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SOCIAL WORK IN CANADA
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An Introduction
Third Edition
Chapter 8: Social Work with Children and Youth
Chapter 8:
Social Work With Children and Youth
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Social Work With Children & Youth
The Organization of Child Welfare
Provincial Agencies & Programs
History of Child Welfare
The Dilemma of Child Protection
Aboriginal Children in Care
Addressing the Problem of Child Poverty
The Incidence of Child Abuse
Steps in Providing Child Welfare Services
Social Services for Children and Youth
Early Childhood Education & Care
Compassion Fatigue
Chapter 8:
Social Work With Children and Youth
Social Work In Canada
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The Organization of Child Welfare
Child welfare is highly regulated through laws and
regulations and involves five key activities:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Family support
Child protection
Child placement
Adoption
Foster care
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The Organization of Child Welfare
Canadian social workers also provide a wide variety
of related services for children and youth:
In-home Services
Out-of-home Services
Family counselling services,
parenting supports, child
protection, in-home child care,
homemaker services, and
family educational services
Foster care, adoption, daycare
centres, community supports, group
homes, institutional care, parenting
self-help and empowerment groups,
and family housing assistance
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Provincial Agencies and Programs
Each of the ten Canadian provinces and three territories
has different organizations and legislation governing child
welfare.
Provincial services for children and youth may be provided
by a branch of the provincial government or by a private or
non-profit agency.
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History of Child Welfare
Pre-Industrial Child Welfare – Pre-1890
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The Orphans Act, 1799
The Guardianship Act, 1827
Apprentices and Minors Act, 1874
The Indian Act, 1876
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History of Child Welfare
New Era in Child Welfare Legislation – 1890 to 1940
Act for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 1893
Juvenile Delinquent Act, 1908
Factory Act and Regulation of Shops Act, 1888
The Toronto Children’s Aid Society Incorporated, 1891
Child Protection Act, 1893
Child Welfare Act, 1908
Associated Children’s Aid Societies of Ontario, 1912
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History of Child Welfare
Modern Child Welfare Policy – 1940 to Present
Since 1940, hundreds of provincial laws have been passed that
affect child welfare.
Across the country, while each province has distinct and
separate legislation, several trends have emerged.
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History of Child Welfare
Modern Child Welfare Policy – 1940 to Present
Shift from volunteer to professional service system
Development and implementation of risk-assessment models
and standardized record keeping
Provincial governments’ acceptance of direct responsibility for
delivery of child welfare
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History of Child Welfare
Modern Child Welfare Policy – 1940 to Present
Shift to non-institutional and prevention-oriented services
A shift towards legislation that emphasizes the “best
interests” of the child over a model that stressed keeping
children in their families
An improvement in the capacity of Aboriginal agencies to
provide services under Aboriginal leadership
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History of Child Welfare
Modern Child Welfare Policy – 1940 to Present
Alternatives to foster homes and large-scale institutions
became increasingly popular
Treatment regimes were emphasized
Group homes were launched
Differentiated response (DR) enables flexible intake
Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) streamlines court
processes
Two options for care for placement with kin: kinship service
and kinship care
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History of Child Welfare
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The Dilemma of Child Protection
When should children be brought into the care of
the state?
When should children be left in the home?
What factors influence this decision?
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The Dilemma of Child Protection
The “Best Interests” of the Child
Best Interests Approach
Least Restrictive Approach
Emphasizes the protection
and well-being of the child.
Emphasizes the course of action
that will cause the least change
for the child, advocating leaving
the child with their family.
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History of Child Welfare
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Aboriginal Children in Care
Aboriginal children are overrepresented among children in
care, and percentage is increasing
Majority removed from homes because of neglect brought
on by poverty
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Aboriginal Children in Care
Failure of provincial/territorial child welfare agencies to
make a meaningful difference supports idea of Aboriginalcontrolled, culturally based models of child care.
Need to address structural issues that lead to neglect
(unemployment, inadequate housing, etc.)
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Addressing the Problem of Child Poverty
Social workers face persistent dilemma: to what extent
should they take broader social context in account
Some argue social workers should work on prevention
programs and to combat child poverty
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Addressing the Problem of Child Poverty
Others argue child welfare agencies should only be
involved in situations where there is immediate danger
(neglect or abuse)
Governments have generally used short-term perspective,
dealing with emergencies, rather than seeking solutions to
underlying causes
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The Incidence of Child Abuse
Child abuse entails the betrayal of a caregiver’s
position of trust and authority over a child.
Abuse can take many forms:
Neglect
Physical abuse
Sexual abuse
Emotional abuse
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The Incidence of Child Abuse
The Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies
provides the following statistics:
1 in 5 children are maltreated
33% of sex offenders experienced some form of sexual trauma as
children
80% of women in correctional facilities were victims of child
physical or sexual abuse
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The Incidence of Child Abuse
The Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies
provides the following statistics:
80% of people with eating disorders experienced some form of
abuse or witnessed violence between their parents
Child prostitution prevention programs for ages nine and up find
that 99% of child prostitutes have a history of child abuse
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The Incidence of Child Abuse
The Problem of Under-Reporting
Dramatic increase in reports of suspected abuse and
neglect in last two decades, but many cases still not
reported.
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The Incidence of Child Abuse
Factors that inhibit voluntary reporting:
Not recognizing signs
Belief abuse is not serious enough to report
Sense of secrecy/shame surrounding child abuse
Concern about possible consequences of intervention
by police/authorities
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The Incidence of Child Abuse
Risk Assessment
A key component of child protection services
Used to estimate likelihood that a child will be maltreated
Must be used in conjunction with worker judgment
Workers require good knowledge of risk factors to enable
them to make judgments that are supported by credible
information
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The Incidence of Child Abuse
Duty to Report
The professional obligation to report reasonable
suspicions of abuse or neglect to the proper authorities
Failure to report can lead to criminal charges and fines
Legal obligation affects those who perform
professional or official duties with children
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Steps in Providing Child Welfare Services
Providing Child Welfare Services:
Initial Response to Reports of Abuse
Investigation
Verification
Assessment Report and Service Plan
Case Management
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Social Services for Children and Youth
Services for Young Offenders
Prior to the Juvenile Delinquents Act 1908, young offenders
treated as “little adults”
They were sentenced as adults and were incarcerated with
adult prisoners
In 1892, Canada’s Criminal Code contained measures to
protect children in the justice system
In 1894, the Youthful Offenders Act legislated the separation
of youth from adults both in trials and prisons
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Social Services for Children and Youth
Services for Young Offenders
In 1908, the Juvenile Delinquents Act (JDA) provided a
separate justice system for youth
In 1984, the JDA was replaced with the Young
Offenders Act
The Young Offenders Act was amended three times
due to public outcry
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Social Services for Children and Youth
The Youth Criminal Justice Act
In 2002, Parliament replaced the Young Offenders Act with
the Youth Criminal Justice Act
Emphasized rehabilitation and re-entry into society
Sought to end transfer of youth to adult court
Lowered the “age of presumption” to 14
Attempted to lower the number of youth in prisons
Emphasized alternative sentencing
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Social Services for Children and Youth
Youth Crime Today
Overall rates of youth crime have decreased since 1992
Violent youth crime rates have steadily decreased since
1995
There is increased public perception that youth crime
is growing, but statistics demonstrate that it is on the
decline
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Social Services for Children and Youth
Front-line social workers advocate for approach
that recognizes factors at root of youth crime:
Societal factors
Family factors
Individual factors
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Early Childhood Education and Care
Canada is lagging behind international standards for
early childhood education and care (ECEC).
There is a shortage of regulated child care spaces –
only enough for 20% of children under six with working
parents.
Canada only achieves 1 of 10 international benchmarks
of minimum standards for ECEC.
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Early Childhood Education and Care
Provincial Variations
Fourteen jurisdictions – the federal government, ten
provinces, and three territories – are involved in
delivering ECEC programs in Canada.
Each jurisdiction has multiple child care, early childhood
education and “child development” programs.
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Early Childhood Education and Care
Role of Federal Government in ECEC
Delivery of ECEC services to specific populations (Aboriginal
people, military families, new Canadians)
Provide cash or tax benefits
Finance ECEC programs through transfer payments to
provinces/territories
Provide federal leadership
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Compassion Fatigue
Compassion fatigue: anxiety resulting from
increased workplace pressure and workloads
Occurs among those faced with increasing
responsibility with less control over how work is
completed
Has become norm for child welfare workers
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Websites
Child Welfare League of Canada
www.cwlc.ca
The Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies
www.oacas.org
Southern Alberta Child and Youth Health Network
www.sacyhn.ca
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Questions for Discussion
What challenges does federalism present to
social work practice with children?
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Questions for Discussion
In what ways does the Indian Act shape
practice with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis
children?
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Questions for Discussion
Do you think the public is more willing to
address issues of child poverty rather than
family poverty? Explain your position.
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Questions for Discussion
Discuss key reasons why the need for child
welfare workers is growing today. What
changes in society can lead to an increase in
child protection cases?
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Questions for Discussion
Compassion fatigue is a serious issue for child
welfare workers. What are some strategies to
prevent compassion fatigue? Discuss with your
neighbour.
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Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
