A 13-year-old Indigenous girl from northwestern Ontario repeatedly went missing and was at risk of human trafficking while placed in a foster home hundreds of kilometres from her home, according to a new report by the Ontario ombudsman.
The child, who is being called Misty, was supposed to be receiving “supervised services” from a foster care agency known as Johnson Children’s Services (JCS) in southwestern Ontario, but kept going missing during her 47 days with the for-profit company in 2020.
Anishinaabe Abinooji Family Services (AAFS) placed her with the company, according to Ombudsman Paul Dubé, because it was unable to find resources near her home community that met her complex needs.
“It is a sad and longstanding reality that northern Ontario lacks sufficient resources to offer the treatment and care required to address the complex challenges faced by Indigenous children like Misty,” Ombudsman Dubé said in a news release Thursday.
“It is particularly pressing that agencies in Southern Ontario such as Johnson Children’s Services Inc. educate themselves and their staff on the learnings from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and consider the risk factors unique to Indigenous children in their decision-making around their care.”
Dubé said Misty went missing seven times while living under the care of JCS in an undisclosed city in southwestern Ontario, including disappearing for 19 days.
There is evidence the child was physically and sexually assaulted. She also suffered a drug overdose.
