Maintaining confidentiality

If you ask the Ministry of Children and Family Development for help and the ministry has no child protection concerns, you have the right to confidentiality. Ministry staff shouldn't talk to anyone about your situation without your written permission.

To help you preserve your privacy, think about what you want to stay private, then ask that those parts of your story remain confidential. Ask what records will be kept about your involvement with the ministry or any community agency. Ask for copies of these records and the agency's policy on confidentiality.

If you have trouble getting information about your file from the ministry, you can make a Freedom of Information application. For more information about the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act, see the website for the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia, or call one of these phone numbers:

In Victoria: 250-387-5629

Or

Call Enquiry BC (no charge):

In Vancouver: 604-660-2421

In Victoria: 250-387-6121

In the rest of BC: 1-800-663-7867 and ask to be transferred to 250-387-5629

For more detail about confidentiality consult the relevant section of The BC Handbook for Action on Child Abuse and Neglect.