vi. and there are reasonable grounds to believe that the emotional harm suffered by the child 

results from the actions, failure to act or pattern of neglect on the part of the child’s parent or 
the person having charge of the child.

7. The child has suffered emotional harm of the kind described in #6 above and the child’s parent or 

the person having charge of the child does not provide, or refuses or is unavailable or unable to 
consent to, services or treatment to remedy or alleviate the harm.

8. There is a risk that the child is likely to suffer emotional harm of the kind described in #6 above 

resulting from the actions, failure to act or pattern of neglect on the part of the child’s parent or the 
person having charge of the child.

9. There is a risk that the child is likely to suffer emotional harm of the kind described in #6 above and 

that the child’s parent or the person having charge of the child does not provide, or refuses or is 
unavailable or unable to consent to, services or treatment to prevent the harm.

10. The child suffers from a mental, emotional or developmental condition that, if not remedied, could 

seriously impair the child’s development and the child’s parent or the person having charge of the 
child does not provide, or refuses or is unavailable or unable to consent to, treatment to remedy or 
alleviate the condition.

11 The child has been abandoned, the child’s parent has died or is unavailable to exercise his or 

her custodial rights over the child and has not made adequate provision for the child’s care and 
custody, or the child is in a residential placement and the parent refuses or is unable or unwilling to 
resume the child’s care and custody.

12. The child is less than 12 years old and has killed or seriously injured another person   or caused 

serious damage to another person’s property, services or treatment are necessary to prevent a 
recurrence and the child’s parent or the person having charge   of the child does not provide, or 
refuses or is unavailable or unable to consent to, those services or treatment.

13. The child is less than 12 years old and has on more than one occasion injured another person or 

caused loss or damage to another person’s property, with the encouragement of the person having 
charge of the child or because of that person’s failure or inability to supervise the child adequately.

A member does not need to be sure that any of the situations above is taking place. The member needs 
only “reasonable grounds to suspect” that one of the events has occurred.

Members are professionals who deal with children on a daily basis and are alert to many cues from them. 
Students may also disclose information to members which they don’t disclose to other people. If you are 
unsure whether you should call CAS, call your local ETFO president or Professional Relations staff (PRS).

What kind of reporting is required?

A member must:

O Report directly to a children’s aid society any reasonable grounds of suspicion of harm or risk of 

harm to a child. This reporting can be done verbally or in writing, but must be done personally/
directly by the member to the CAS. A member cannot rely on his or her report to a principal, 
police, or school board to satisfy this duty;

O Continue to report any new grounds to suspect. The duty is ongoing – each new  fact or 

suspicion creates a new duty to report. A member cannot rely on his or her previous report about 

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