The Changing Face of Child Welfare Investigations in Ontario: Ontario Incidence Studies of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (OIS 1993/1998)

Non-commercial reproduction of this report in whole or in part is permitted, provided the authors and the Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare are acknowledged as the source on all copies.The Changing Face of Child Welfare Investigations in Ontario: Ontario Incidence Studies of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (OIS 1993/1998) analyzes the changing profile of child welfare investigations in the province through a comparison between the OIS 1993 and OIS 1998. These Ontario studies examine the incidence of reported child maltreatment and the characteristics of children and families investigated by the province’s children’s aid societies. Following a review of some of the recent changes that have been made to child welfare legislation, funding and procedures in Ontario, the OIS 1993/1998 examines changes in the types and severity of investigated maltreatment, as well as the age and gender of investigated children, sources of referrals and outcomes of investigations. Rates of substantiated maltreatment documented by the 1993 and 1998 Ontario incidence studies have doubled in the past five years. While increasing public awareness and changes in investigation procedures appear to account for part of this change, the increase also reflects a significant shift in the types of maltreatment being investigated and substantiated. Exposure to domestic violence has increased nine-fold and the proportion of neglect cases has more than doubled, while cases of sexual abuse are decreasing. A differentiated response is required to address the maltreatment-specific challenges underlying the child welfare caseload increases in Canada.The OIS 1998 research was funded by: Ministry of Community and Social Service, Government of Ontario Child Maltreatment Division, Health Canada, Bell Canada. Additional support for the OIS 1993/1998 comparative analysis was provided by: Alice and Murray Maitland Foundation, Bell Canada, Canadian Institutes for Health Research (grant number 88478)