Comparative analysis of child protection investigations in Ontario and Quebec, Canada

Background The Canadian child protection system is a network of provincial, territorial, and federal systems. Each province and territory has unique child protection legislation and service delivery practices. There is significant variation between the legislations and processes which inevitably determines which children and families are investigated. Objective This study examines the clinical case characteristics to understand the drivers related to the significant difference in child protection investigation rates occurring in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. Relevant legislations and policies are also examined. Participant and setting The study uses data from four provincial Incidences Studies: 1) the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect-2013 (OIS-2013), 2) the Quebec Incidence Study on Investigations of Child Protection-2014 (EIQ-2014); 3) OIS-2018); and 4) EIQ-2019. These studies are cross-sectional and collect de-identified information on child protection investigations which occurred in the relative province and year. Methods Descriptive tests were conducted to examine differences between clinical case characteristics of the four Incidence Studies. Incidence rates were calculated using Statistics Canada Census data. Confidence intervals were conducted to test for significant differences. Results There is a statistically significant difference in the investigation rates between OIS-2013 and EIQ-2014, and OIS-2018 and EIQ-2019. There is no statistically significant difference in the substantiation rates between OIS-2013 and EIQ-2014, and no clinical difference in the substantiation rates between OIS-2018 and EIQ-2019. Conclusions It is a critical time to examine screening procedures and tools to ensure resources are used effectively and reduce negative impacts on children and families unnecessarily investigated. Keywords: child welfare, policy, provincial comparisons, incidence rates.