2 total
Foster home closure over refusal to promote the Easter Bunny violated foster parents' Charter rights.
The applicants, devout Christians, applied to be foster parents and informed the Children's Aid Society that they would not lie to children about the existence of Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny.
The Society initially approved them, but later removed two foster children from their care and closed their foster home because the applicants refused to proactively tell the children that the Easter Bunny was real.
The applicants sought a declaration that their Charter rights were violated.
The Superior Court of Justice granted the application, finding that the Society's actions arbitrarily and unreasonably violated the applicants' freedom of religion and freedom of expression under ss. 2(a) and 2(b) of the Charter, and ordered the Society to note the Charter violations in the applicants' file.
Appeal of summary judgment granting Crown wardship without access dismissed; no genuine issue for trial.
The parents appealed a summary judgment order making their child a Crown ward without access for the purpose of adoption.
The child had been in care for her entire life (23 months) and the statutory time limit for temporary wardship had lapsed.
The Divisional Court upheld the motion judge's finding that there was no genuine issue for trial regarding the child's best interests, noting the father's ongoing substance abuse and criminal issues, and the mother's lack of insight into the risk he posed.
The appeal was dismissed.
