WHEREAS the government of Ontario has a duty to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children in its care;
WHEREAS years of underfunding have pushed Ontario’s child welfare services to the brink, resulting in understaffing, worker burnout and deep program cuts at a time of rising case complexity;
WHEREAS there has been a sharp increase in the number of children housed in unlicensed settings such as hotels, motels, and office spaces rather than foster homes;
WHEREAS the most recent government data revealed that 1 child is dying every 3 days under the umbrella of Ontario’s care network;
WHEREAS the Conservative government’s response to this data was to stop tracking the number of children who die in Ontario’s care;
WHEREAS these children are not just numbers, they were people like Jade, Neveah and LL, whose lives were cut tragically short;
THEREFORE WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, CALL ON THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO AS FOLLOWS:
- To immediately reinstate tracking of children dying under Ontario’s care network and make the data available to the public;
- To release the results of the most recent Children’s Aid Society (CAS) audit;
- To properly fund Ontario’s child welfare system to ensure proper staffing and resources; and
- To take all measures necessary to protect lives and prevent deaths so that our children are never tragic headlines.