Canadian children in out-of-home care

January 7th, 2009 by rose
  • How many Canadian children under 18 are currently living in out-of-home care situations provided by provincical and territorial authorities - including those in permanent state care and those in temporary situations such as custody or emergency care?


  • How many children are currently in out-of-home care across Canada?


  • According to a paper by the Child Welfare League of Canada, published in March 2003, there are 76,183 children in out of care homes. Relevant Excerpts: ?The National Children?s Alliance of Canada, in its desire to become more knowledgeable about the status of children in care in Canada, commissioned the Child Welfare League of Canada to develop an informative position paper for dissemination to the Canadian people, organizations involved in child welfare, and governmental representatives interested in moving forward in research and policy development.? Executive Summary ?Although the number of ?children in care? in Canada is increasing every year, legislation, policies, and standards of care vary between provinces, territories, and First Nations. Aboriginal children are overrepresented as a population within children in care, and many children in care have special needs requiring specific attention.? Overview of Children in Care in Canada ?Approximately 76 000 children in Canada are under the protection of Child and Family Services across the country, and are referred to as children in care (based on numbers as reported in Child Welfare in Canada 2000, as well as available Provincial/Territorial Ministry of Child and Family Services Annual Reports, 2000- 2002). All provinces and territories in Canada have legislative responsibility for child and family services. One exception is the federal responsibility for Aboriginal peoples with status under the Indian Act of Canada. Each province and territory has legislation that defines how children will be protected from abuse and neglect.? Increasing Numbers ?Over the last decade, studies have shown that in Canada, the vulnerable population of children in need of protection is increasing significantly (OACAS 2002; CWLC 2001). Human Resources Development Canada reported that there were 36 080 children in care in Canada, excluding Quebec, in 1997 (HRDC, 1997). The Child Welfare League of Canada (CWLC) statistics for 1998/1999 indicate a total number of 46 397 children in care, excluding Quebec (CWLC, 2001). Despite the increase in children requiring placement in out-of-home care, proportionately fewer family-based care homes are available, due in part to problems with the recruitment and retention of foster families (OACAS, 2002; Barbell & Freundlich, 2001). According to the Ontario Association of Children?s Aid Societies (OACAS), although 21% more foster homes were used in 2001/2002 than in 1998/1999, the rate of placements increased by 38% (OACAS, 2002).? Children in Care in Canada Breakdown by Province or Territory Ontario (Feb 2003) Children in Care: 16,989 Prince Edward Island (Mar 2002) Children in Care: 329 British Columbia (Mar 2002) Children in Care: 10,450 Alberta (Mar 2001) Children in Care: 15,032 Newfoundland/Labrador (1999) Children in Care: 703 New Brunswick (Mar 1999) Children in Care: 1,193 Nova Scotia (Mar 1999) Children in Care: 1,906 Quebec Children in Care: 20,506 Manitoba (Mar 1999) Children in Care: 5,358 Saskatchewan (Mar 1999) Children in Care: 2,710 Yukon (1999) Children in Care: 182 Northwest Territories (Mar 2001) Children in Care: 825 Nunavut Children in Care: NA Total 76,183 Source: Page 8: The National Children?s Alliance of Canada: March 2003 Download here: http://www.nationalchildrensalliance.com/nca/pubs/2003/Children_in_Care_March_2003.pdf Index of Research Papers and Reports: National Children?s Alliance http://www.nationalchildrensalliance.com/nca/pubs/reports_date.htm ?At least 60,000 children, a disproportionate number of whom are Aboriginal, spend some time in out-of-home care every year. Child abuse and neglect are associated with poor developmental? Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/dca-dea/allchildren_touslesenfants/centres_wel_e.html Search terms: 40000..200000 children ?in out-of-home care? Canada ://www.google.com/search?hl=es&c2coff=1&rls=GGLD%2CGGLD%3A2005-07%2CGGLD%3Aen&q=40000..200000+children+%E2%80%9Cin+out-of-home+care%E2%80%9D++Canada&lr= I hope you find this information helpful! Best regards, Bobbie7


  • Thank you. This information is useful although the Ontario Child Advocate's Office reports higher numbers of children in care in that province. Could you clarify whether this Office is counting temporary care numbers along with those placed within foster homes and group hoomes? The second question retitled "Canada's children in care" is a repeat. PLEASE do not answer the second question as it is obviously the same as the first.


  • Yes, this office is counting temporary care numbers along with those placed within foster homes and group homes. According to the paper I previously cited by the Child Welfare League of Canada, the source of the Ontario figure is from the Ontario Children?s Aid Society website.(See footnote 3, page 8) I went to the Ontario Children?s Aid Society website http://www.oacas.org/resources/casstats.htm and found the following information: There were 18,800 children in care in Ontario on September 30, 2004 Please download CAS Facts Ontario Association of Children?s Aid Societies April 1, 2004 ? Sept. 30, 2004 Download CAS Fscts here: http://www.oacas.org/resources/CASFactsAp04Sept04ProjectionsEnglish.pdf On page 13 of the above publication, the chart "COMPARISON OF PROVINCIAL STATISTICS" shows that foster homes and group homes are included in the figure provided. The number of children in care for each year from 1998 to the present are also included. I hope this helps to clarify the numbers. Besr regards, Bobbie7







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