Alberta - Statistics
Child Maltreatment Investigations in Alberta, 2003* and 2008**
| 2003 | 2008 | |
|---|---|---|
| Child population | 752,005 | 775,175 |
| Number of child maltreatment investigations | 32,453 | 27,147 |
| Incidence of child maltreatment investigations per 1000 children | 43.16 | 35.02 |
Type of Child Maltreatment Investigation in Alberta, 2008**
| Number | Rate per 1,000 children | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maltreatment Investigation | 22,761 | 35.02 | 84% |
| Risk Investigation | 4,386 | 5.66 | 16% |
Categories of Substantiated Child Maltreatment Investigations in Alberta, 2008**
| Category of Maltreatment | Number | Rate per 1,000 children | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Abuse | 1,933 | 2.49 | 13% |
| Sexual Abuse | 285 | 0.37 | 2% |
| Neglect | 5,328 | 6.87 | 37% |
| Emotional Maltreatment | 1,974 | 2.55 | 14% |
| Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence | 4,883 | 6.30 | 34% |
Placement in Child Maltreatment Investigations in Alberta, 2003 and 2008**
| 2003 Number | 2003 Rate | 2008 Number | 2008 Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Placement | 28,294 | 37.62 | 23,625 | 30.48 |
| Informal Kinship Care | 1,923 | 2.56 | 1,139 | 1.47 |
| Formal Placement | 2,230 | 2.97 | 2,383 | 3.08 |
Children and youth in out-of-home care in 2022^
| Children in care | Child (0-17) population | Rate per 1000*** | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7,985 | 469,965 | 16.99 |
* MacLaurin, B., Trocmé, N., Fallon, B., McCormack, M., Pitman, L., Forest, N., Banks, J., Shangreaux, C., & Perrault, E. (2005) Alberta Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (AIS-2003): Major Findings. Calgary, AB: University of Calgary. Retrieved from http://cwrp.ca/publications/884
** MacLaurin, B., Trocmé, N., Fallon, B., Sinha, V., Feehan, R., Enns, R., Gail, J., Kitt, O., Thomas‑Prokop, S., Zelt, C., Daoust, G., Hutcheon, E., & Budgell, D. (2013). Alberta Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect-2008 (AIS-2008): Major Findings. Calgary, AB: University of Calgary. Retrieved from http://cwrp.ca/publications/2758
^Government of Alberta. (2022, February 10). Child Intervention Information and Statistics Summary Child Intervention Information and Statistics – 2021-22 Third Quarter (December) Update. alberta.ca/child-intervention-statistics.aspx
Government of Alberta. (n.d.). Child Intervention Information and Statistics Summary 2018/19 Fourth Quarter (March) Update. https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/de167286-500d-4cf8-bf01-0d08224eeadc/resource/b8142559-cb87- 49b7-bd30-d0a3d2f113bc/download/child-intervention-quarterly-stats-2018-19-q4.pdf
***The rate per 1000 is calculated using the population of children covered under the age of protection in Alberta (under 18 years old).
§ Child welfare services fall under the jurisdiction of provincial and territorial authorities, making it difficult to compile statistics at the national level. The most notable variations between provinces include mandate variation by jurisdiction with respect to the age to which children are eligible for services, differences in the length of time a child can receive out-of-home care and the definition of out-of-home care.