Heather Hunter

The applicant, a foster parent residing in Saskatchewan, applied to the Child and Family Services Review Board for a review of the Children's Aid Society of Hamilton's decision to refuse her application to adopt a three-year-old child.

The child had previously lived with the applicant in foster care for two years before being moved to Ontario.

The Society refused the adoption due to concerns about delay, sibling contact, and finances.

The Board found that the Society's concerns were unsubstantiated and that the pre-existing bond between the child and the applicant strongly favoured returning the child to her care.

The Board rescinded the Society's decision and recommended the child be placed with the applicant for adoption.

The applicant father applied to the Child and Family Services Review Board to review three complaints against the children's aid society: failure to consider kinship placements, placement of children in an unapproved foster home, and harassment.

The society argued the Board lacked jurisdiction because the issues had already been decided by the court or through other statutory decision-making processes.

The Board found that it lacked jurisdiction to hear any of the complaints, as the kinship and foster home issues had been addressed in prior child protection proceedings and director's reviews, and the harassment complaint lacked particulars and had been addressed through the society's internal complaint process.

The applications were dismissed.

The applicant foster parent sought a review of the Society's decision to remove a foster child who had been in her care for over six years.

The child was a kinship placement.

The Society removed the child after discovering the applicant's husband had relapsed into substance abuse and the applicant had also used marijuana.

The Board found that while the child had strong emotional ties to the foster family, the protection concerns justified the removal.

The Board confirmed the Society's decision to remove the child, noting the public interest in ensuring foster homes meet safety standards.

The applicant, the maternal grandmother of a child in the care of the respondent children's aid society, applied to the Child and Family Services Review Board under section 68 of the Child and Family Services Act to review complaints about the society.

The applicant alleged that the society's Internal Complaints Review Panel did not listen to key issues and improperly excluded her daughter from the meeting.

During the hearing on the merits, the parties reached an agreement.

The Board issued a consent order requiring the society to convene a new ICRP to hear the applicant's complaints in accordance with the statutory timelines and procedures.

The applicant father applied to the Child and Family Services Review Board to review the respondent Children's Aid Society's handling of his complaints.

The applicant alleged the Society failed to conduct a protection investigation regarding his son, sent a damaging letter, maintained inaccurate files, and failed to establish an Internal Complaint Review Panel (ICRP).

The Board dismissed the first two complaints, finding the Society provided adequate reasons for its decisions, and found it lacked jurisdiction over the file inaccuracy complaint.

However, the Board found the Society failed to hold an ICRP as requested and ordered the Society to arrange one within 14 days.