Caregiver drug use in Ontario child welfare investigations: The need for coordinated intervention.

Background: Caregiver substance abuse is associated with harmful parenting behaviors, increased child welfare involvement, and negative child outcomes, and the opioid epidemic has brought increased attention to the safety and wellbeing of children living with caregivers who abuse substances.

Objective: This paper investigates the impact of primary caregiver drug abuse concerns on child welfare investigations in Ontario, Canada and examines how different drug abuse categories impact out-of-home placements in a Canadian setting, with a focus on opioids, opiates, and morphine derivatives.

Participants And Setting: Secondary analyses of data from the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect 2018 (OIS-2018) were conducted.

An Examination of Past Trends in School Reports to Child Welfare: Considerations for Reported Child Maltreatment.

This study examines whether increased interaction and observation of young children by school professionals leads to an increase in school-based reports to child welfare authorities and in the identification of child maltreatment victims. Comparing provincial-level data collected before and after full-day kindergarten implementation in Ontario, a doubling in rates of school-referred investigations involving 4- and 5-year-old children was found. There was no significant difference in the rates of maltreatment substantiation, service referrals made or transfers to ongoing services, but the rate of child functioning concerns noted in these investigations tripled.

Major findings from the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect 2018.

Background: The Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (OIS) is the only source of province-wide statistics on families investigated by child welfare.

Objective: This paper presents key findings from the 2018 cycle of the OIS (OIS-2018) and highlights select policy and practice implications of these findings.

Participants And Settings: The OIS-2018 captured information directly from investigating child protection workers about children and families who were the subject of a child protection investigation sampled for inclusion in the study.

Screening for economic hardship for child welfare-involved families during the COVID-19 pandemic: A rapid partnership response.

Background: Pandemics have a wide range of economic, health and social consequences related to both the spread of a disease and efforts made by government leaders to contain it which may be particularly detrimental for the child welfare-involved population. This is because child welfare agencies serve some of the highest needs children and families. A significant proportion of these families face economic hardship, and as a result of containment measures for COVID-19, more families inevitably will.

Defining reasonable force: Does it advance child protection?

Fifty-two countries have abolished all physical punishment of children, yet Canada has retained its criminal defense to 'reasonable' corrective force. In 2004, Canada's Supreme Court attempted to set limits on punitive acts that can be considered reasonable under the law. In the present study, we examined the validity of these limits.

Examining the Relationship between Economic Hardship and Child Maltreatment Using Data from the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect-2013 (OIS-2013).

There is strong evidence that poverty and economic disadvantage are associated with child maltreatment; however, research in this area is underdeveloped in Canada. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between economic hardship and maltreatment for families and children identified to the Ontario child protection system for a maltreatment concern. Secondary analyses of the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect-2013 (OIS-2013) were conducted.