Self-Represented (DB)

The Respondent Mother brought an urgent motion in response to the Durham Children’s Aid Society's decision to suspend all face-to-face access at its Supervised Access Centre due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The court found the matter urgent, emphasizing the need to balance child protection with maintaining parental relationships during the pandemic, and ordered a teleconference to establish an appropriate access regimen.

The Children's Aid Society of Ottawa sought an extended care order for ABR, born in 2017, due to ongoing domestic violence between the mother (JR) and father (DB).

ABR had been in foster care since three months old.

The court found ABR was not a First Nations, Inuk or Métis child due to insufficient evidence of a meaningful connection to a specific community.

The court determined that ABR remained in need of protection due to the persistent risk of physical and emotional harm from the parents' toxic relationship and JR's inability to sever ties with DB, despite extensive support from the Society.

The court concluded that an extended Society care order for adoption was in ABR's best interests, as JR had not demonstrated the necessary changes to ensure ABR's safety and permanency.