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 and Labrador Strategic Plan 2010-2014	Department of Child, Youth and Family Services	2010
Strategic Plan 2010-2014	Department of Child, Youth and Family Services	2010
Legislative Review of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, S.N.L. 1998, c. C-12.1, as amended - Consultations discussion guide	Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Child, Youth and Family Services	2009
Children in Care in Newfoundland and Labrador	Fowler, Ken	2008
Distinguishing Differences in Pathways to Resilience Among Canadian Youth	Ungar, Michael Brown, Marion Liebenberg, Linda Cheung, Maria Levine, Kathryn	2008
Newfoundland and Labrador CYFS Clinical Services Review: Final Report	Department of Child, Youth and Family Services Abell, Susan Moshenko, Sandy van Leeuwen, Judy	2008
Newfoundland and Labrador’s child welfare system	Gough, Pamela	2007
Turner Review and Investigation - Volume 1	Markesteyn, Peter Day, David	2006
Turner Review and Investigation - Volume 2	Markesteyn, Peter Day, David	2006
Newfoundland and Labrador Adoption Act	The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador	1999

Legislation

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

Links