Rights & Responsibilities

What are Rights and Responsibilities?

A right is something that you are entitled to and cannot be taken away. A responsibility is something that you must do.

While You Are in Care, You Have the Right…

• To be fed, clothed and nurtured and to be given the same quality of care as other youth in your placement.
• To an education and to be informed about your plans of care.
• To be consulted and to express your views about significant decisions affecting your life.
• To reasonable privacy and to possession of permitted personal belongings.
• To be free from physical and abusive punishment of any kind.
• To be informed of the standard of behavior expected by your caregivers and the consequences of not meeting your caregivers' expectations.
• To receive medical, optical and dental care when you need it.
• To participate in social and recreational activities according to your abilities and interests.
• To participate and learn the religion of your choice.
• To be informed of your legal rights and the ways those rights can be enforced.
• To receive guidance and encouragement to maintain your cultural heritage.
• To have an interpreter provided if language or disability is a barrier to consulting with you on decisions affecting your custody of care.
• To send and receive mail and to privacy during discussions with members of your family.
• To privacy during discussions with a lawyer, your social worker or Ontario Child Advocate.
• To be informed and assisted with contacting the office of the Ontario Child Advocate.

What Are My Responsibilities?

• Respect the privacy, possessions and uniqueness of all others in the home.
• Do not use profanity, racial or otherwise discriminatory language, actions, or behaviors.
• Clean up after yourself in all common areas and keep personal areas at acceptable health standards.
• Attend school daily and complete assignments.
• Inform your foster parent when you leave the house, where you are going, and/or if you require medical attention.
• Participate in all fire drills and fire safety expectations.
• Be responsible for your personal belongings – ask the foster parent to assist if needed.
• Give all prescriptions and medications to your foster parent to be stored in the office.
• Do not possess or use drugs, alcohol, tobacco or paraphernalia of any kind on the property.
• Follow house rules including house curfews.
• No guests allowed without express permission of the Foster Parent.