Connected and Supported Families and Children
Families are supported to stay together and spend time together. The child welfare system is equitable, trauma-informed, and reflects needs of children and families. Everyone has access to affordable childcare.
“My family is all chosen. I don’t talk to any of my blood family for various reasons. But my chosen family are people I chose for myself that are healthy for me, that respect my boundaries, that meet me on the same level, the same vibration of our souls. Having people to support you can help you so much.” -St. John’s, NL
“Children will be able to be children and have the same things other kids have in the community.” -Sydney Mines, NS
“The federal government sees putting our children in homes as a business.” -Carcross, YK
“It just circles because you get out of care, but you have nowhere to go. And then if you have a kid, they steal your kid – because you can’t provide for this kid because of poverty.” -Halifax, NS
“I had horrible postpartum depression, but was terrified to get help because I thought, they’ll take my baby.” -Sydney Mines, NS
| Measure | Indicator | Data Source |
|---|---|---|
| Children and youth are happy, healthy, and participating | Census Family Low Income Measure After Tax, age 0-17; Percentage of 11–15 year-olds who report high life satisfaction; Percentage of 11–15 year-olds involved in groups or group activities; Proxy: Percentage of parents who breastfeed their infant | Statistics Canada. T1 Family File. Table 11-10-0018-01; Canadian Index of Child and Youth Well-Being; Canadian Index of Child and Youth Well-Being; Canada’s Breastfeeding Dashboard |
| Children are free from abuse and violence | Proxy: Percentage of 15–24 year-olds who report having experienced abuse before the age of 15 | Canadian Index of Child and Youth Well-Being |
| Families are connected and spend time together | Recommendation: Percentage of population who spends daily time with family Proxy: Average amount of parental leave taken by both parents if applicable at time of infant birth | Gap; Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey |
| Everyone has access to affordable, safe, culturally relevant childcare | Proxy: Percentage of children aged 0 to 5 years for whom there is a regulated centre-based child care space | Canadian Index of Wellbeing |
| Families are supported to stay together | Recommendation: Percentage of families who are reported to child and family services who are supported to keep their children; Proxy: Percentage of children in care who are reunified with families | Gap; Canadian Index of Child and Youth Well-Being |
| Children are supported to stay in their community and/or with family members, if they cannot stay with immediate family | Proxy: Regular opportunities for relational connections to community; Out of home placement rate; Percentage of children with kin and/or Indigenous families within their community | First Nations Child and Family Services Measuring to Thrive Framework (Gap in that there is no existing data and that this is solely for First Nations children) |
| Freedom from discrimination from the child welfare system | Recommendation: Disparities in reporting and apprehension for all marginalized and low-income groups, including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis parents, parents who were previously in care, and parents seeking help for mental health and addiction; Proxy: Disparities in reporting and apprehension between First Nations and non-Indigenous children | Gap; First Nations/ Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect-2019 |
| Children in care have their basic needs met and have regular access to supports | Recommendation: Percentage of children in care who feel that they have their basic needs met and regular access to the supports they need; Proxy: Number of moves in care; Percentage of youth reporting positive relationships with parent or caregiver | Gap; Canadian Index of Child and Youth Well-Being; First Nations Child and Family Services Measuring to Thrive Framework (data gap) |
| Youth ageing out of the child welfare system are supported with the transition and continue to be supported as adults | Recommendation: Percentage of youth ageing out of care who feel the Equitable Standards for Transitions for Youth in Care have been upheld | Child Welfare League of Canada (data gap) |
Recommendation: existing indicator and data source partially fulfill the measure.
Gap: gap for data source where it does not exist.
Magenta: existing indicator in Canadian Indicator Framework