It is everyone's responsibility to report suspected child abuse and neglect.
If you call to report suspected child abuse or neglect, or to request assistance, you will speak directly with a worker. Based on the information gathered by the worker and on any information in our files, the matter may be investigated further, referred to another area of the agency or to another community service provider, or may not require further follow up.
When we receive a report of suspected abuse or neglect of a child, the intake worker and a supervisor will review the referral, and a plan will be established for immediate investigation. Depending on the risk of harm for the child, the investigation may take place immediately or within 7 days.
If the matter is a case of suspected abuse or neglect, the local police may be contacted prior to the investigation. In such cases, the F&CS worker and a police officer will jointly investigate the situation. Throughout any investigation, our agency's primary focus and responsibility is the safety and well being of the child.
There are a number of other reasons that a Children's Aid Society may become involved with a family. Some examples of these situations include:
- domestic violence
- substance abuse by the caregiver
- mental health problems of the caregiver
- abandonment of a child
- inadequate supervision of a child
- caregiver lacks the necessary skills to parent a child
- child suffers from severe depression or developmental delays and the caregiver is unable to meet the child's needs.
In some cases, caregivers themselves contact us for help if they are having difficulty properly caring for their child.
