The Children's Aid Society sought a secure treatment order for a 14-year-old child under s. 164 of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017, due to severe self-harming behaviors linked to mental disorders.
The child and mother opposed, while the father supported the application.
The court found all six statutory criteria for secure treatment were met, including the child's mental disorder, recent serious self-harm, the effectiveness and availability of the proposed program at Syl Apps Youth Centre, and the lack of less restrictive alternatives.
The court also exercised its residual discretion, concluding that secure treatment was in the child's best interests despite the mother's objections and potential limitations on the placement duration.
A 180-day commitment was deemed necessary.
