Is MCFD required to tell me where my children are placed?

Yes. You are entitled to know where your children are placed following a removal. MCFD can restrict contact between you and the placement address for safety reasons in specific circumstances, but they cannot deny you knowledge of your children's whereabouts entirely without a court order.

What if MCFD says my children's location is confidential for safety reasons?

MCFD can restrict disclosure of a specific address if they have documented safety concerns about you — for example, if there is a protection order. But this is different from refusing to confirm your children's general location and safety. Ask them to put the reason for non-disclosure in writing.

Can I call the placement directly to speak to my children?

Contact arrangements are determined by MCFD and, if the matter is before a court, by the court. Ask MCFD what contact schedule is in place. If MCFD has not established contact, request it in writing immediately.

MCFD Won't Tell Me Where My Children Are — What Can I Do?

You are legally entitled to know where your children are after a removal. If MCFD is not disclosing this, contact a lawyer immediately — this is one of the clearest situations where legal intervention produces fast results. Do not accept "we can't tell you" without demanding a written explanation and escalating.

Not knowing where your children are is an emergency. Here is how to escalate quickly.

Start with a direct, written demand

Call your MCFD worker and ask directly: “Where are my children placed?” If they do not answer, send an email to both the worker and their supervisor asking the same question and requesting a response within two hours.

A written record of your request — and of any non-response — is the foundation of your escalation.

Contact your lawyer immediately

If you have a lawyer, call them now. This is exactly the situation legal representation is for. A lawyer can demand disclosure from MCFD through channels that produce a response much faster than a parent calling alone.

If you do not have a lawyer, call Legal Aid BC at 1-866-577-2525 and explain that your children were removed and you do not know where they are.

Contact the Representative for Children and Youth

The Representative for Children and Youth (rcybc.ca) is independent of MCFD. They can investigate whether MCFD is following required procedures. Contact them if MCFD is not responding to your requests.

At the court hearing

If your children were removed without a court order, MCFD must bring the matter before a court quickly. At that hearing, placement disclosure is a matter the court will address. Your lawyer can raise it directly with the judge.

If there is a legitimate safety reason MCFD cannot disclose the placement address specifically, the court can require MCFD to provide it to your lawyer under a confidentiality arrangement — so your lawyer knows your children’s location even if the specific address is protected.

What cannot happen

MCFD cannot permanently withhold your children’s whereabouts. Any restriction on disclosure must be justified to a court. Use every escalation route available to you — lawyer, representative, court — until you have the answer.

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.