On Thursday, September 5, Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé (the Ombudsman) announced an investigation into the use of hotels, motels, offices, and trailers by children’s aid societies and Indigenous Child and Family Well-Being Agencies (child welfare agencies) as out-of-home care placements for children and youth. The Ombudsman will also be investigating the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services’ response to the issue.
Child welfare agencies are part of the network of care that supports the safety and well-being of children, youth, and families across the province. Child welfare agencies prioritize keeping children and youth with their families and in their communities. In 97% of investigations, children and youth remain at home and their families may receive early intervention and prevention-focused supports so they can stay together. In circumstances where this is not possible, child welfare agencies work with kin and alternate caregivers, as well as organizations and service providers, to identify out-of-home care placements.
When child welfare agencies are unable to access an appropriate out-of-home care placement, placing children and youth in hotels, motels, offices, and trailers is a temporary option of last resort. The lack of adequate out-of-home care placements is the result of persisting systemic gaps and barriers to care in the broader child and youth services sector. When a child welfare agency is forced to use these settings, they put in place a harm reduction approach to promote the health and safety of the young person. This includes the highest level of supervision and support possible.
Child welfare agencies across the province are facing significant challenges in securing out-of-home care and live-in treatment options for children and youth; there is a critical shortage in placement options.
Kin and alternate caregivers are grappling with the cost-of-living and housing crisis in Ontario. Many do not have the financial flexibility or physical space to welcome a loved one into their home. Available foster homes in Ontario have dropped by 33.6% since 2020. It is particularly challenging to secure out-of-home care for children and youth presenting with complex needs (i.e., social, emotional, developmental, mental health and addictions, etc.).
Access to highly specialized, intensive supports and services and live-in treatment is lacking in regions across the province. In some communities, there are no community-based organizations delivering appropriate supports and services or they are not sufficiently resourced (i.e., funded, staffed) to care for a child or young person with complex needs. In others, lengthy waitlists and exclusionary eligibility criteria (i.e., high-risk behaviour, recent self-harm, substance misuse, severe/complex personality disorder, etc.) make timely access to care impossible.
Systemic gaps and barriers to high-quality, trauma-informed care that is identity-affirming and inclusive is acutely felt by Indigenous, Black, racialized, and 2SLGBTQ+ children and youth, including those with complex needs. Those living in Northern, rural, and remote parts of Ontario face unique challenges in accessing the right care, at the right time, close to home. Too many children and youth, particularly those from Indigenous communities, are forced to leave their loved ones and communities to be placed in settings far from home.
Alongside our members, OACAS is hopeful that this investigation will provide a clear understanding of the root causes of this issue and outline immediate solutions that can be put in place. We encourage the Ombudsman to consider expanding the scope of their investigation beyond the child welfare sector to include other systems that serve children and youth.
Addressing the inadequate access to timely and appropriate out-of-home care placements is a responsibility that cuts across all levels of government, ministries, and provincial partners, as well as community-based organizations and service providers in the child and youth services sector.
OACAS and its members remain committed to working in partnership with all relevant stakeholders to support the Ombudsman with this investigation. Together, we can close the gaps and work towards real solutions so children and youth can access and receive care that truly meets their needs.
