Ontario - Statistics
Child Maltreatment Investigations in Ontario, 2008*, 2013** and 2018***
| 2008 | 2013 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child population (0-15) | 2,382,035 | 2,349,600 | 2,361,870 |
| Number of child maltreatment investigations | 128,748 | 125,281 | 148,536 |
| Incidence of child maltreatment investigations per 1,000 children | 54.05 | 53.32 | 62.89 |
Type of Child Maltreatment Investigation in Ontario, 2018***
| Number | Rate per 1,000 children | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maltreatment Investigation | 94,476 | 40.00 | 64% |
| Risk Investigation | 54,060 | 22.89 | 36% |
Categories of Substantiated Child Maltreatment Investigations in Ontario, 2018***
| Category of Maltreatment | Number | Rate per 1,000 children | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Abuse | 7,081 | 3.00 | 19% |
| Sexual Abuse | 1,019 | 0.43 | 3% |
| Neglect | 8,082 | 3.42 | 21% |
| Emotional Maltreatment | 4,689 | 1.99 | 12% |
| Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence | 17,051 | 7.22 | 45% |
Placement in Child Maltreatment Investigations in Ontario, 2008*, 2013** and 2018***
| 2008 # | 2008 Rate | 2013 # | 2013 Rate | 2018 # | 2018 Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Placement | 121,436 | 50.98 | 121,020 | 51.51 | 144,351 | 61.12 |
| Informal Kinship Care | 3,616 | 1.52 | 1,874 | 0.80 | 2,488 | 1.05 |
| Formal Placement | 3,696 | 1.55 | 2,387 | 1.02 | 1,697 | 0.71 |
Children and youth in out-of-home care in 2019^
| Children in care | Child (0-17) population | Rate per 1000**** | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12,385 | 2,765,376 | 4.48 |
* Fallon, B., Trocmé, N., MacLaurin, B., Sinha, V., Black, T., Felstiner, … Johnston, A. (2010). Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect-2008 (OIS‑2008). Toronto, ON: Child Welfare Research Portal.
** Fallon, B., Van Wert, M., Trocmé, N., MacLaurin, B., Sinha, V., Lefebvre, R., … Goel, S. (2015). Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect-2013 (OIS‑2013). Toronto, ON: Child Welfare Research Portal.
***Fallon, B., Filippelli, J. Lefebvre, R., Joh-Carnella, N., Trocmé, N., Black, T., .... Stoddart, J.(2020). Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect-2018 (OIS‑2018). Toronto, ON: Child Welfare Research Portal
^Data obtained through personal communication with Barbara Fallon. Information from the Ministry of Community and Social Services.
****The rate per 1000 is calculated using the population of children covered under the age of protection in Ontario (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.