Tasha's letters in normal font
CAS and other's responses in bold and italic.

From: Tasha
Sent: October 19, 2009 3:32:15 PM

Good afternoon Angela, (Worker)

A week ago, I sent you an email on Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 9:03:12 AM (below) responding to your email that you sent back to me on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 11:32:57 AM (below) about the concerns and issues of my current placement, as well as other things.

I have yet to hear from you since then. If I do not hear from you or your supervisor, Frank Kennedy by 4:00pm on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009, then I will be contacting the local media, as well as the Foster Care Council of Canada to inform them that I had contacted my worker and notified her of all the abuse and neglect, but she still did not take the time to respond to this crisis (ignoring my cries of help).

Your co-operation will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Regards,
Tasha

From: "ARafique@peelcas.org" <ARafique@peelcas.org>
To: Tasha
Cc: FKennedy@peelcas.org
Sent: Tue, October 20, 2009 4:35:40 PM

Subject: Re: Not responding to my concerns and issues


Hello Tasha:

Your effort to communicate with me and my supervisor is well noted and in response, it must be pointed out that our records indicate that every effort has been made to reinforce the fact that we have tried to resolve the issues raised but there has been tremendous challenges in trying to satisfy your requests within the frame work of legislative compliance and your cooperation.

Once again we are taking this opportunity to invite you to a meeting where you can express your concerns and they will be duly noted with commitments made to resolving what is doable and having designated individuals taking responsibility for what they will do in fulfilling those concerns. We would like the meeting to happen at our office with those individuals who are presently involved in your care process. Please choose one of the following 4 suggested days and times and let us know what is best for you.

These are as follows:

Monday, October 26, 2009 at 11am or 4pm, or
Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 11am or 3pm, or
Wednesday, October 28, 2009 between 9am - 4pm, or
Friday, October 29, 2009 between 9am - 4pm.

Angela Rafique

From: Tasha
Sent: October 20, 2009 10:16:35 PM
To: ARafique@peelcas.org
Cc: johndunn@afterfostercare.ca; irwin.elman@provincialadvocate.on.ca; sylvia.jonesqp@pc.ola.org; chris.shantz@ontario.ca; ahorwath-qp@ndp.on.ca; gerard.frenette@ontario.ca; nadine.hunt@ontario.ca; Mahnaz.Rahman@ontario.ca; vince.tedesco@ontario.ca; FKennedy@peelcas.org

Angela Rafique,
Peel Children's Aid Society

In your latest response to me, dated Tuesday, October 20th, 2009, you stated that the Society's records indicate that every effort has been made to reinforce the fact that the Society has tried to resolve the issues I raised, but that the Society has experienced tremendous difficulties in trying to satisfy my requests within the framework of legislative compliance and my cooperation.

You also stated that you are once again inviting me to a meeting where I can express my concerns. As I have stated before, I prefer to have all communications with the Society in writing or recorded so that I can have a record of our communications because as you are aware they were not documented or recorded in the past and nothing was done about them.

Before I agree to a meeting with the Society I would like to ask if you could answer the following questions with numbered responses corresponding to the numbered questions below to ensure clarity and understanding by myself.

1. Can you please let me know what the alleged tremendous difficulties were that the Society says it experienced when trying to resolve the issues I raised so that I can better understand what those difficulties were and hopefully not duplicate them in future dealings with the Society, and so that I can have a record of them for myself.

2. Can you list for me what the Society's records state as the issues I raised, and explain what the Society did in response to each issue while attempting to resolve them in a clear, bulleted manner, so that I can better understand and have a record for myself.

3. Can you please let me know what the specific legislative provisions are that you referred to in your letter which you need to comply with that allegedly have an effect on the Society resolving my issues. Please indicate sections and subsections for accuracy to ensure that I am properly informed and to ensure that I have a record of them for myself.

4. Can you please let me know what the Society's records indicate as being the actual reason why the last meeting between yourself and myself was prematurely terminated so that I can have a record of it for myself.

5. Can you please clarify for me what you meant when you stated that my co-operation has had an effect on your ability to resolve my issues. Please clearly indicate exactly what it is I have done that you deem to be cooperation related so that I can correct these behaviors in the future, if appropriate, and so I can have a record of them for myself.

Once the Society has answered these questions, and only after such time, I will respond to the Society's invitation to meet with me at their office, at which time, should I agree to meet at the Society, I would like to have an opportunity to review my files to ensure their accuracy.

I am seventeen years of age and I can understand adult level discussions. If there is anything I do not understand, I will be sure to ask for clarification and specifics as needed.

As I have had difficulties receiving timely responses in the past, I am requesting that you provide the responses to these questions by 5:00pm Thursday October 22nd, 2009. I will understand from the lack of response that the Society has chosen not to respond to my issues and I will consider my options at that time.

Sincerely

Tasha

From: "FKennedy@peelcas.org" <FKennedy@peelcas.org>
To: Tasha
Cc: ARafique@peelcas.org
Sent: Thu, October 22, 2009 2:32:25 PM

Subject: Responding to Concerns


Hello Tasha:

We have been in receipt of your emails as you have been in receipt of our responses. Emails are not the standard means of communication to engage our children and youth in care because it is best and also required that their workers meet with them on a face to face basis which is not only mandated but necessary. Because you have been displeased with the process among other things it may be helpful for you if you would invite someone from the Child Advocates office to attend a meeting with us. As well, you can bring anyone else you thing will be supportive to you and we will have a meeting in which you can write your own notes of the process and we will also have minutes taken and you will be able to get a copy. The intent of this meeting is to move this case forward with a focus to resolving in a realistic way what is your concerns and with you working with the society to assist you to move on to independence if that is your intent.

I am writing on Angela's behalf as she will not be back in office until Monday October 26, 2009. This will be the final email on this subject as all subsequent communication will have to be done by telephone or face to face with Angela. As a youth in care we do not intend to create a new mode of communication at this time because we do not feel this is the way to manage your case. We would appreciate your consideration of this suggestion made for a meeting and if you desire to resolve your concerns, please call Angela and let her hear your wishes. If you would like us to contact the Child Advocate's Office on your behalf we would be happy to do so but you would have to let us know.

I hope that this will be satisfactory to you and that you will avail yourself of the opportunity to resolving your concerns. Thanks for your vigilance and determination in seeing this process through.


Sincerely,


Frank Kennedy, B.S.W., M.S.W.
Supervisor Long Term Care Unit
Peel Children's Aid Society
6860 Century Avenue
Mississauga, ON L5N 2W5
Telephone 905-363-6131ext 3312
fkennedy@peelcas.org

From: Tasha
Sent: October 27, 2009 3:22:12 PM
To: Frank Kennedy (FKennedy@peelcas.org)

Cc: John Dunn (johndunn@afterfostercare.ca); Irwin Elman (irwin.elman@provincialadvocate.on.ca); Sylvia Jones (sylvia.jonesqp@pc.ola.org); Chris Shantz (chris.shantz@ontario.ca); Andrea Horwath (ahorwath-qp@ndp.on.ca); Gerard Frenette (gerard.frenette@ontario.ca); Nadine Hunt (nadine.hunt@ontario.ca); Mahnaz Rahman (Mahnaz.Rahman@ontario.ca); Vince Tedesco (vince.tedesco@ontario.ca); Angela Rafique (arafique@peelcas.org);


Frank Kennedy
B.S.W., M.S.W.
Supervisor Long Term Care Unit
Peel Children's Aid Society


I would ask of you to respond to each paragraph in numbered format.

1) Email Communication
In your previous email, you stated that there will be no more communication through email and that if I wish to communicate about concerns and issues, it must be done face to face or telephone in the future. I would like to remind you that the reason I had started contacting anyone associating with the Peel Children's Aid Society through email is because I had addressed concerns and issues in the past, the same ones I am addressing now, nothing was done about them over two years ago. All the issues and concerns were just ignored and everyone moved on with their lives. I did not in fact and now I am contacting you through email because I wish to have everything you and I discuss in written documentation so if my issues are still not met with and taken into consideration, I will have accurate documentation, now, if I am incorrect, please correct me and provide me with records of the Peel Children's Aid's attempt to resolve my concerns and issues that were discussed in person/telephone. If I am correct, then all communication will remain through email. If you have an issue with such, please state to me why and provide me details of why a child in the care of the Peel Children's Aid Society cannot discuss issues and concerns through email communication if the child has been ignored in the past before through face to face and telephone.

2) The Meeting
I will attend a meeting to resolve my issues and concerns, I will like to know who exactly will be present at this meeting, I want full names and their positions please. Also, I am stating beforehand, that during this meeting, I will be audio recording for my own accurate personal records, if you have an issue with such, please let me know, otherwise, please consent that you will be fully aware that the meeting is being audio recorded by me. I will contact a Child Advocate on my own time, but thank you for the offer.

3) Your Supervisors Email
I would like to ask for you to provide me with your supervisors email please.

Once these questions have been answered in numbered format, we will proceed with arranging a meeting that will best be planed around your schedule, as well as my own.

Sincerely,
Tasha
Crown Ward of the Peel Children's Aid Society

CC:
johndunn@afterfostercare.ca (Foster Care Council of Canada)
irwin.elman@provincialadvocate.on.ca (Chief Child Advocate)
sylvia.jonesqp@pc.ola.org (PC Party Child Welfare Critic)
chris.shantz@ontario.ca (Minister of Children and Youth Services Assistant / Policy Analyst)
ahorwath-qp@ndp.on.ca (NDP Party Child Welfare Critic)
gerard.frenette@ontario.ca (Min. Children and Youth Services MPP Liason)
nadine.hunt@ontario.ca (Regional Emergency Manager, Ministry of Children and Youth Services)
Mahnaz.Rahman@ontario.ca (Issues Coordinator - CENTRAL WEST REGIONAL OFFICE Ministry)
vince.tedesco@ontario.ca (Regional Director - CENTRAL WEST REGIONAL OFFICE Ministry)
arafique@peelcas.org (Peel CAS Case Worker)
(removed) (Mother)
fkennedy@peelcas.org (Peel CAS Supervisor)

From: Tasha
Sent: October 30, 2009 9:56:23 AM
To: Frank Kennedy (FKennedy@peelcas.org)
Cc: John Dunn (johndunn@afterfostercare.ca); Irwin Elman (irwin.elman@provincialadvocate.on.ca); Sylvia Jones (sylvia.jonesqp@pc.ola.org); Chris Shantz (chris.shantz@ontario.ca); Andrea Horwath (ahorwath-qp@ndp.on.ca); Gerard Frenette (gerard.frenette@ontario.ca); Nadine Hunt (nadine.hunt@ontario.ca); Vince Tedesco (vince.tedesco@ontario.ca); Angela Rafique (arafique@peelcas.org);

Frank Kennedy
B.S.W., M.S.W.
Supervisor Long Term Care Unit
Peel Children's Aid Society

Seeing as how it has been an ongoing issue in the past with you and Angela Rafique not responding to my emails in an appropriate time frame, I ask of you to respond to my email by 4pm on Monday, November 2nd, 2009. I would really like to arrange this meeting as soon as possible and I need my questions answered before I can do that. Your cooperation will be appreciated. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Tasha
Crown Ward of the Peel Children's Aid Society