Children's Aid Society (Canada)

A Children's Aid Society exists in every county or major city in Ontario, Canada. They are similar to a Department of Children and Families. The Society's primary function is to protect children. They are obligated to investigate allegations of abuse / neglect of children, and assess the level of risk the child(ren) in the home face.

The Children's Aid Society has authority under the Child and Family Services Act to remove children from homes where they face either a risk of harm, or have actually been harmed. Children removed from caregivers are sometimes placed with other family members or family friends. In other cases, children may be placed into foster or group homes, depending on the needs of the child.