complete her final semester of high school fell through.

Issue: Children’s aid society; Rights (Good care/Education); Transitional housing

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October 5, 2023

5 October 2023

Home security

A 16-year-old complained that staff at his group home weren’t helpful to him after his personal belongings, including a laptop, were stolen or damaged by other youths living in the home.

Issue: Group home; Rights (Safety)
 

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August 22, 2023

22 August 2023

Submission regarding the Five Year Review of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017

Every five years, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services is required to formally review the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017 (the CYFSA) and to report publicly on the review’s findings.

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July 25, 2023

25 July 2023

Watchful help

A mother contacted our Children and Youth Unit because she was concerned that her son might have been hurt by a staff member in a group home.

Issue: Children’s aid society; Duty to Report; Safety

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May 30, 2023

30 May 2023

Bringing a smile

The Office of the Children’s Lawyer contacted us on behalf of a 17-year-old who was trying to get the cost of braces for her teeth covered by her children’s aid society (CAS).

Issue: Children’s aid society; Voluntary Youth Services Agreement; Rights (Good care)

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April 13, 2023

13 April 2023

Missing in Inaction: Misty’s Story

Investigation into the adequacy of measures undertaken by Johnson Children’s Services Inc., Anishinaabe Abinoojii Family Services, and a Southwestern Ontario children’s aid society to ensure the safety of “Misty”

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December 19, 2022

19 December 2022

A Voice Unheard: Brandon’s Story

Investigation into the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto’s response to child protection concerns involving “Brandon” between December 31, 2015 and October 26, 2018

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November 24, 2022

24 November 2022

Uninterrupted visits

A 13-year-old in the care of a children’s aid society (CAS) contacted us when he didn’t hear back from his CAS about making arrangements to see his mother.
 

Issue: Children’s aid society; Rights (access visits)

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September 29, 2022

29 September 2022

Secure resolution

A 16-year-old complained that staff at his group home weren’t helpful to him after his personal belongings, including a laptop, were stolen or damaged by other youths living in the home.

Issue: Group home

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July 20, 2022

20 July 2022

Timely help

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.

Issue: Children’s aid society, Voluntary Youth Services Agreement (VYSA)

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April 29, 2022

29 April 2022

ID help

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.

Issue: Children’s aid society; Rights (Get help)

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April 26, 2022

26 April 2022

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.

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March 23, 2022

23 March 2022

A helping hand

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.

Issue: Children’s aid society; Rights (Get help)

 

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February 25, 2022

25 February 2022

Refusal reversed

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.

Issue: Children’s aid society; Voluntary Youth Services Agreement (VYSA)

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January 31, 2022

31 January 2022

Overcoming obstacles

A youth in care sought our help in filing a complaint about staff at her residential placement.

Issue: Rights (making a complaint)

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November 29, 2021

29 November 2021

Duty to report

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.

Issue: Children’s aid society; Duty to report

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October 27, 2021

27 October 2021

Online schooling okayed

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.

Issue: Rights (education)

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June 28, 2021

28 June 2021

Dogged determination

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.

Issue: Rights (appropriate services)

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June 28, 2021

28 June 2021

Talk or else

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.

Issue: Rights (reasonable privacy)

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June 28, 2021

28 June 2021

Culture change

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.

Issue: Children’s aid society; Rights (culture and identity)

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June 28, 2021

28 June 2021

Restraints cause concern

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

Issue: Physical restraints

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June 28, 2021

28 June 2021

A difficult day

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

Issue: Physical restraints

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June 28, 2021

28 June 2021

Restraining restraints

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.

Issue: Police involvement; Physical restraints; Rights (disability)

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June 28, 2021

28 June 2021

Rethinking reliance on police

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.

Issue: Children’s aid society; Police involvement

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June 28, 2021

28 June 2021

Whistleblower heard

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.

Issue: Whistleblower; Quality of care – group home

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June 28, 2021

28 June 2021

Delivered at last

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.

Issue: Children’s aid society

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April 30, 2021

30 April 2021

Repairing wrongs

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.

Issue: Children’s aid society; Safety concerns in foster care

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February 25, 2021

25 February 2021

Seeking the right support

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

Issue: Children’s aid society; Rights (safety)

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January 29, 2021

29 January 2021

The right balance

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.

Issue: Group home; Rights (access to food)

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November 24, 2020

24 November 2020

Keeping watch

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.

Issue: Children’s aid society; Safety concerns

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October 29, 2020

29 October 2020

Right-ing on the wall

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

Issue: Group home; Rights (making a complaint)

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October 29, 2020

29 October 2020

A better way

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.

Issue: Children’s aid society; Police involvement

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September 28, 2020

28 September 2020

Family feud

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.

Issue: Rights (contacting family)

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August 28, 2020

28 August 2020

A cry for help

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.

Issue: Children’s aid society; Safety concerns

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July 31, 2020

31 July 2020

Safe slumber

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.

Issue: Rights (fairness)

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July 6, 2020

6 July 2020

Right to safety

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

Issue: Safety concerns; Group home

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July 6, 2020

6 July 2020

Not as planned

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

Issue: Rights (education)

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March 31, 2020

31 March 2020

A cut above

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.

Issue: Rights (culture and identity)

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February 26, 2020

26 February 2020

Left out in the cold

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

Issue: Group home; Safety concerns

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January 31, 2020

31 January 2020

The right process

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.

Issue: Children’s aid society; Complaint process

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November 29, 2019

29 November 2019

On her own

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.

Issue: Children’s aid society; Voluntary Youth Services Agreement (VYSA)

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October 31, 2019

31 October 2019

Right to complain

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.

Issue: Children’s aid society; Complaint process

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September 30, 2019

30 September 2019

That's the place

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.

Issue: Children’s aid society; Rights (placement)

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July 31, 2019

31 July 2019

Review askew

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.

Issue: Children’s aid society; Safety concerns; Rights (placement)

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May 31, 2019

31 May 2019

Coverage confusion

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

Issue: Rights (healthcare)

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May 31, 2019

31 May 2019

Staying connected

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

Issue: Rights (fairness)

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May 31, 2019

31 May 2019

Moving on

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.

Issue: Children’s aid society; Rights (placement)

Topics include:Les sujets incluent: