Sistovaris, M., Fallon, B., Sajedinejad, S., & Sansone, G. (2022). Parenting Capacity Assessments and Indigenous Parents in Canada: Fact Sheet. Toronto, Ontario: Policy Bench, Fraser Mustard Institute for Human Development, University of Toronto.
A central concern for child welfare professionals in Canada is the determination of a parent’s capacity to care for his or her children when the child is at risk of harm. 1- 2 The immediate and life-long implications of parental neglect and abuse on children are well documented in empirical studies showing the breadth of developmental issues—physical, emotional, cognitive, social and various forms of psychopathology—children are at risk of when exposed to ineffective parenting and/or child neglect. Parenting Capacity Assessments (PCAs) are an integral component of a child welfare practitioner’s toolkit for evaluating parenting competence. They are utilized at various phases of child welfare cases and presented in court as part of expert testimony.