Can I demand to know where my children are after they are removed?

Yes. MCFD must tell you where your children are placed after removal. If they refuse to disclose the location, contact a lawyer immediately. You are entitled to this information.

How quickly does MCFD have to bring my case to court after removing my children?

Under BC's Child, Family and Community Service Act, if your children are removed without a court order, MCFD must bring the matter before a court within a short timeframe — typically presenting for a court presentation within days. At that hearing, a judge reviews whether the removal was justified.

Can I see my children immediately after removal?

MCFD has discretion over contact immediately following removal. You can request contact and document that request. A lawyer can advocate for contact visits on your behalf. Courts generally support meaningful contact between children and parents unless there is a specific safety reason against it.

My Children Were Just Taken by MCFD — What Do I Do in the First 24 Hours?

The moment your children are taken, the clock starts on a legal process. The most important things to do in the first 24 hours: find out where your children are, contact a lawyer, request an Indigenous cultural support worker, and start writing everything down. Do not wait.

Having your children removed is one of the most traumatic things a parent can experience. The shock is real. But in the first 24 hours, the decisions you make and the actions you take set the foundation for everything that follows.

Step 1: Find out where your children are

You are entitled to know where your children have been placed. Ask the MCFD worker directly and ask for written confirmation of the placement address and the worker’s contact information.

If they refuse to tell you or cannot be reached, call MCFD’s after-hours line and document that call.

Step 2: Contact a lawyer immediately

Call Legal Aid BC: 1-866-577-2525. Tell them your children have been removed and you need emergency representation. Legal Aid BC has after-hours duty counsel for exactly this situation.

If you cannot reach Legal Aid BC immediately, call the duty counsel line at the nearest BC Provincial Court (Family Division). Court duty counsel can help you at the first court appearance.

Do not speak further with MCFD about the substance of the case until you have legal advice.

Step 3: Request an Indigenous cultural support worker

Ask MCFD in writing to assign an Indigenous cultural support worker to your file. Under Bill C-92, your cultural rights and your children’s cultural continuity are protected — these rights begin at the moment of removal.

Step 4: Write everything down

Record the time, date, location, and names of everyone involved in the removal. Write down exactly what was said to you, what reasons were given, and what documents — if any — were shown to you.

This written record becomes part of your response to the court and to MCFD.

Step 5: Contact your support network

Call family. Call your band office or nation. Call KFT at 604-512-3266 or [email protected]. You need people around you — practically and emotionally — in the hours and days that follow.

What happens next

If your children were removed without a court order, MCFD must bring the matter before a court within a short timeframe. At that hearing — which your lawyer should be present for — a judge reviews whether the removal was lawful and what the next steps are.

That court hearing is your first opportunity to speak. Be there, with representation, and prepared.

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.