CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES REVIEW BOARD
BETWEEN:
LH Applicant
-and-
Children and Family Services for York Region Respondent
DECISION
Adjudicator: Tracy Foster Date: August 13, 2025 Citation: 2025 CFSRB 107 Indexed As: LH v Children and Family Services for York Region (CYFSA s.120)
Introduction
1This is an Application filed under section 120 of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c.14, Sched.1, (the “Act”).
2The Applicant is the child’s father. The Applicant alleges he has reported concerns about the Child allegedly being sexually abused by the current partner of the Child’s mother to the Respondent. The Applicant is concerned that the investigation is taking too long.
3The Applicant submitted a Formal Complaint to a Society’s Internal Complaints Review Panel (“ICRP Form”) and complains that the Respondent did not follow its complaint review process or timelines.
4This decision explains why the Application is not eligible for review by the CFSRB.
analysis
5In paragraph 6 of the Application, where an applicant identifies why they have applied to the CFSRB, the Applicant checked off only the following box:
- The Society did not follow its complaint review process or timelines.
The CFSRB Can Only Review Formal Complaints Made to the Society that Comply with the Regulation
6Section 56 of Ontario Regulation 156/18 General Matters Under the Authority of the Minister (the “Regulation”) states:
A complaint to a society under subsection 119(1) of the Act must be made in the form entitled “Formal Complaint to a Society’s Internal Complaints Review Panel (ICRP)” and dated 2020/11, available on a website of the Government of Ontario.
7Subsection 57 of the Regulation sets out that, “Within seven days after receiving a complaint under subsection 119 (1) of the Act, the society shall determine whether the complaint is eligible for review.”
8Subsections 58 and 59 of the Regulation indicate that if the complaint is not eligible, the Respondent shall either provide reasons in writing for why it is not proceeding with an ICRP, or if the complaint is found eligible, the Respondent shall notify the Applicant in writing and establish an ICRP providing the time, date and location for the meeting.
9The Applicant provided a copy of the ICRP Form he submitted to the Respondent along with his Application which was submitted to the CFSRB on August 11, 2025.
10On the same day, the CFSRB asked the Applicant to answer the following:
“Did you send the form to the Society? If yes, did you receive any response from the Society?”
11On August 11, 2025, the Applicant replied to the CFSRB:
“I sent the ICRP to York region CAS last week.
Caseworker asked me if I would like to talk to her or other privacy officer while we talked about other matters. I mentioned that I complaint (sic) about the timeline of the case.”
12The Applicant did not provide the CFSRB with an exact date on which the ICRP Form was submitted, however, by indicating he had sent it “last week,” the ICRP Form did not surpass the legislated seven-day timeline in which the Respondent shall determine eligibility and provide a notice in writing to the Applicant.
13As such, the CFSRB lacks the jurisdiction to review whether the Respondent refused to proceed with the Applicant’s complaint.
ORDER
14The Application is dismissed.
confidentiality order
15Pursuant to Rules 9.3 and 9.4 of the CFSRB’s Rules of Procedure, parties and their representatives must not use, share, discuss or disclose any CFSRB documents or decisions, or any other documents or information provided or used in this Application, with anyone including through the media or online. The CFSRB prohibits the use of any of this information for any purpose outside of the CFSRB’s proceedings, except with an order of the Court or the CFSRB, as appropriate.
Tracy Foster
Tracy Foster
Member