Your Feedback Matters

Have a Concern?

Family & Children’s Services of Renfrew County is committed to providing excellent service to all children, youth, families, and adults. We strive to address concerns fairly and in a timely, respectful and transparent manner. Download our Comments, Compliments, Concerns Brochure for more information.

Access to Records Request Forms

Service Concerns

For a prompt response. We encourage you to bring forward any concerns or issues directly to your worker, or their supervisor. If requested, we will arrange a time to meet with you to discuss your concern. If you wish, you can bring a support person to any 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, concerns can be brought to a Director of Service by calling our office at 613-735-6866, or emailing [email protected].

Internal Complaint Review Process

At any time in your discussions with staff, you have the right to start a formal complaint process. FCSRC has established an Internal Complaints Review Panel (ICRP) to review formal complaints submitted in writing.

If you choose to pursue a formal complaint for ICRP review, you will need to complete the downloadable form (below) produced by The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. We encourage you to read it to better understand how the ICRP process works, and learn about other formal mechanisms to address your concerns, including the Child and Family Service Review Board, the Office of the Ombudsman of Ontario and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner. If you require assistance with completing the form, please let us know and we can refer you to a resource for help.

Certain matters are excluded from the complaints system. These include:

• Matters currently before the courts or that the courts have already decided upon.
• Matters that fall under other decision-making processes within the Child and Family Services Act or the Labour Relations Act.

Once you have completed the ICRP formal complaint form, it can be addressed to the Executive Director and emailed to [email protected] or mailed/delivered to:

Family and Children’s Services of Renfrew County
77 Mary St., Suite 100
Pembroke, ON K8A 5V4

Child and Family Services Review Board (CFSRB)

Should a resolution not be found by speaking to a worker, their supervisor or another 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 FCSRC 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.

For more information on this process, please visit: www.sjto.gov.on.ca/cfrsb

More Information: Ontario Ombudsman

The Ontario Ombudsman’s Children and Youth Unit oversees answering questions, providing information about the rights or 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.