CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES REVIEW BOARD
BETWEEN:
MG
Applicant
-and-
Child and Family Services of Grand Erie
Respondent
DECISION
Adjudicator: Rupinder Hans
Date: May 11, 2026
Indexed as: MG v Child and Family Services of Grand Erie (CYFSA s.120)
OVERVIEW
1These are Applications (“Applications”) filed with the Child and Family Services Review Board (“CFSRB”) under section 120 of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c.14, Sched.1 (the “Act”).
2The Applications consisted of complaints under sections 120(4)4 and 120(4)5 of the Act. Decisions were rendered for both Applications and the files are now closed.
3On April 1, 2026, the Applicant emailed the CFSRB seeking permission to waive the confidentiality order in order to share the decision dated January 23, 2026 from file CA25-0194, and the decision dated January 2, 2026 from file CA25-0221 (collectively the “Decisions”) with the Office of the Ombudsman of Ontario (the “Ombudsman”) “for the purpose of its review of [her] complaint against the [Respondent]”. She indicated the request for the Decisions and confirmation that they may be shared with the Ombudsman had come directly from the Ombudsman.
4The CFSRB issued a Case Management Direction dated April 2, 2026 providing timelines for the Respondent to provide responsive submissions, and the Applicant to provide reply submissions, if any.
5By email dated April 2, 2026, the Applicant further advised that the Ombudsman is seeking the Decisions for the purposes of reviewing her compliant concerning the Respondent, and for oversight purposes. She advised the request is limited, legitimate and directly connected to an active review by a statutory oversight body. She further advised that the CFSRB files are closed, and the Decisions are not for public dissemination, media use, or any collateral purposes.
6The Applicant also forwarded an email, dated March 12, 2026, from the Ombudsman. In the email, the Ombudsman is asking the Applicant to request permission from the CFSRB to share the Decisions as they would like to examine the Decisions.
7On April 8, 2026, the Respondent advised that it takes no position on the Applicant’s request that the confidentiality order be waived for the purpose of disclosing the Decisions to the Ombudsman.
8I considered the submissions made by the Applicant in their entirety. Given the uncontested submissions and evidence of the Applicant and as the Respondent takes no position, along with the confidentiality provisions of the Ombudsman Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.6, I grant the request to waive the confidentiality order for the limited purpose of providing the Decisions to the Ombudsman.
ISSUE
9The issue is whether the CFSRB should waive confidentiality to enable the Applicant to provide copies of the Decisions in CFSRB file nos. CA25-0194 and CA25-0221 to the Ombudsman in relation to her complaint against the Respondent.
RESULT
10The Applicant’s request that the CFSRB waive the confidentiality order is conditionally granted:
a. All parties to this Application are directed to take reasonable steps to prevent the further dissemination of the Decisions, including advising the Ombudsman of the confidentiality order in place.
b. This decision must be provided to the Ombudsman so that the Ombudsman is aware that the Decisions are provided to them for the sole purpose of the Ombudsman’s investigation and for no other purpose. As such, no children’s information or other confidential information may be reproduced or further disseminated.
ANALYSIS
11I find that the Applicant has provided a persuasive reason to depart from the CFSRB’s usual practice of waiving confidentiality only in exceptional circumstances. I find the Applicant may share the Decisions with the Ombudsman. My reasons for such are set out below.
12In the Decisions, the CFSRB dismissed the Applications and set forth the reasons for doing so.
13The Decisions contained a confidentiality order consistent with Rules 9.3 and 9.4 of the CFSRB’s Rules of Procedure which govern the confidentiality of documents and decisions in CFRSB proceedings, as follows:
9.3 Subject to an order of the Court or the CFSRB, parties and their representatives shall not use documents or information obtained under these Rules or in the course of the CFSRB's proceeding for any purpose other than the proceeding before the CFSRB.
9.4 All CFSRB decisions are subject to a confidentiality order and may also contain information subject to section 87(8) of the CYFSA, 2017. The CFSRB publishes a redacted version of its decisions. No one shall circulate, reproduce, communicate or publish any information contained in or obtained from an unredacted decision of the CFSRB without first obtaining an order of the CFSRB or the court.
14As noted in LT v Durham Children’s Aid Society, 2019 CFSRB 15 at para [12](https://www.minicounsel.ca/ocfsrb/2019/15