EXCLUSIVE: Global News reporters andrewglobal, CJarvisGlobal, michael_wrobel and APTN's afixedaddress uncover documentation of disturbing conditions in Ontario group homes, including disrepair, nutrition shortfalls, and kids pleading for more outings
Unlike inspections for long-term care homes, which are posted publicly, these files for group homes are not widely available.At a children’s group home operated by Hatts Off Inc., just outside Hamilton, an inspection report from March 2020 found that ”menus were not found to be well balanced or nutritionally adequate.”
The reports indicated that during a followup inspection by the province on July 10, 2020, staff who were interviewed confirmed they had participated in meetings to review balanced meal planning but “indicated concerns with the quality of food prepared.” The investigation’s revelations were drawn from interviews with dozens of group home workers, youth and child-welfare experts.
While private operators make up only 25 per cent of beds across the province, they filed 55 per cent of all serious occurrence reports in residential settings, including 83 per cent of all physical restraints, 66 per cent of reports of missing youth, 62 per cent of medication errors and 31 per cent of serious injuries.Merrilee Fullerton, minister of children, community and social services, declined a request to be interviewed for this series about the state of the child-welfare system.
Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford called the investigation’s findings “very disturbing” and said the province was going to step up inspections. But an analysis by Global News and APTN found the province has only revoked or refused a licence eight times in the past decade.
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