Client Record Experiences Needed

October 29, 2009 permalink

John Dunn is collecting personal experiences regarding CAS client access to records. Enclosed below is the notice from foster care news, followed by a personal experience to add to Mr Dunn's archive.

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Thursday, October 29, 2009

Council Seeking Access To CAS Records Experiences

The Foster Care Council of Canada is currently engaged in a research project regarding CAS client access to records. We are asking anyone who has ever attempted to ask for copies of their CAS records to share their experiences with us for inclusion in our final report which will be released by March 2010 for review by MPP's in Ontario, the general public, and by the Minister of Children and Youth Services in preparation for the 2010 review of the Child and Family Services Act.

We will log our progress as we go and report on the cooperation of the Societies in providing us with information pertaining to their access to records policies and practices.

So far, we have received a Policy from the Kenora-Patricia Child and Family Services and would like to hear from anyone who may have received services from this agency to share your experiences in relation to access to your records with us by e-mailing johndunn@afterfostercare.ca

Your contribution will be valuable to assisting us in our attempts to increase transparency and accountability of Children's Aid Societies in Ontario.

Posted by afterfostercare at 8:06 AM

Source: Foster Care News, October 29, 2009

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In the spring of 2001 our four-year-old son attended a nursery school near Orangeville Ontario. On May 23, the staff asked the children to relate negative experiences in their home. Our son indicated in some way (we never found out the exact statement) unhappiness with his dad sending him to his room. The school tipped off children's aid to a case of possible abuse. Two days later, still before we knew anything about it, a CAS worker and a plainclothes policewoman interviewed our son at the nursery school for fifteen minutes on videotape. Later the same day Trish Grabbe of Dufferin CAS called my wife on the phone to report their decision to take no action on the matter. Within minutes we pulled our son out of that nursery school, never to return.

I addressed a letter to Dufferin CAS requesting a copy of the video tape. You can read their response below, or see the photocopy.

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DUFFERIN
Child and Family Services

(Incorporated as The Children's Aid Society of the County of Dufferin)

June 18, 2001

Mr. Robert McQuaid R. R. #5

Orangeville, Ontario L9W 2Z2

Dear Mr. McQuaid:

I am writing in response to your letter dated June 3, 2001. You have requested a copy of the videotaped interview conducted on May 25, 2001 by Trish Grabb with your son, Kenneth McQuaid. Please be advised that Dufferin Child and Family Services does not release copies of any documents that are part of a child protection file.

I would also like to advise you that the Society has completed the investigation and that your file will be closed. It would appear that the concerns raised were historical in nature and that Kenneth has not been locked in his room since the Society's last involvement.

If you have any questions with regard to the above information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Kimberley Evans, B.S.W., R.S.W.
Program Manager
Child Protection - Intake

cc: Gary Putman