Access to Information & Disclosure
Our Disclosure Department responds to requests for access to information by individuals who are currently receiving or have previously received services from North Eastern Ontario Family and Children’s Services (NEOFACS), as well as requests from third parties for disclosure of information.
You can find more information below on how to submit a request based on the type of service. Please note that you will only be provided with information that you have a lawful right of access.
If you have any questions, require assistance or accommodations, please contact us via:
- Email: disclosure@neofacs.org
- Telephone: Contact our Intake Department at 1-705-360-7100 or Toll-Free at 1-866-229-KIDS (5437)
Access to Information
You can request your personal information by completing our Access to Information Request Form. You are required to provide one copy of valid government issued photo identification (ID) with your Access to Information request.
Your request will only be processed once all required information has been received in a legible format. Delays may occur if your request is illegible or if all required information and ID are missing.
Note that NEOFACS cannot release information pertaining to another individual without the express and specific consent of that individual to release their information to you or with a Court Order specifically speaking to disclosure of the agency’s Child and Youth Mental Health records to you.
Please submit all requests by:
- Email: disclosure@neofacs.org
- Mail: 707 Ross Avenue East, Timmins, ON P4N 8R1, Attention: NEOFACS Disclosure Department
Should you have any questions or require further assistance, please call our Child and Youth Mental Health Intake Department at 1-705-360-7100 or Toll-Free at 1-866-229-KIDS (5437).
You can request your personal information by completing our Access to Information Request Form. You are required to provide one copy of valid government issued photo identification (ID) with your Access to Information request.
Your request will only be processed once all required information has been received in a legible format. Delays may occur if your request is illegible or if all required information and ID are missing.
Please note that NEOFACS (the agency designated as a children’s aid society referred to as the “Society”) WILL NOT release records where there is an active Child Protection Investigation in progress. In these instances, you may be required to make another Access to Information request for these records once the investigation has been completed and the record is closed.
By submitting an Access to Information request, you are consenting to a search of the Child Protection Information Network (“CPIN”) and the Society’s internal records system.
Note that the Society cannot release information pertaining to another individual without the express and specific consent of that individual to release their information to you or with a Court Order specifically speaking to disclosure of the Society’s records to you.
A parent with parental authority/substitute decision maker of a child/youth under the age of 16 may request access to their child’s information. If you share parental authority of a child/youth with another individual, you will need their consent. If your child is over the age of 16, written consent is required authorizing the Society to release their information to you. You may be asked to demonstrate through a Court Order or other means that you do have parental rights to access your child’s information.
Please submit all requests by:
- Email: disclosure@neofacs.org
- Mail: 707 Ross Avenue East, Timmins, ON P4N 8R1, Attention: NEOFACS Disclosure Department
Should you have any questions or require further assistance, please call our Child Welfare Intake Department at 1-705-360-7100 or Toll-Free at 1-866-229-KIDS (5437).
You are required to provide one copy of valid government issued photo identification (ID) along with your request for adoption records.
Your request will only be processed once all required information has been received in a legible format. Delays may occur if your request is illegible or if all required information and ID are missing.
By submitting an Adoption Records Disclosure Request Form you are consenting to a search of the Child Protection Information Network (“CPIN”) and the internal records system of NEOFACS (agency designated as a children’s aid society referred to as “Society”).
You will be provided with those non-identifying records or information that relates directly and specifically to you. Identifying information of other individuals will be redacted from your records in compliance with Ontario Regulation 158/18.
If you are related to someone who was adopted through the Society, you may obtain a non-identifying summary of information pertaining to that individual up to the point of them being adopted. Individuals that are eligible to make a request for records relating to a family member are as follows:
- An adoptive parent
- The child of an adopted person if the adopted person is deceased and the child is 18 or older
- A birth parent
- A birth grandparent
- A birth sibling who is 18 or older
- A sibling of a birth parent if the sibling is 18 or older
If you are an adoptee or are related to someone that was adopted in Ontario, you may also find relevant or helpful services with Service Ontario.
Please submit all requests by:
- Email: disclosure@neofacs.org
- Mail: 707 Ross Avenue East, Timmins, ON P4N 8R1, Attention: NEOFACS Disclosure Department
Should you have any questions or require further assistance, please call our Child Welfare Intake Department at 1-705-360-7100 or Toll-Free at 1-866-229-KIDS (5437).
Disclosure
Please send a written request and include the following detailed information regarding the individuals (to assist in completing a thorough and accurate records search):
- Full names (current and past)
- Dates of birth
- If possible, names and dates of birth of parents/siblings/former spouses
- Previous addresses
- Current phone numbers, home address and email address
Consents from all individuals over the age of 16 that you are seeking information about is required.
For children under the age of 16, parental consent is required for the release of their information.
You may also be asked to provide the consent of a child/youth in certain circumstances. Please consider obtaining the consent of children 12 and older at the time of your request to avoid delays.
Please submit all requests by:
- Email: disclosure@neofacs.org
- Mail: 707 Ross Avenue East, Timmins, ON P4N 8R1, Attention: NEOFACS Disclosure Department
Should you have any questions or require further assistance, please call our Intake Department at 1-705-360-7100 or Toll-Free at 1-866-229-KIDS (5437).
If you are a lawyer representing a party in a proceeding under the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017 (CYFSA), please email your request for disclosure to legal@neofacs.org.
If you are a lawyer involved in any other type of legal proceeding (Family Court, Civil Court, Criminal Court), you may obtain information regarding North Eastern Ontario Family and Children Services (NEOFACS) (agency designated as a children’s aid society referred to as “Society”) involvement with your client(s).
Please send a written request and include the following detailed information regarding the individuals (to ensure a thorough and accurate records search):
- Full names (current and past)
- Dates of birth
- If possible, names and dates of birth of parents/siblings/former spouses,
- Previous addresses
- Current phone numbers and address
In order to fulfill your request, we require a Court Order for the disclosure of the Society’s records or the express written consent of all individuals over the age of 16 that are you seeking information about to release their information to you.
For children under the age of 16, parental consent is required for the release of their information.
Please note that an Access to Information Request Form does not constitute as consent from your client to disclose information to you. If your client wishes to make a request for their own records, please see the “Access to Information” section listed above.
Records Correction
If you have previously been provided with access to a record of your personal information and believe that the record is inaccurate or incomplete, please contact our Privacy Officer via email at privacy@neofacs.org.
Important Notice
Before submitting your information, please confirm that the services you received were provided by North Eastern Ontario Family and Children’s Services (NEOFACS) or one of its former legacy agencies in the Districts of Cochrane or Timiskaming (for example, Jeanne Sauvé Family Services, Child and Family Services of Timmins and District, or Timiskaming Child and Family Services).
If you received services elsewhere, please contact the agency in that region. Find contact information for your local Children’s Aid Society or Indigenous Child and Family Well-Being Agency or child and youth mental health services agency.
Information Practices
For more information on how we collect, use and share your personal information, please see our Privacy and Personal Information Page.
Additional information about rights to access to records under Part X of the Child, Youth, and Family Services Act, 2017 (CYFSA) is available on the website of the Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner.