Fallon, B., Joh-Carnella, N., Houston, E., Livingston, E., & Trocmé, N. (2023). The more we change the more we stay the same: Canadian child welfare systems’ response to child well-being. Child Abuse and Neglect, 137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106031
Canadian child welfare has a dual mandate: protecting children from imminent harm and promoting their long-term well-being. Using national 2019 data (CIS-2019), this study found that the vast majority of investigations involved chronic needs rather than urgent protection concerns, and very few involved physical harm. Urgent protection cases were more likely to be substantiated, go to court or lead to placement. Because the investigative system is built around urgent protection, the authors call for a truly differential model that better serves families with chronic needs.