Child protection refers to the intervention that occurs when referrals are made to a child welfare organization about the safety or well-being of a child and a decision is made that the worries are significant enough to investigate.[1] There are five types of maltreatment that might result in an intervention: physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, emotional maltreatment and exposure to domestic violence.[2]
Why is this important?
The maltreatment of a child has lifelong effects. Children who suffer abuse can develop poor physical and mental health as adults, including pain, chronic health conditions, negative self-rated health, depression, anxiety and drug and alcohol use.[3] Children who are abused at a very young age can have lifelong damage to the brain.[4] Protective factors support healthy, strong families, build resilience and help prevent child abuse. Protective factors also help people deal with negative life experiences, if they occur.[5]
Indicators
Children in Care |
Measure: Number of Children in Care"Children in care" refers to children who are in the care of a children's aid society.[1] This measure presents the number of children in the care of Family and Children's Service of Guelph and Wellington. Children who were in care at the beginning of the year and children who were admitted into care during the year were included in the counts. Key FindingsFrom 2013 to 2019, the number of children/youth in care in Guelph & Wellington County decreased from 271 to 196 children/youth . Since 2007, children under the age of 6 and youth aged 14 to 18 made up the majority of children in care annually. Notably, the number of youth aged 14 to 18 in care, has decreased over time.
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Source: Family and Children's Service of Guelph and Wellington. Extracted July, 2019.Why is the Number of Children in Care Important?Children are placed in care after they were removed from their home because they were in need of protection and there were no other options to keep them safe. Children who are in care are less likely to do well in school, graduate from high school and attend a post-secondary institution.[6] When children leave care, they are more likely than their peers to face employment, housing and health challenges.[7] Children in care benefit from safe, stable and nurturing relationships with their caregivers[8], as well as access to services that address their unique needs. Nurturing relationships with supportive caregivers or other adults can buffer the effects of adversity and/or a lack of nurturing relationships some children may experience in their home environment.[8]For caregivers, access to supports and training can help them to better support the children in their care.[9] LimitationsThis measure only includes children who were admitted into the care of Family and Children's Service (F&CS). This measure does not include children who were not able to stay in their parents' home and were placed in the care of other family members or another person with a close relationship to the family. It also does not include children who were victims of abuse but did not come to the attention of the children's aid society. Most children served by F&CS are able to stay with their family and are not taken into care. Looking for more information?For more information about this measure please download the excel file below.
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Protection Investigations |
Measure: Protection Investigations by Primary Reason for InvestigationChild protection workers review referrals to Family and Children's Services and make a decision about whether a protection investigation is needed. This measure presents the primary or most severe reason that a child protection investigation was opened. Key FindingsFrom 2013 to 2019, emotional harm/exposure to conflict was the most common 'primary reason' for opening a child protection investigation in Guelph and Wellington County. Consistently from 2007 to present, the top three primary reasons for child protection investigations in Guelph and Wellington County were emotional harm/exposure to conflict, physical/sexual harm by commission and caregiver capacity.
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Source: Family and Children's Service of Guelph and Wellington. Extracted July, 2019.
Why are Protection Investigations Important?Child protection investigations focus on protecting the child who was referred to a children's aid society, and any other child who may have been affected by the alleged maltreatment.[10] Tracking the primary reasons for protection investigations can inform the development of prevention and intervention initiatives. LimitationsThis measure only presents the primary reason for a protection investigation. There may be more than one reason for an investigation. This measure does not include children who were victims of abuse but did not come to the attention of the children's aid society. Looking for more information?For more information about this measure please download the excel file below. |
References
[1] Government of Ontario (1990) Child and Family Services Act R.S.O, Chapter C.11. Available at: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90c11
[2] Canadian Child Welfare Research Portal (2011). Child Abuse & Neglect. Available at: http://cwrp.ca/child-abuse-neglect
[3] Greenfield, E. (2010). Child Abuse as a life-course social determinant of adult health. Maturitas 66L 51-55
[4] Teicher, M.H, Andersen, S.L., Polcari, A., Anderson, C.M., Navalta, C.P., Kim, D.M. (2003). The neurobiological consequences of early stress and child maltreatment. Neuroscience and Biobehavioural Reviews 27: 33-44.
[5] US Department of Health and Human Services (2103) 2013 Resource Guide Preventing Child Maltreatment and Promoting Well-Being: A Network for Action. Available at: https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/2013guide.pdf
[6] Stoddart, J.K. (2012). Using Research and Outcome Data to improve the Educational Services and Supports for Young People in Care: A Case Study of a Local Children's Aid Society in Ontario. Children and Youth Services Review 34(6). P. 1154-1160.
[7] Jones, L. (2011). The First Three Year after Foster Care: A Longitudinal Look at the Adaption of 16 Youth to Emerging Adulthood. Children and Youth Service Review 33. P. 1919-1929.
[8] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d.). Strategic Directions for Child Maltreatment Prevention: Preventing Child Maltreatment Through the Promotion of Safe, Stable, and Nurturing Relationships Between Children and Caregivers. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/cm_strategic_direction--long-a.pdf
[9] Fisher, P.A., Chamberlain, P. Leve, L.D. (2009). Improving the lives of foster children through evidenced-based interventions. Vulnerable Child and Youth Studies 4(2). Pp.122-127. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2853965/pdf/nihms-190768.pdf
[10] Ministry of Children and Youth Services (2016). Ontario Child Protection Standards. Available at: http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/documents/childrensaid/Child-Protection-Standards-2016.pdf