Complaints

The Children's Aid Society of Ottawa (CASO) is committed to providing the highest quality of service to all children, youth and families. We strive for continuous organizational and service improvements, promoting a culture where all complaints are dealt with fairly and in a respectful and transparent fashion as quickly as possible.  Download our Internal Complaint Brochure or see below for more information.

Service Complaints

If you have a concern or complaint, we encourage you to bring forward any concerns or issues directly to your worker or their supervisor.  These complaints do not need to be in writing.

You may request for a formal meeting with the supervisor to discuss the matter in person. If you wish, you can bring a support person to this meeting or any other meetings throughout the process. You can also bring a representative of your band or Indigenous community, if applicable.

If you are not satisfied with the response of the supervisor, you have the right to escalate your concerns to a Service Manager or a Director of Service. We ask that you email us at

[email protected], including your name and call back number. Your message will be returned within the next 24-48 business hours.

Complaints Regarding French Language Services

CASO is a designated French language service agency under the French Language Services Act, a provincial law intended to protect the rights of Franco-Ontarians.

As such, any service recipient who feels that our agency has not provided suitable service delivery in French has the right to submit a formal complaint by emailing [email protected]

Internal Complaint Review Panel (ICRP)

If all efforts to resolve your complaint have not been successful, you have the right to start a formal complaint process at any time. CASO is required, by law, to establish an Internal Complaints Review Panel to review formal complaints submitted in writing.

In your submission, please describe:

•          The nature or subject matter of the complaint with a reference to events or dates if possible, and;
•          The specific issues to be addressed and the possible avenues for addressing them from the complainant's perspective.

You can access the Internal Complaints Review Panel (ICRP) form here.

Internal Complaint Review Panel

Att: Executive Office

1602 Telesat Court,

Ottawa, Ontario, K1B1B1

Once a formal complaint has been received, we will respond within seven days to indicate whether the complaint is eligible for review. If so, a meeting will be scheduled with the society’s Internal Complaint Review Panel within 14 days of the notice of eligibility being sent.

CASO’s Internal Complaint Review Panel consists of a small group of individuals who have not been directly involved in your case.

Complaints Not Eligible for Review

• Concerns about services provided to someone other than yourself and/or your family;

• Concerns about services you have sought or received from other agencies;

• Issues that are before the court or have been decided by the court;

• Issues that are subject to another decision-making process under the Child, Youth and Family Services Act or the Labour Relations Act.

Child and Family Services Review Board (CFSRB)

Should a resolution not be found by speaking to a worker, their supervisor or another CASO staff member, you can complete an external complaint application with the Child and Family Services Review Board (CFSRB). You may submit a formal request to the CFSRB to review your complaint, if your complaint meets one of the following criteria:

You believe that CASO has:

• Declined to proceed with your eligible written complaint;

• Failed to respond to your written complaint within the required timeframe;

• Failed to comply with the formal complaint review procedure;

• Failed to provide you with an opportunity to be heard and represented when decisions affecting your interests were being made and heard about the services you received or are receiving; or

• Failed to provide you with a reason for a decision that affects your interests.

Application forms for the Child and Family Services Review Board are available in our office or click the following link to be re-directed to the Child and Family Services Review Board. To download the form, click here.

More Information: Ontario Ombudsman

The Ontario Ombudsman's Children and Youth Unit oversees answering questions, providing information about the rights of children and youth, addressing complaints from young people and adults about CAS services, and conducting investigations. For more information, please visit the Ontario Ombudsman's website.