Can MCFD Talk to My Children at School Without Telling Me?

Yes, MCFD can legally interview your child at school without telling you first if they believe notifying you could harm the child or compromise the investigation. This authority exists under BC law. If it happens, you have the right to know what was discussed and why you were not notified beforehand.

Finding out MCFD spoke to your child at school without your knowledge is alarming. It is also, in certain circumstances, legal. Understanding when and why this can happen — and what you can do — is the starting point.

When MCFD can interview a child without parental notification

Under the Child, Family and Community Service Act, MCFD has the authority to interview children without first notifying parents when:

• They believe the parent may be the person posing a risk to the child
• Notifying the parent might cause the child to be coached, threatened, or removed from reach
• The investigation is at a stage where notification would compromise it

Schools are legally required to permit MCFD access to students during an investigation and to provide space for an interview.

What rights your child has during an interview

Children being interviewed by MCFD have the right to:

• Have a supportive adult present in some circumstances (typically a school counselor or trusted adult who is not under investigation)
• Speak freely without coercion
• Not be threatened or pressured

Children are not legally required to answer MCFD’s questions. However, most children — especially younger ones — do not know this, and MCFD workers are trained interviewers.

What you are entitled to know afterward

Once the interview has taken place, you have the right to ask MCFD:

• What the nature of the concern was
• Why you were not notified before the interview
• What the outcome of the interview was in terms of the investigation

Document your request and MCFD’s response in writing.

If you believe the interview was conducted improperly

If you have concerns about how your child was interviewed, you can:

• Request a formal review through MCFD’s complaint process
• Contact the Representative for Children and Youth (rcybc.ca), which is independent of MCFD
• Speak to a family lawyer about whether your child’s rights were respected

The interview is not the end of the process — it is one step in an investigation that you still have the right to participate in and respond to.

If you are an Indigenous family navigating child welfare in BC and need peer support, contact KFT-Families Society at [email protected], call Lori at 604-512-3266, or visit keeping-families-together.com. IFISC operates weekly peer support circles, connects families with culturally grounded resources, and provides guidance to parents at every stage of the child welfare process — at no cost.