Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services personal information management

Learn how the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services collects, uses and discloses personal information.

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Overview

The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) collects personal information under the laws governing its programs and services.

We can collect personal information if:

it is expressly authorized by law to do so, or
collecting the information is necessary to provide a person with a program or service

We collect personal information directly from a person, unless another manner of collection is authorized by law. For example, under section 283 (1) of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, we are authorized to indirectly collect personal information from service providers to administer programs under the act such as Child Welfare programs.

If we need to collect your personal information, we will provide you with a notice.

Personal information

Personal information is defined as recorded information about an identifiable individual. The information can be recorded in any format such as paper or electronic records, digital photographs or videos.

Examples of personal information can be found in section 2(1) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, Ch. F. 31.

Information will likely qualify as personal information if an individual can reasonably be identified from either the information alone or from the information in combination with other information.

How we use personal information

We may only use personal information for the purpose it has been collected, or if the individual might have expected such a use. Sometimes another use is specifically authorized by law, for example, with the consent of the individual that the information is related to.

Examples of how we use personal information include:

verifying the identity of individuals who apply for programs or services
determining eligibility for benefits, supports and programs
confirming the amount of funding an individual or family will receive
issuing funding to an individual or family as applicable
planning how many people may need ministry supports and services
evaluating programs to improve the quality of the benefits, supports and services provided

Learn more about privacy practices on Ontario government websites.

Disclosure of personal information

We may only disclose personal information where we have legal authority to do so. This includes for law enforcement purposes in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act or by order of a court or tribunal, or where the disclosure is needed for the same reason we collected the information, such as providing you with a program or service.

Accessing and correcting your personal information

You have the right to request:

access to your personal information held by the ministry
correction of your personal information if you believe it is incorrect

If you need to access or correct your personal information, you can contact the Access & Privacy Office in writing.

Notices of collection

When the ministry collects personal information in connection with providing a program or service, we will provide a notice which, at a minimum:

describes the personal information being collected
explains the purposes for which the information will be used
details the legal authority for the collection
lists the contact information of a person who can answer questions about the collection of the personal information

There are different types of notices of collection. Some notices apply to multiple programs or services while others are designed for a specific program or service. Some notices are also required to be posted online, including the following notices:

Notice of collection of personal information for serious occurrence reporting
Notice of collection of personal information for the Child Protection Information Network
Notice of collection of personal information and personal health information to administer the Ontario Autism Program
Collecting personal information and personal health information to administer interim one-time funding under the Ontario Autism Program
Collecting personal information for childhood budgets under the Ontario Autism Program
Notice of collection of personal information for data integration of Social Assistance, Passport Program and Developmental Services data
Notice of collection of personal information for data integration of Developmental Services and Passport Program data
Notice of collection of personal information for data integration of social assistance and child welfare and child protection services data
Notice of collection of personal information for data integration of Ontario Autism Program, Special Services at Home, Social Assistance, Passport Program and Developmental Services data
Notice of collection of personal information for the audit of the Memorandum of Agreement Respecting Welfare Programs for Indians (1965 Agreement) Annual Claims for 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21 and 2021–22 fiscal years
Notice of collection of personal information for young persons receiving youth justice services in custody, detention and in community

Notice of collection of personal information for serious occurrence reporting

Published: May 19, 2021

We require service providers of funded, licensed or directly-operated services to report serious incidents, such as serious illness, injury or death, through the serious occurrence reporting process. This reporting process allows service providers to:

manage incidents as they occur
make records of the incidents
monitor actions taken in response to incidents in order to prevent or mitigate further incidents

When a serious occurrence is reported, we collect personal information from service providers, which includes:

contact and verifying information related to people involved in an incident, including names, dates of birth and legal guardian status of the people involved
program information for the people receiving services at time of the occurrence, such as the program name(s) and client identifier, where applicable
the type of serious occurrence, including COVID‑19-related information, where applicable
the date and time of serious occurrence
the name and role of people who have been notified of the serious occurrence
a description of the serious occurrence and any subsequent updated information
a description of action taken by the service provider as a result of the serious occurrence

We will use the personal information collected to:

monitor and oversee service providers in their delivery of services
evaluate programs to improve service delivery, program quality and integrity

We are authorized to collect this personal information under:

section 39 (1) (h) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 1990
section 283 (1) of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017
section 35 (1) of the Services and Supports to Promote the Social Inclusion of Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act, 2008
section 11 of the Ministry of Community and Social Services Act

Questions about the collection of personal information for serious occurrence reporting may be directed to the manager of the Access & Privacy Office:

Address:
Access & Privacy Office
Business Planning and Corporate Services Division
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
PO Box 978
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1N3

Notice of collection of personal information for the Child Protection Information Network

Published: August 10, 2021

Children’s aid societies (societies) collect child welfare program and service information, including personal information, to provide services and promote the best interests, protection, and well-being of children and youth. The ministry requires this information for the purposes and uses listed below.

As part of the administration of child welfare programs and services, societies may collect the following personal information:

identifying information for children, youth and families receiving service, including names, dates of birth, and addresses;
demographic information such as Indigenous identity, religion, ethnic or cultural origin, race, gender, place of birth, citizenship, languages, and other personal attributes or grounds protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code or required to be collected under ministry legislation, regulations, policy directives or the Ontario Anti-Racism Act;
descriptions of referrals and actions taken by the children’s aid societies including dates, caregiver type, referral source, eligibility spectrum code, disposition, closure reason, etc.;
case information for investigations, ongoing service, and children in care or out of home care including plans of care, services received and detailed descriptions of contact with children, youth, families and their service providers.
program and service information for the children, youth and families receiving child welfare services such as the program name(s), client identifiers, start/end dates, financial information, etc.

Who has access to the collected personal information

The ministry will collect information, including personal information, for the purposes and uses listed below from all non-Indigenous children’s aid societies in Ontario through the Child Protection Information Network (CPIN) which is used by those societies for case management purposes.

To maintain the privacy of children, youth and families, use of specific types of personal information collected by the ministry from societies through CPIN will be limited to that which is necessary for the purposes outlined below. Access to Indigenous-specific or potentially Indigenous-specific data will be limited to that which is necessary to improve the identification of records of Indigenous children, youth and families to support Indigenous partners.

We may use the personal information collected to:

forecast and plan for child welfare programs and services
evaluate how child welfare programs and services can be designed to improve the quality of the supports and services provided
conduct research and analysis to inform programs and services for children, youth and their families, including longitudinal studies, as they relate to:
- the utilization of policies, programs or services under the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017
- the transition of children, youth and their families into and out of services, including in and out of care, and between programs and services under the CYFSA, including the resulting outcomes
- policies and programs that support the learning, development, health and well-being of children, youth and their families, including programs provided or funded (in whole or in part) by MCCSS or other ministries of the Government of Ontario.

We are authorized to collect this personal information under:

section 38 (2) and 39 (1) (h) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 1990, R.S.O. 1990 Chapter F.31 (FIPPA)
section 283 (1) of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, Chapter 14 Sched. 1 (CYFSA)

If you have questions about the collection of your personal information described above, please contact the manager of the Access & Privacy Office:

Address:
Access & Privacy Office
Business Planning and Corporate Services Division
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
PO Box 978
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1N3

Notice of collection of personal information for the Ontario Autism Program

Published: July 14, 2020

Your service provider and/or AccessOAP will be providing your and your child’s personal information to the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. The indirect collection of personal information is authorized by section 283 (1) of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c. 14, Sched. 1. The information will be used by the ministry for the purpose of directly contacting you, as needed, throughout various stages of the Ontario Autism Program and to efficiently and effectively administer and plan the program. This includes:

information about you and your child, including full legal name, date of birth, gender identity, sex at birth, mailing address, primary and secondary telephone numbers and/or email address and primary language (that is, English or French)
your client ID number as assigned by your service provider and/or AccessOAP
service-specific information, such as your child’s current status in the Ontario Autism Program, reconciliation status, registration date, end date of current behaviour plan (if applicable) and Ontario Autism Program reference number (if already assigned)

Collecting personal information and personal health information to administer the Ontario Autism Program

The ministry respects your privacy and has requested only the personal information that is necessary for it to plan, administer and monitor the Ontario Autism Program. This includes maintaining your child’s original registration date and/or position on the Ontario Autism Program waitlist (if applicable) for the needs-based program.

The ministry may also use your and your child’s personal information, including their personal health information, for the purposes outlined in section 283 of Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, Chapter 14, Sched. 1 (CYFSA) which include:

planning, managing, delivering, evaluating or monitoring services that the ministry provides or funds under the CYFSA
conducting risk management and error management activities in respect of the services that the ministry provides or funds under the CYFSA, and monitoring and preventing fraud or any unauthorized receipt of services or benefits related to any of them
conducting activities to improve or maintain the quality of the services that the ministry provides or funds, in whole or in part
conducting research and analysis that relate to children and youth and their families, including longitudinal studies, by or on behalf of the ministry that relate to, a service, the transition of children and youth and their families between and out of services, including the resulting outcomes, or programs that support the learning, development, health and well-being of children and youth and their families, including programs provided or funded in whole or in part by the ministry or by any other ministry of the Government of Ontario

If you have any questions about the collection of personal information or personal health information, you can contact:

Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
PO Box 193
Toronto, ON
M7A 1N3
Toll-free: 1-888-444-4530

Please note that we are bound by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and any information collected may be subject to disclosure in accordance with that Act or by order of a court or tribunal.

Collecting personal information and personal health information to administer interim one-time funding under the Ontario Autism Program

Published: July 14, 2020

To provide you and/or your child or youth with Ontario Autism Program services and supports, it is necessary for the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to collect your and your child or youth’s personal information and your child or youth’s personal health information. This information may be provided by you or obtained from your Ontario Autism Program service provider and/or AccessOAP. The personal information that will be collected by the ministry includes, but is not limited to, your and/or your child or youth’s name, phone number, address and your child or youth’s birth date.

The ministry will use the personal information you have provided to the Ministry and the personal health information provided to the ministry by your Ontario Autism Program service provider and/or AccessOAP to determine the amount of Ontario Autism Program interim one-time funding you will receive, to issue such funding, and to address any funding-related issues, including those that may arise as a result of reconciling the funding. The ministry will use your child or youth’s personal information to verify and confirm your child or youth’s personal health information on file and to maintain your child or youth’s original registration date and position on the Ontario Autism Program waitlist for entry into the new needs-based program.

The ministry may also use your and your child or youth’s personal information, including their personal health information for the purposes outlined in section 283 of Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, Chapter 14, Sched. 1 ( CYFSA) which include:

planning, managing, delivering, evaluating or monitoring services that the Ministry provides or funds under the CYFSA
conducting risk management and error management activities in respect of the services that the Ministry provides or funds under the CYFSA, and monitoring and preventing fraud or any unauthorized receipt of services or benefits related to any of them
conducting activities to improve or maintain the quality of the services that the Ministry provides or funds, in whole or in part
conducting research and analysis that relate to children and youth and their families, including longitudinal studies, by or on behalf of the ministry that relate to, a service, the transition of children and youth and their families between and out of services, including the resulting outcomes, or programs that support the learning, development, health and well-being of children and youth and their families, including programs provided or funded in whole or in part by the Ministry or by any other ministry of the Government of Ontario

Legal notice of collection of personal information and personal health information for interim one-time funding under the Ontario Autism Program

All personal information provided in this application is being provided directly to the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and will be used for the purposes outlined in section 283 of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c. 14, Sched. 1 ( CYFSA). This includes administering Ontario Autism Program interim one-time funding such as determining and issuing the amount of eligible funding and addressing any funding-related issues, including those that may arise as a result of reconciling the funding. The collection of personal information by MCCSS within this application is authorized by subsections 38 (2) and 39 (1) (h) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.31 (FIPPA) and section 283 of the CYFSA.

The ministry is also authorized to indirectly collect personal information, including personal health information, from AccessOAP and/or your Ontario Autism Program service provider by subsections 38 (2) and 39 (1) (h) of FIPPA and section 283 of CYFSA for the purpose of administering the Ontario Autism Program, including the planning, management and issuance of Ontario Autism Program interim one-time funding.

If you have questions about the collection of personal information or personal health information as part of this application, you can contact:

Central Resource Team
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
PO Box 193
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1N3
Toll-free: 1-888-444-4530
French services available upon request

Collecting personal information for childhood budgets under the Ontario Autism Program

Published: July 14, 2020

The collection of personal information in the childhood budget application form and funding agreement is authorized under section 38 (2) and section 39 (1) (a) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The personal information collected will be used to:

confirm the amount of funding your child or youth will receive
issue funding
assist the ongoing planning, administration, monitoring and evaluation of the Ontario Autism Program

The collection of personal information in the childhood budget expense form is authorized under section 38 (2) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and section 283 (1) of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017 (CYFSA). The personal information collected will be used to:

verify that the amount of funding you spent matches the amount you were issued
confirm that you spent the funding on eligible services and supports
determine if your child is eligible for interim one-time funding

planning, managing, delivering, evaluating or monitoring services that the ministry provides or funds under the CYFSA
conducting risk management and error management activities in respect of the services that the ministry provides or funds under the CYFSA, and monitoring and preventing fraud or any unauthorized receipt of services or benefits related to any of them
conducting activities to improve or maintain the quality of the services that the ministry provides or funds, in whole or in part
conducting research and analysis that relate to children and youth and their families, including longitudinal studies, by or on behalf of the ministry that relate to, a service, the transition of children and youth and their families between and out of services, including the resulting outcomes, or programs that support the learning, development, health and well-being of children and youth and their families, including programs provided or funded in whole or in part by the ministry or by any other ministry of the Government of Ontario

If you have any questions about this collection of personal information, you can contact:

Central Resource Team
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
PO Box 193
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1N3
Toll-free: 1-888-444-4530

Please note that we are bound by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and any information collected may be subject to disclosure in accordance with that act, or by order of a court or tribunal. This collection of personal information is authorized under s.38 (2) or s.39 (1) (a) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Ontario).

Notice of collection of personal information for data integration of Social Assistance, Passport Program and Developmental Services data

Updated: October 19, 2023
Published: April 14, 2022

As the Data Integration (DI) Unit for the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS), the Business Intelligence and Practice Division (the “Division”) indirectly collects personal information for the purposes of data integration.

In its role as a DI Unit, the Division is collecting personal information about individuals receiving ministry services or ministry-funded services between May 1, 2022 and April 30, 2023, from the following MCCSS programs:

Ontario Disability Support Program
Ontario Works
Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities
Temporary Care Assistance
Developmental Services
Passport

This information comes from the Social Assistance Management System (SAMS), the Developmental Services Consolidated Information System (DSCIS) and the consolidated payment agency's database.

The personal information collected indirectly as a ministerial DI unit includes:

identifying information for children, youth and families, and/or adults receiving services from any of the program areas, including names, dates of birth, addresses, and program specific identifiers such as Client ID, DSCIS ID and social insurance number
demographic information including age, gender, and disability type (ICD-9 code)
case information for investigations, ongoing service for adults and children in care or out of home care
program and service information for program and service recipients including the program name(s), program type(s), client identifiers, and start/end dates

Who has access to the collected personal information

Personal information is only disclosed to members of the DI Unit within MCCSS in the performance of their duties in connection with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Part III.1. The DI Unit within the MCCSS may further disclose personal information it collects:

to another inter-ministerial DI Unit and/or an extra-ministerial DI Unit
as required by law
to an institution or law enforcement agency in Canada in relation to an investigation
for the purpose of a proceeding before a court or tribunal
to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
for a research purpose

The collected personal information from any of the program areas is linked and then de-identified, to remove or anonymize identifying information. Linking data from these programs helps to better understand the financial and employment supports which may assist eligible adult residents of Ontario with a developmental disability and their families who may be in financial need. The DI Unit is collecting PI for the purpose of planning for the delivery of programs and services. Key findings are used to better inform policy and program options in each program area.

Data and privacy

The government is committed to transparency in the use of personal information for data integration and uses only as much personal information as is necessary to achieve the purposes identified above. As required under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Part III.1, the Ministry complies with the Ontario Public Service Data Integration Data Standards. The Data Standards contain a minimum set of requirements for promoting responsible stewardship of the personal information collected by the Division in its role as a DI Unit. By outlining the obligations of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Part III.1, the Data Standards ensure a consistent and effective approach to transparency, accountability, and the protection of privacy across all DI Units.

The Ministry is authorized to indirectly collect this personal information under section 49.2 and section 49.4 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Questions about the collection, use and disclosure of personal information for the purposes of data integration may be directed to the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services’ Data Integration Unit:

Mandeep Flora
Director, Data Strategy and Solutions Platform
Business Intelligence and Practice Division
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
3^rd Floor, 315 Front St. W, Toronto, ON M7A 0B8

Notice of collection of personal information for data integration of Developmental Services and Passport Program data

Updated: October 19, 2023
Published: April 14, 2022

In its role as a DI Unit, the Division is collecting personal information about individuals receiving ministry services or ministry-funded services between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023 from the following MCCSS programs:

Developmental Services
Passport

This information comes from the Developmental Services Consolidated Information System (DSCIS) and the consolidated payment agency’s database.

The personal information collected indirectly as a ministerial DI unit includes:

identifying information for adults receiving services from either program area, including names, dates of birth, addresses, and DSCIS and Client ID numbers
demographic information including age, and gender
program and service information for program and service recipients including the program name(s), program type(s), client identifiers, information related to funding eligibility, amounts and reimbursement, and start/end dates

Who has access to the collected personal information

Personal information is only disclosed to members of the DI Unit within the MCCSS in the performance of their duties in connection with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Part III.1. The DI Unit within MCCSS may further disclose personal information it collects:

to another inter-ministerial DI Unit and/or an extra-ministerial DI Unit
as required by law
to an institution or law enforcement agency in Canada in relation to an investigation
for the purpose of a proceeding before a court or tribunal
to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, or
for a research purpose

The collected personal information from Developmental Services and the Passport Program is linked and then de-identified to remove or anonymize identifying information. Linking data from these two program areas helps to better understand the financial supports which may assist eligible adult residents of Ontario with a developmental disability and their families. The DI Unit is collecting PI for the purpose of planning and funding forecasting for the delivery of programs and services. Key findings are used to better inform policy and program options in each program area.

Data and privacy

The Ministry is authorized to indirectly collect this personal information under section 49.2 and section 49.4 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Mandeep Flora
Director, Data Strategy and Solutions Platform
The Business Intelligence and Practice Division
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
3rd Floor, 315 Front St. W, Toronto, ON M7A 0B8

Notice of collection of personal information for data integration of social assistance and child welfare and child protection services data

Updated: October 19, 2023
Published: September 09, 2022

In its role as a DI Unit, the Division is collecting personal information about individuals receiving ministry services or ministry-funded services between August 1, 2017 and March 31, 2029 on a quarterly basis, from the following MCCSS programs:

Ontario Disability Support Program
Ontario Works
Child welfare and child protection services

This information comes from the Social Assistance Management System (SAMS) and the Child Protection Information Network (CPIN).

The personal information collected indirectly as a ministerial DI unit includes:

identifying information for children, youth and families, and/or adults receiving services from any of the program areas, including names, dates of birth, addresses, and social insurance numbers
demographic information including age, gender, and disability type (ICD-9 code)
program and service information for program and service recipients including the program name(s), program type(s), client identifiers, and program start/end dates

Who has access to the collected personal information

Personal information is only disclosed to members of the DI Unit within MCCSS, in the performance of their duties in connection with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Part III.1. The DI Unit within MCCSS may further disclose personal information it collects:

to another inter-ministerial DI Unit and/or an extra-ministerial DI Unit
as required by law
to an institution or law enforcement agency in Canada in relation to an investigation
for the purpose of a proceeding before a court or tribunal
to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
for a research purpose

The collected personal information from the program areas listed above is linked and then de-identified to remove or anonymize identifying information. Linking data from these programs helps the ministry to better understand the interactions between youth transitioning out of care and social assistance programs, such as the types of support provided to these youth, what additional supports become available to youth who qualify for adult social assistance programs, and the annual program costs of youth that transition from care. Linked data from these programs also helps the ministry to better understand whether youth leaving care are sufficiently supported to successfully enter the labour market. The DI Unit is collecting personal information for the purposes listed at section 49.2 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act including planning for the delivery and funding of these programs and services. Key findings are used to inform policy and program options in each program area.

Data and privacy

The Ministry is authorized to indirectly collect this personal information under section 49.2 and section 49.4 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Notice of collection of personal information for data integration of Ontario Autism Program, Special Services at Home, Social Assistance, Passport Program and Developmental Services data

Published: October 19, 2023

In its role as a DI Unit, the Division is collecting personal information about individuals receiving ministry services or ministry-funded services between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2024 on a semi-annual basis, from the following MCCSS programs:

This information comes from the following ministry systems: the Developmental Services Consolidated Information System (DSCIS), the Provincial Special Services at Home (PSSAH) application, the Social Assistance Management System (SAMS), the Ontario Autism Case Information System (OACIS), the Serious Occurrence Reporting and Residential Licensing System (SOR-RL), and the Disability Adjudication Database (DAD).

Information is also indirectly collected from PassportONE for the Passport program and AccessOAP, which is the independent intake organization for the Ontario Autism Program.

The personal information collected indirectly as a ministerial DI unit includes:

identifying information for children, youth and families, and/or adults receiving services from any of the program areas indicated above, including names, dates of birth, and addresses
demographic information including age, gender or sex, disability type (ICD-9 code) and other personal attributes, such as education, marital status, and family structure
case information for serious occurrences (SOs), including the date and time of serious occurrence, category and subcategory of serious occurrence for ongoing and historical records of services for children and adults in care or out of home care. Serious Occurrences refer to an incident, such as a death and/or serious illness or injury, that requires or may require intervention and/or investigation by a service provider, MCCSS and/or other applicable parties. Serious occurrences are reported by service providers when the SO occurs during the provision of service(s), which could be funded, licensed, or directly operated.
program and service information for program and service recipients including the program names, program types, client identifiers, status in the program or service and start and end dates

Who has access to the collected personal information

to another inter-ministerial DI Unit and/or an extra-ministerial DI Unit
as required by law
to an institution or law enforcement agency in Canada in relation to an investigation
for the purpose of a proceeding before a court or tribunal
to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
for research purpose

The collected personal information from any of the program areas will be linked and then de-identified to remove or anonymize identifying information. The dataset resulting from this exercise will be disclosed to authorized individuals within the Business Intelligence and Practice Division in the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services for analysis. Linking data from these programs will help the Ministry to better understand the patterns of program and service use throughout the life course of individuals with special needs and their families. The DI Unit is collecting personal information for the purpose of planning for the delivery of programs and services. Key findings are used to better inform policy and program options in each program area to improve the quality of the supports and services provided.

Data and privacy

The Ministry is authorized to indirectly collect this personal information under section 49.2 and section 49.4 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Notice of collection of personal information for the audit of the Memorandum of Agreement Respecting Welfare Programs for Indians (1965 Agreement) Annual Claims for 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21 and 2021–22 fiscal years

Published: October 19, 2023

The Memorandum of Agreement Respecting Welfare Programs for Indians between the governments of Canada and the Province of Ontario (the “1965 Agreement”) provides that the Federal Government will contribute a certain percentage of costs incurred by the province for provision of services to “Indians with reserve status”. Under the terms of the 1965 Agreement, provincial claims for cost shared programs must be certified by an auditor.

Programs that are included in the 1965 Agreement are:

Ontario Works
Child Care
Homemakers and Nurses Services
Child Protection Services

As part of the audit, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) is required to collect personal information for the purpose of cross-referencing against the federal government’s Indian Register and to facilitate the auditing of shared cost programs as part of the 1965 Agreement. MCCSS is authorized to collect personal information for these purposes under subsection 38 (2) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).

The personal information collected includes:

First and Last name
Case file number
First Nation

The personal information is being collected and analyzed by a third-party audit firm acting on behalf of the ministry to conduct the audit directly from the communities and/or municipalities being audited. No personal information is retained by the ministry, and all personal information is destroyed by the audit firm following the completion of the audit.

Questions about the collection, use and disclosure of personal information for the purposes of cross-referencing against the federal government’s Indian Register and to facilitate the auditing of shared cost programs as part of the 1965 Agreement may be directed to the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services’ Controllership and Fiscal Reporting Branch:

Controllership and Fiscal Reporting Branch
Business Planning and Corporate Services Division
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
4th Floor, 315 Front St. W, Toronto, ON M7A 0B8

Notice of collection of personal information for young persons receiving youth justice services in custody, detention and in community

Published: April 9, 2024

Overview

The Ministry of Children Community and Social Services collects personal information to provide or fund youth justice services and to better understand the needs of young persons in the youth justice service system. Collection of this information is necessary to support programs and services.

The Ministry collects:

Information about young persons receiving youth justice programs and services, including names, dates of birth, and addresses
Socio-demographic information about young persons such as:
- gender identity
- citizenship status
- sexual orientation
- family status
- languages
- disability status
- parental status
Information required to be collected under the Anti-Racism Act, 2017, including:
- Indigenous identity
- ethnic origin
- race
- religion

The Ministry also collects this information from service providers providing youth justice services.

The Ministry is authorized to collect this personal information under subsections 38 (2) and 39 (1) (h) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.31 (FIPPA), subsection 283 (1) of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, Chapter 14 Sched. 1 (CYFSA) and section 2 of O. Reg. 267/18 under subsection 7 (4) of the Anti-Racism Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, Chapter 15.

How we use personal information

The Ministry is collecting this information to:

properly deliver and fund youth justice services
understand the needs of individual young persons to plan for the services they receive
improve the programs and services young persons are receiving to meet their needs
identify barriers that young persons receiving youth justice services may be facing

Who has access to the collected personal information

Personal information will be shared only with individuals as permitted or required by the law. For example, in certain circumstances, the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) allows some information to be given to staff in youth justice services, or to people helping with court matters, to a young person, their parents and/or their lawyer, to Crown Attorneys, the police, the victim(s), and others who may request the information, such as the Ombudsman.

The personal information will be kept private and confidential except if the disclosure is permitted or required by applicable law such as the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA).

For more information go to:

Questions about the collection, use and disclosure of personal information for the purposes described above may be directed to the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services:

Director, Strategic Innovation and Modernization Branch
Youth Justice Division
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
5th Floor, 101 Bloor Street West
Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2Z7

Contact information

Access and Privacy Office

If you have questions about the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) in general, or on how to file a privacy complaint or concern regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal information by MCCSS, you can contact the Access and Privacy Office at:

Access to information requests or requests for correction of personal information can be made through the submission of a Freedom of Information (FOI Request) to MCCSS or made in writing and directed to the Access and Privacy Office.

Access and Privacy Office
Business Planning and Corporate Services Division
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
PO Box 978
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1N3

Information and Privacy Commissioner

The Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) provides oversight of Ontario’s access and privacy laws. These laws establish the rules for how the following Ontario institutions may collect, use and disclose your personal information:

public institutions
health care providers
children’s aid societies
other child and family service providers

The IPC also assists you with resolving privacy complaints and has broader powers to investigate and research privacy issues.

If you have questions or concerns about the privacy of your personal information, you can contact:

Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400
Toronto, Ontario
M4W 1A8

Updated: April 09, 2024

Published: May 19, 2021