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Child and Family Services Review Board

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The Child and Family Services Review Board is an adjudicative tribunal that conducts reviews under a wide variety of legislation.  These include the Child and Family Services Act, the Intercountry Adoption Act, and the Education Act as amended by the Safe Schools Act.

The Child and Family Services Act was amended November 30, 2006.  Amendments to the Act establish the Child and Family Services Review Board as the independent body responsible for reviewing complaints related to children’s aid societies and certain decisions of children’s aid societies and adoption licensees.

Requesting a review of a children’s aid society or licensee decision
Under section 61 of the Child and Family Services Statute Law Amendment Act, 2006, a foster parent can apply to the Child and Family Services Review Board to request a review of a children’s aid society decision to remove a Crown ward who has lived with the foster parent continuously for two years.
 
Under section 144 of the Act, an individual may request a review of a children’s aid society decision to refuse an application to adopt a particular child made by a foster parent or other person, or, a children’s aid society or adoption licensee decision to remove a child who has been placed with a person for adoption. 

Making a complaint to the Review Board
Under section 68 of the Act, an individual who has sought or received services from a children’s aid society may make a complaint about a matter related to a children’s aid society to the Child and Family Services Review Board: 

• once the children’s aid society’s has completed its internal complaint review of the matter; or
• at any time during the children’s aid society’s internal complaint review procedure; or
• directly without going through the children’s aid society’s internal complaint review procedure

If the individual believes the children’s aid society:

1. has refused to proceed with his or her complaint;
2. has failed to respond to his or her complaint within the timeframes required by regulation;
3. has failed to comply with the complaint review procedure or with any other procedural requirement under the Child and Family Services Act relating to the review of complaints;
4. has failed to comply with clause 2(2)(a) of the Child and Family Services Act which states, ”Service providers shall ensure that children and their parents have an opportunity where appropriate to be heard and represented when decisions affecting their interests are made and to be heard when they have concerns about the services they are receiving.”
5. has failed to provide reasons for a decision and this affects his or her interests.
6. has inaccurately recorded something on his or her file or record and this has not been resolved through the children’s aid society’s internal complaint review procedure*. 

*Note:  This complaint can only be made to the Review Board after it has been reviewed through the children’s aid society’s internal complaint review procedure.

To obtain an application form to make a complaint or to request a review by the Board, please contact your local children’s aid society or the Child and Family Services Review Board.

Members of the Child and Family Services Review Board also serve as members of the Custody Review Board. For further information, please see the Custody Review Board.

General Inquiry: 416-327-4673
Toll-Free: 1-888-728-8823
Fax: 416-327-0558

Child And Family Services Review Board
2 Bloor Street West, 24th Floor
Toronto ON  M4W 3V5