Child Welfare: Connecting Research, Policy, and Practice

5. Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect: Themes and Implications

5 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect Themes and Implications Brad McKenzie Kathleen Kufeldt Many advocates of child welfare reform will point to the inherent limitations of the child protection paradigm of practice, where primary attention and most resources are devoted to the investigation of referrals alleging child abuse or neglect. More resources, it is argued, ought to be devoted to prevention, early intervention, and family support. Why, then, begin a review of research, policy, and practice in child welfare with a section that documents the nature and scope of child maltreatment? Aside from the legislative requirements outlined by Bala in the Introduction, which mandate child protection as the primary function of the child welfare system, we suggest that the goal of promoting the well-being of children cannot be separated from the goal of ensuring that children are safe and protected from harm. We need more comprehensive information on the reported incidence of child maltreatment, and the responses to allegations of abuse and neglect, in order to understand the interface between these two goals. The Canadian Incidence Study (CIS) and the plan to continue gathering comparative information on child maltreatment at five-year intervals provide important information on service and policy trends. Analysis of this information can assist us in understanding how we can promote family and child well-being, and at the same time ensure the protection of children from harm. It will also serve to meet the more general need to support evidence-based decision-making. Tonmyr1 summarizes the Public Health Agency of Canada’s interest in surveys like the CIS. She suggests that the purpose of such surveys is the collection and analysis of information for dissemination to decision-makers so that they 89 can identify emerging trends and set priorities for programs and policies. In the case of the CIS, a follow-up study of senior child welfare decision-makers in Ontario was conducted to assess the utilization of these findings in agencies across Ontario (Jack et al., 2007). Most respondents interviewed were aware of the CIS, and had access to results through the Internet. Though seldom used in direct fashion to create policy, CIS analyses had been used to guide policy development at the Ministry level. At the agency level, CIS data had been used predominantly in two ways: (1) to build the agency’s knowledge base and provide background information about child maltreatment characteristics; and (2) to validate local experiences and professional knowledge about child maltreatment trends in their communities. The information about changes in child maltreatment estimates has also been used at times to influence or justify resource allocation. Several suggestions for improving the utilization of CIS data were made, including the linking of CIS findings to practical interventions and disseminating the findings through face-to-face meetings and interactive technology (Tonmyr, Jack, Brooks, Kennedy, & Dudding, 2008). The first two chapters in Part I provide important data on changing trends in the nature and scope of child maltreatment in Canada, particularly between two national iterations of the Canadian Incidence Study (CIS–1998 and CIS–2003). Chapters 3 and 4 provide a perspective on decision-making in child welfare, with particular attention to data on child welfare worker characteristics. In the final part of our discussion on themes and implications, we will briefly highlight the ongoing debate about the mandate for child welfare services. Themes and Implications The Nature and Scope of Child Maltreatment The most important finding from the comparative analysis of data in the 1998 and 2003 versions of the Canadian Incidence Study is the growth in the estimated number of children investigated in these two different years. Although incomplete data from Quebec in 2003 prevent detailed comparisons on some variables, the incidence of investigation per 1000 children increased by 86% in the rest of Canada, and substantiation rates were up by 125%. Recently released findings from the CIS–2008 indicate that the number of maltreatment investigations in 2008 was quite similar to the 2003 number (235,842 and 235,315 respectively) (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2010). However, the dramatic changes between 1998 and 2003 have placed increasing pressures on resources within the child welfare field, including staff time, to respond appropriately to these demands. MCKENZIE AND KUFELDT 90 What are the drivers of these increases, and what are the implications for policy and practice? There are significant variations between 1998 and 2003 with respect...