Northern, rural, and remote child welfare practice

Northern, rural, and remote communities may have distinct challenges and considerations when it comes to child welfare services. Some of these challenges and considerations include:

Limited availability of health and social services, making it challenging for children, youth, and families to access the supports they need. In Northern, rural, and remote communities, access and availability challenges are present across the continuum of care and impact all levels and types of services (core services, specialized services, culturally-relevant services, etc.). For example, French language services are difficult to access and Francophone service providers tend to play a generalist role rather than a specialist one meaning consultations with experts (psychiatrists, etc.) more often take place in English. Chronic underfunding of services for Indigenous children and families has contributed to stark inequities and a lack of supports, particularly in northern and remote First Nations communities. Mental health services are less accessible than they are in urban communities, particularly when it comes to comprehensive, long-term, and intensive mental health care. As a result of these and other access and availability challenges, care and service delivery is often fragmented and needs, especially complex needs, may go unmet. 

Large travel distances and limited public transportation in Northern, rural, and remote communities. The lack of affordable transportation poses another barrier for children, youth, and families in accessing services. Large travel distances also can contribute to geographic and social isolation and make it difficult for individuals and families to connect with other community members or access support available through the strong, informal helping networks that are often characteristic of smaller communities.

Limited anonymity, privacy, and confidentiality for children, youth, and families receiving services. Residents of smaller communities are more likely to know one another's business and whereabouts or encounter each other when accessing services. Fear of stigma therefore may prevent individuals from seeking out services. It can also be difficult for child welfare professionals to keep personal and professional boundaries, for example, with a service user who may be their neighbour or grocery bagger.

Service frameworks that are designed for Southern and/or urban contexts and therefore do not reflect the realities of Northern, rural, and remote communities. Child welfare agencies in these communities must provide services to a population spread out over a large geographical area and professionals may be practicing in the absence of other social services and supports – though the needs of the children, youth, and families they work with may be just as great (or greater) than those living in Southern Ontario communities and urban centres. Vital infrastructure taken for granted in the rest of the province, such as high-speed Internet, may also be unreliable or unavailable. Dominant models of child welfare practice may also be at odds with the cultures and values of Northern, rural, and remote communities, particularly Indigenous communities.

Difficulty recruiting and retaining child welfare professionals. Potential factors contributing to this human resource challenge include programs of study being concentrated in urban centres, urban-rural salary disparities, issues of professional isolation and lack of access to professional development opportunities in smaller communities, and lack of spousal employment opportunities. Some professionals coming from primarily urban areas may experience a form of culture shock and find it difficult to adapt. Child welfare work can also be more challenging for professionals in Northern, rural, and remote communities due to the scarcity of referral services and community-based supports.

While there are considerable challenges for child welfare service delivery in Northern, rural, and remote communities, there are also many opportunities. This video from the Alberta College of Social Workers features social workers talking about some of the challenges and rewards of working in rural and remote communities: