Poverty and Ontario’s Child Welfare Involved Population

The Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect, 2013 (OIS-2013) is the fifth provincial study to examine the incidence of reported child maltreatment and the characteristics of children and families investigated by child welfare authorities in Ontario. This Information Sheet examines several indicators of socioeconomic hardship to provide a profile of poverty among the children, youth and families who are investigated by child welfare authorities in Ontario. Poverty is associated with child maltreatment and involvement in the child welfare system. Families living in poverty may experience a variety of hardships such as low or insufficient income, poor housing conditions, unemployment, and food insecurity.