The overrepresentation of First Nations children and families involved with child welfare: Findings from the Ontario incidence study of reported child abuse and neglect 2013

First Nations children are known to be overrepresented in Canada’s child protection system at the national level, but there has been little research at the provincial or territorial level. Using Ontario’s provincial child welfare incidence data, gathered from workers at the end of investigations, this study estimated how overrepresented First Nations children are and explored what drives it compared with White children. First Nations children made up a far larger share of maltreatment-related investigations than of Ontario’s child population, and were investigated at roughly three times the rate of White children. The gap was widest for neglect and exposure to intimate partner violence. First Nations children also had higher rates of substantiation, transfer to ongoing services, child welfare court involvement and placement in care. The findings lay groundwork for research on how disparities compound at each stage of the investigation process and how decision-making varies with a child’s race.