Blog Post Series: The Five-Year Review of the CYFSA

Written by Mason Pinheiro, PBSC Student
Supervising Lawyer, Katherine Long
Posted on February 4, 2025 at 9:47 AM

Five years ago, Ontario’s Child Youth and Family Services Act (CYFSA) introduced major changes to overhaul the province’s child welfare system. This fall, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services released its 5-year Review of the CYFSA, summarizing feedback from young people across Ontario, their families, and the service and community partners who support them.

Child and youth rights are crucial to the CYFSA. The 5-year Review articulates the need for a child and youth-centred approach that also strengthens youth voices. Achieving this goal means recognizing the historical disenfranchisement and marginalization of children in Ontario and the need to consider a child’s views in all official decision-making processes that affect the child’s life. The 5-year review includes meaningful insights and strong plans for the future of the CYFSA; however, it still lacks important determinations and stances.

We must ask who bears the responsibility for supporting children’s rights, how do we address practices that violate the internationally recognized human rights of children in care, and how to support equality for communities marginalized by child welfare systems without compromising the rights of children.

Over the coming weeks, we will be exploring what changes are necessary for our system to protect the rights and needs of children who are asking for help in a blog post series that dives into the 5-year Review and JFCY’s submissions.