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The Ombudsman investigates individual complaints and major systemic issues under the Ombudsman Act. He also investigates complaints about closed municipal meetings under the Municipal Act. To learn more, read about our open meeting cases or find your closed meeting investigator. The Ombudsman also makes submissions to government on proposed legislation.
October 5, 2023
5 October 2023
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)
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
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)
August 22, 2023
22 August 2023
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.
July 25, 2023
25 July 2023
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
May 30, 2023
30 May 2023
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)
April 13, 2023
13 April 2023
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”
December 19, 2022
19 December 2022
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
November 24, 2022
24 November 2022
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)
September 29, 2022
29 September 2022
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
July 20, 2022
20 July 2022
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)
April 29, 2022
29 April 2022
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)
April 26, 2022
26 April 2022
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.
March 23, 2022
23 March 2022
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.
February 25, 2022
25 February 2022
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)
January 31, 2022
31 January 2022
A youth in care sought our help in filing a complaint about staff at her residential placement. Issue: Rights (making a complaint)
November 29, 2021
29 November 2021
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
October 27, 2021
27 October 2021
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)
June 28, 2021
28 June 2021
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)
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)
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)
A youth revealed to us that her concerns about being physically restrained at her group home were not being heard. Issue: Physical restraints
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
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)
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
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
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
April 30, 2021
30 April 2021
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
February 25, 2021
25 February 2021
After her second suicide attempt, a 15-year-old girl contacted us from the hospital. Issue: Children’s aid society; Rights (safety)
January 29, 2021
29 January 2021
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)
November 24, 2020
24 November 2020
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
October 29, 2020
29 October 2020
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)
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
September 28, 2020
28 September 2020
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)
August 28, 2020
28 August 2020
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
July 31, 2020
31 July 2020
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)
July 6, 2020
6 July 2020
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
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)
March 31, 2020
31 March 2020
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)
February 26, 2020
26 February 2020
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
January 31, 2020
31 January 2020
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
November 29, 2019
29 November 2019
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)
October 31, 2019
31 October 2019
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
September 30, 2019
30 September 2019
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)
July 31, 2019
31 July 2019
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)
May 31, 2019
31 May 2019
A pregnant youth called us for help when she went for an ultrasound and was told her health card was cancelled. Issue: Rights (healthcare)
A young person in a treatment group home called us, saying she felt like she had no one to talk to. Issue: Rights (fairness)
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)