Hospitalized without Notice

May 18, 2011 permalink

A sixteen-year-old girl ran away from CAS foster care and returned to her mother in Peel Region. In March police picked up the girl and returned her to CAS care. The girl was placed in Windsor's Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital without informing her mother. When mom called two months later CAS told of the hospitalization without disclosing the girl's condition.

Source: mother

Child and Family Services Act

43.(1)In this section, “parent” includes,

(a) an approved agency that has custody of the child,

...

Warrant to apprehend runaway child

43.(2) A justice of the peace may issue a warrant authorizing a peace officer or child protection worker to apprehend a child if the justice of the peace is satisfied on the basis of the sworn information of a parent of the child that,

(a) the child is under the age of sixteen years;

...

The law does not authorize returning children over the age of sixteen to CAS by force of arms.

Addendum: Provincial NDP leader Andrea Horwath urges reunification.

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April 27, 2011

Mr. Bill Bevan
Executive Director
Windsor Essex CAS
1671 Riverside Drive East,
Windsor, Ontario N8Y 5B5

Dear Mr. Bevan:

My office has been contacted by Ms Marcia Davidson, of Brampton, Ontario, a single mother whose two adolescent children are in the care of Windsor Essex CAS.

Her daughter Melosa Carrio, was born in 1994 and her son, Rico Carrio, was born in 1996. The mother has no idea of their whereabouts, has not been able to connect with them contact with her children and is desperate to be reunited. To my knowledge, there are no child protection issues in this case.

While I recognize that there are limitations on the information you can share with me, I have Ms Davidson's consent to pursue this matter on her behalf. Her goal is to work with CAS to bring her family together again after a long separation. I am hopeful that you can arrange to have Ms Davidson contacted and given the information she is seeking. I would also urge that the two children be informed of their right to contact the Provincial Advocate for Children regarding initiating a reconnection with their mother.

I am in receipt of a copy of the letter (attached) that Ms Davidson sent to you personally. Could I prevail upon you to assist Ms Davidson in receiving news about the whereabouts and welfare of her children?

Sincerely,

per:
Andrea Horwath MPP,
Hamilton Centre Leader, Ontario's NDP

Copy:

Ms Marcia Davidson
Mr. Irwin Elman, Provincial Advocate for Children

SW: OPSEU 578

Addendum: As of December 2012, mother Marcia Davidson reports that her daughter Melosa, now eighteen years old, has fled a group home in Orangeville. Melosa's whereabouts are unknown to her mother and to the police and children's aid, but authorities are still harassing Marcia in their efforts to regain custody.