Warning signs

Former foster parent says she reported inappropriate behaviour to CAS four years before man charged

Patty Dorenberg says the local CAS knew it had a problem in 2006 with a man who would eventually be charged and convicted of sex crimes against foster children in his care. Dorenberg says she reported inappropriate and “disturbing” behaviour to her CAS resource worker after a bus trip she organized that year.

Dorenberg was on the executive of the Foster Families Association in 2006 when she arranged an outing of foster families to the Vaughan Mills mall on the northern edge of Toronto.

One foster parent caught her attention that day. The older man was rarely ever separated from the young girl in his care. “It was like they were boyfriend/girlfriend,” said Dorenberg. “They were holding hands and sitting on his lap—but not like a father and daughter would. She rarely went to play with the other children.”

Dorenberg says she didn’t witness anything overtly sexual between the man and the girl but as the day went on the “creepier” their relationship seemed to her. And it wasn’t just Dorenberg who felt this way. The following morning she reported the behaviour of the foster parent to her resource worker.

“The things I saw and other families saw that day were disturbing to say the least. At least two of us reported this to the CAS. Others were available to investigate the complaint had the CAS chosen to do so—but they didn’t.”

Dorenberg says that in 2006 she trusted the local CAS to do the right thing.

“I did my duty to report the inappropriate behaviour,” said Dorenberg. “I thought they were following this up. I reported this to my resource worker. She reported it to the director—it’s in the file—but it never went any further than this.”

Prince Edward CAS Chair Elaine Philip says there is no indication that a complaint was ever made about this incident.

“We have a strict process that includes involving the police if there is a suspicion of criminal behaviour,” wrote Philip in response to these accusations. “All incidents of this nature are recorded on file and senior staff are notified.”

But according to Philip there is nothing to indicate Dorenberg or anyone else complained about what happened at that mall on that day in 2006.

Dorenberg didn’t think much more about this incident until four years later when the now- 71-year-old foster parent was charged with sex crimes against children in his care.

“You trust your agency,” said Dorenberg. “Life goes on. Then you hear other things. Then it all breaks open and I you think, oh my God!”

The accused was found guilty by a jury in June and was sentenced to nine years in prison earlier this month. He is currently out on bail pending an appeal of his conviction.