Ottawa Children's Aid Society asked for Committee Agendas and Minutes | Unpublished
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Ottawa, Ontario
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Ottawa Children's Aid Society asked for Committee Agendas and Minutes

August 15, 2013

John Dunn, executive director of the Foster Care Council of Canada, an organization which advocates for transparent and accountable child welfare services in Canada asked the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa if they would provide him with copies of the agendas and minutes of the various committees and/or subcommittees of their Board of Directors.

Children's Aid Societies in Ontario are private, non-profit corporations which are publicly funded by tax-payers money, however, the Children's Aid Society of Ottwaa does not permit members of the public to read the agendas and minutes of the various committees and/or subcommittees of the Board of Directors.

The Society only provides, and only upon request, copies of the agendas and minutes of the monthly Board of Directors meetings, which do not provide the actual substance of the discussions held by the committees and/or subcommittees of the Board, only general minutes stating whether the Board voted to approve the minutes of the committees and/or subcommittees.

Members of the Board of Directors receive copies of the committee and/or subcommittee agendas and minutes, but the Society refuses to let the public see them, despite the fact that all of the issues discussed in those meetings are not deemed to be "in camera".

The following request letter was sent to the Society on October 12, 2012 seeking copies of the committee and/or subcommittee agendas and minutes.

From: John Dunn (afterfostercare@hotmail.com)
Sent: October-12-12 10:16:30 AM
To: Barbara Mackinnon (barbara.mackinnon@casott.on.ca)
Cc: Tracy EngleKingCASOtt (tengelking@casott.on.ca); MaryParisienOttawaCASExecOfficeCASOTT MaryParisienOttawaCASExecOfficeCASOTT (mary.parisien@casott.on.ca); CriticChildWelfareNDP (mtaylor-qp@ndp.on.ca); CriticChildWelfarePC (jane.mckenna@pc.ola.org); CASGPOOppCriticJenniferMooradian (jennifermooradian@gpo.ca)

Subject: Board Committee Meeting Minutes‏

Barbara MacKinnon
Executive Director
Children's Aid Society of Ottawa

and please distribute to:

Board of Directors Members,
Children's Aid Society of Ottawa

Deborah Shortt, President,
Hazel Lambert, Vice President,
Phil Jensen, Secretary Treasurer,
Tess Porter, Director at large
Ruth Koch-Shulte, Past President
Ann W. Croll,
Pauline Daling,
Steven Bellemare,
Shauna Graham,
Abdirizak Karod,
Al Mackey,
Michael Pelletier,
Tracy Wrong
Richard Tomlinson,
S.R. FPA Rep. (Name replaced with initials in accordance with section 45 (8) CFSA)

Barbara Mackinnon et al;

I would like to ask you for copies of the agendas and minutes of the various committees and/or subcommittees of the board of directors of the Children's Aid Society for the months of January - October 2012

They can be e-mailed in electronic form to me at johndunn@afterfostercare.ca or by mail to

Foster Care Council of Canada
Attn: John Dunn
12-1160 Meadowlands Drive East
Ottawa, ON
K2E 6J2

CC:
Tracy Engelking, Senior Legal Counsel, CAS
Mary Parisien, Executive Administrative Assistant
Monique Taylor, MPP - Opposition Critic, Children and Youth Services, Ontario NDP Party
Jane McKenna, MPP - Opposition Critic, Children and Youth Services, Ontario PC Party
Jennifer Mooradian - Shadow Cabinet, Children and Youth Services, Ontario Green Party

Sincerely,

John Dunn
Executive Director (Volunteer)
Foster Care Council of Canada

Website: http://www.afterfostercare.ca
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/afterfostercare
News Blog: http://www.fostercarenews.blogspot.com
Child Welfare Discussion Forum: http://www.fostercare.proboards.com