The Ontario government is failing to disclose the names of “high-risk” foster care and group homes to children’s aid societies – the organizations responsible for placing kids in care, Global News has learned.
Experts with decades of experience in Ontario’s child-welfare system say this is “hugely problematic” and a major obstacle in knowing where and with whom to safely place a child.
More than 12,000 kids — 17 years old or younger — were legally in the care of an Ontario children’s aid society (CAS) in 2019, according to the latest data.
These agencies are charged with investigating reports of abuse or neglect and can become a last resort for parents whose children become too challenging.