Newfoundland and Labrador

For more information, please see the information sheet on Newfoundland and Labrador's child welfare system.

Overview

In Newfoundland and Labrador, the Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development (CSSD) (previously known as the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services (CYFS)) is responsible for providing child welfare and protection services to all children and youth living in Newfoundland and Labrador, including First Nations, Inuit, and Metis populations through 37 offices over the province. The Children, Youth, and Families Act (CYFA) (2018) governs child welfare, protection, and service delivery. The CYFA came into force on June 28, 2019, and replaced the previous Child and Youth Care and Protection Act (Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, 2020). Service provision to children and youth in need of protection is also guided by the Protection and In Care Policy and Procedure Manual (Department of Child, Youth and Family Services, 2011). The Adoption Act (2013) and the Adoptions Policy and Procedures Manual (2014) guide adoption practices for children in the province.

Statistics

Newfoundland and Labrador: Children and youth in out-of-home care in 2022¹
Children in out-of-home care	Child (0-15) population	Rate per 1000
1,495	106, 836	13.99

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 service, differences in the length of time a child can receive out-of-home care and the definition of out-of-home care.

References

¹ Pollock, N., Ouédraogo, A., Trocmé, N., Hovdestad, W., Miskie, A., Crompton, L., Campeau, A., Tanaka, M., Zhang, C., Laprise, C., Tonmyr, L. (2024). Original quantitative research – Rates of out-of-home care among children in Canada: an analysis of national administrative child welfare data. Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada (44)4. https://doi.org/10.24095/hpcdp.44.4.02.

Publications

Title	Authors	Year
Newfoundland & Labrador's Child Welfare System Information Sheet	Tremblett, Sarah Trocmé, Nico Delaye, Ashleigh	2021
Annual Report 2019/20	Children, Seniors and Social Development Newfoundland and Labrador	2020
A Long Wait for Change: Independent Review of Child Protection Services to Inuit Children in Newfoundland and Labrador	The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate Newfoundland and Labrador	2019
Seen But Not Heard	The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate Newfoundland and Labrador	2019
The case for culturally responsive services	The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate Newfoundland and Labrador	2017
The case for specialized health care representatives to recognize and prevent child sexual abuse	The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate Newfoundland and Labrador	2017
A stolen life	The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate Newfoundland and Labrador	2016
Innu Prevention Approach: Presented to the Innu Round Table Secretariat	Child Welfare League of Canada	2016
Not there yet: Status report on recommendations	The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate Newfoundland and Labrador	2016
Provincial/Territorial Protocol On Children, Youth and Families Moving Between Provinces and Territories	Government of British Columbia Government of Alberta Government of Manitoba Government of Saskatchewan Government of New Brunswick Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Government of Nova Scotia Government of Prince Edward Island Government of Northwest Territories Government of Nunavut Government of Yukon Government of Ontario	2016

Legislation

Children, Youth and Families Act
Children and Youth Care and Protection Act
(replaced the Child Youth and Family Services Act)
Adoption Act

Links