TRILLIUM TALK: Ontario's 'broken' child welfare system leaves some parents with a desperate choice

Trillium Talk - A weekly briefing from the Ontario Legislature from the team at The Trillium

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Welcome back to Trillium Talk, your must-see briefing from Village Media’s team of journalists at the Ontario Legislature.

Every Sunday, Scott Sexsmith sits down with one of our staffers at The Trillium to talk about the week that was at Queen's Park — and the week ahead.

On the show today is Editor-in-Chief Jessica Smith Cross, who published an important — and heartbreaking — feature story this week about parents of high-needs children struggling to find the services they need.

As The Trillium reported in August, an increasing number of Ontario parents are surrendering custody of their kids to children’s aid societies — not because they've abused or neglected them, but because they can't find the services and support they need to keep them safe at home.

Premier Doug Ford responded by announcing an "audit" of the child welfare system, but parents who spoke to The Trillium say that's not enough. They want to see a major overhaul of not only the child welfare system but of the delivery of all provincial supports for children and families.
Also on this week's Trillium Talk: The PCs hold the line with a byelection win in the Bay of Quinte.