We are committed to respecting the privacy and confidentiality of all children, youth, and young adults in our care and/or who are receiving services. We protect their privacy and enable access to personal information in accordance with Part X of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act.

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The Child, Youth and Family Services Act (CYFSA) is an Ontario law that governs certain programs and services for children, youth, and families. The CYFSA is divided into parts, and Part X sets the rules that service providers must follow to protect privacy and enable access to records of personal information.

Bridgeway Family Homes ("Bridgeway", "we", "us", and "our") has established comprehensive practices that respect and ensure privacy and confidentiality of the children, youth, and young adults in our care and/or to whom we provide services and their families. These practices demonstrate the accountability required to meet Ministry standards for management of all personal information.

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1. We are required to follow the privacy rules under the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017.

2. We are required to keep all personal information safe and secure.

3. We are required to get consent before collecting, using, or disclosing personal information unless the CYFSA authorizes service providers to do so without consent.

4. You have the right to know how we may use and share your personal information, and how you can request access to it.

5. We are committed to promoting privacy and protecting the confidentiality of the personal information we hold about you.

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PERSONAL INFORMATION: WHAT IT IS AND HOW WE USE IT

Personal information is recorded or unrecorded information that we collect in order to provide services to you. This may include your name; date of birth; contact information such as address or phone number; education information; medical information related to your physical and mental health; criminal history; employment history; financial transactions you have been involved with; information about your race, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, or marital or family status; your personal opinions or views; or another individual’s personal opinions or views about you.

Bridgeway collects, uses, and discloses personal information in compliance with Ontario law. We use personal information to fulfill service agreements with Children’s Aid Societies (CASs); provide care and supervision; plan, manage, and deliver services; and receive or provide payments and reimbursement claims. Personal information may also be used to aid in police and CAS investigations, aid in adoption planning, respond to or initiate legal proceedings, and for any other purposes permitted or required by law. 

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SAFEGUARDS: HOW WE PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION

Everyone at Bridgeway Family Homes is bound by confidentiality. All staff, Foster Parents, and affiliates (contractors, respite care providers, volunteers, and students) are required to enter into confidentiality agreements as a condition of their service provision and retention. They also receive orientation specific to privacy and Part X of the CYFSA. 

All personal information is kept private and secure. We aim to protect your information from damage, loss, theft, and unauthorized access, use, or modification. This applies to what is entered in Bridgeway’s secure database and other electronic information systems, as well as paper or electronic copies of records, reports, administrative notes, voice messages, text messages, and emails. Safeguards may include physical measures (e.g. keeping paper files locked with restricted access), electronic measures (e.g. encryption and password protection), and procedural measures (e.g. limiting access on a “need-to-know” basis). If there is a privacy breach, you will be notified promptly. 

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WHO WE DISCLOSE INFORMATION TO

In accordance with Ontario law, we disclose (share) information with:

• The Children’s Aid Society (CAS) who places Foster Children, Youth, and Young Adults with Bridgeway Family Homes.

• Other CASs through the Child Protection Information Network (CPIN), which is their central information management system.

• Service providers as necessary to provide required supports and services.

• Other third parties (i.e., police, government agencies) – We only share information with third parties if:

  • We have your consent.

  • There is a court order. 

  • We are legally permitted or required to provide the information

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CONSENT AND DECISION-MAKING

Bridgeway makes every reasonable effort to ensure that your personal information is not collected or used without authority. As required and permitted by law, your personal information may be disclosed between Bridgeway Family Homes and a Children’s Aid Society or other authorized service provider without your consent for the purposes of delivering support and treatment services to you. 
 

We may rely on your implied consent and/or your explicit consent. In situations when we ask for your consent, you may refuse to sharing all records or just specific records that contain personal information. If you give consent and change your mind later, you can choose to withdraw your consent at any time. When your consent is declined or withdrawn, we will not share your information unless we are required by law.
 

There is no minimum legal age that you must be to make your own decisions about your personal information. If you are “capable”, you can make your own decisions. There are some additional rules and provisions depending on your age.
 

If you are capable and are under the age of 16:

• Your parent, a CAS, or an authorized guardian will also be allowed to make some decisions about your personal information except where it relates to counselling or treatment that you consented to receive on your own.

• If your parent or CAS’s decision conflicts with your decision, then your decision about your information will prevail over their decision.

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If you are capable and are age 16 or older:

• You can choose to make another person age 16 or older to be your substitute decision-maker.

 

If you are not capable:

• A substitute decision-maker will make information decisions for you. This may be your parent, a Children’s Aid Society (CAS), or another authorized guardian. Part X details who can act as a substitute decision-maker and what their responsibilities are. 

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HOW WE RETAIN AND DISPOSE OF INFORMATION

Information pertaining to the care of Foster Children, Youth, and Young Adults placed at Bridgeway Family Homes needs to be retained for prescribed periods of time after discharge from the program to comply with the legal requirements. The following is the prescribed retention schedule: 

1. Case records should be retained for at least 20 years after the last entry in the records or 5 years after the death of the subject of the record.

2. Records will be stored securely to ensure privacy and confidentiality is always maintained. 
    

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

1. A written request must be sent to Bridgeway Family Homes specifying what information you would like to access. Requests may be emailed to privacy@bridgeway.ca or mailed to Attn: Privacy Lead, 4044 County Road #45, Cobourg, ON, K9A 0X2.

2. Within 30 days of the request, Bridgeway will respond by: a) Granting access to the record; or b) Notifying you, in writing, that access to the record is refused and why; or c) Notifying you, in writing, that access to certain parts of the record is denied and why and give you access to the rest.

3. Bridgeway will inform you of your right to appeal any decision to deny access by making a written request to the Child and Family Services Review Board (CFSRB) within 20 days of notification of the refusal.

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CORRECTION TO INFORMATION

1. A written request must be sent to Bridgeway Family Homes specifying what corrections are to be made. Requests may be emailed to privacy@bridgeway.ca or mailed to Attn: Privacy Lead, 4044 County Road #45, Cobourg, ON, K9A 0X2.

2. Within 30 days of the request, Bridgeway will respond by: a) Making the corrections and giving notice to every person to whom the record has been disclosed; or b) Notifying you the person(s), in writing, that the request to correct the record has been denied and why. 

3. Bridgeway will inform the person(s) of their right to appeal any decision by making a written request to the Child and Family Services Review Board (CFSRB) within 20 days of notification of the refusal.
    

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A COMPLAINT

If you have any questions or concerns about our information practices, contact our Privacy Lead at privacy@bridgeway.ca or Attn: Privacy Lead, 4044 County Road #45, Cobourg, ON, K9A 0X2.

If your questions or concerns were not resolved to your satisfaction, you may make a formal privacy complaint to the Executive Director of Bridgeway Family Homes, Cheryl Sutherland, cheryl@bridgeway.ca. 
 

If after contacting us you feel that we have not addressed your concerns, you have the right to submit a complaint to the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC). The IPC investigates privacy complaints related to personal information and ensures compliance with Ontario’s access and privacy laws. For more information about Part X of the CYFSA or to contact the Commissioner, visit the IPC website at www.ipc.on.ca.