D. John Hamilton

The applicant father filed a complaint against the children's aid society, alleging it failed to hear his concerns about an individual living in the same home as his children who had been charged with sexual assault, and failed to provide reasons for closing its investigation.

The Child and Family Services Review Board found that the society failed to make meaningful attempts to engage with the applicant and failed to provide reasons for its decision that the children were not at risk.

The Board ordered the society to provide written reasons to the applicant within 30 days.

The appellant filed an appeal of his son's expulsion under the Education Act.

The respondent school board argued the CFSRB lacked jurisdiction because it had not formally expelled the student, but rather refused him admission due to an ongoing police investigation into a sexual assault allegation.

The CFSRB found that by refusing the student admission to all of its schools for over 20 days and directing him to a program for suspended and expelled students, the school board had effectively expelled him.

Consequently, the CFSRB determined it had jurisdiction to hear the expulsion appeal.

The applicant foster parent applied to the Child and Family Services Review Board to rescind the Society's decision refusing her application to adopt a Crown ward.

The Society had decided to place the child for adoption with extended family members residing in Alberta, a plan supported by the child's First Nation Band.

The Board weighed the best interests of the child under s. 136(2) of the Child and Family Services Act, emphasizing the importance of the child's cultural background, blood relationships, and the Band's perspective.

The Board concluded that the kinship placement was in the child's best interests and confirmed the Society's decision.

The applicant applied under section 144(3) of the Child and Family Services Act for a review of the respondent society's decision refusing to place a child for adoption with the applicant.

Following a multi-day hearing, the Child and Family Services Review Board considered the best interests of the child and confirmed the society's decision to refuse the adoption placement under section 144(11) of the Act.

Written reasons were to follow.