Inappropriate child welfare housing under investigation in Ontario

Ontario's ombudsman is launching an independent investigation into the practice by welfare agencies of housing children in hotels, motels, trailers and offices, and the provincial government's response to it.

The provincial ombudsman's office announced its investigation in a news release on Thursday, after "several reports about children being inappropriately housed in these settings."

"We are aware of numerous incidents across the province of children being placed in these unlicensed settings, many of which have raised some serious concerns about their safety, privacy and comfort," ombudsman Paul Dubé said in the release.

According to Dubé's office, some children's aid societies have said they turn to these settings because they lack better, realistic options, especially in more challenging cases.

Through a spokesperson, Dubé declined an interview request Thursday while the investigation is active.

WATCH | The problem in the London area last year:

Youth in care are living in London hotels. Children's Aid explains why it's dangerous

1 year ago

Duration 1:47

The Children's Aid Society (CAS) of London and Middlesex says it's run out of placements for youth. It's had to resort to hotels. Gerry Healy, a crisis intervention specialist with CAS, says something has to change.

While the ombudsman's office did not offer specific examples, CBC has heard from advocates in the Belleville, London and Windsor areas about a shortage of licensed beds forcing youth into these kinds of settings. CBC has reported on similar pressures in Peel and northeastern Ontario.

The ombudsman's office looks into complaints from the public and can launch its own investigations into provincial government organizations and other bodies including municipalities, universities and child protection services.

Why agencies have started to use unlicensed placements

Lorrie Pepin, a family finding and child protection worker at Simcoe Muskoka Family Connexions, has been working in this field for 25 years as of last June and she said a lot has changed in that time.

Pepin said they offer more preventative services, but they also see more "higher priority" concerns.

"It actually just breaks my heart, to be quite honest, to see parents who really want the best for their children... and they're at a loss," she said.

According to Pepin, her agency has only been using hotels to house children for the last year or so because they've "exhausted all other options."

Pepin recalled "about a decade ago" there was a push to save money, so agencies closed the group homes they operated themselves and they relied more heavily on private homes.

But she said those private homes eventually stopped providing foster care "because of the complexity" of the children's needs.

"I think almost every agency across the province ... has had a situation where they need to place the child in a hotel or an unlicensed home," she said.