Equity and anti-oppression in child welfare

Research indicates that children, youth, and families from equity-seeking groups (i.e. those experiencing oppression and marginalization within society and not belonging to a dominant group) experience disparities and disproportionalities in child welfare. These groups include African Canadians, immigrants and refugees, Indigenous people, LGBTQ2S+ people, low-income people, people with disabilities and mental health issues, racialized people, and single-mother families.

We know that Indigenous and African Canadian children specifically are overrepresented in Ontario child welfare. While gaps and inconsistencies in identity-based data collection processes make it difficult to know the exact scale of the problem for Indigenous and African Canadian children, there is little to no data on the experiences of other equity-seeking groups in the sector.

The issues that contribute to the child welfare disparities and disproportionalities experienced by members of equity-seeking groups are complex and multi-faceted. They include historic and ongoing oppression, systemic discrimination, barriers to service, and professional biases and norms based on dominant (e.g. Eurocentric, middle class, heteronormative, etc.) ideologies. Achieving equity for children, youth, and families involved in child welfare is therefore not simply a matter of changing policies. It also requires a change in mindsets and practices, as well as solutions for addressing disadvantages and removing the structural barriers that impact equity-seeking groups and perpetuate disparities.

In the child welfare context, disproportionality is commonly understood as the overrepresentation of certain groups in child welfare relative to their proportion in the general population. For example, a 2018 report by the Ontario Human Rights Commission found the proportions of Indigenous children and African Canadian children admitted into care to be 2.6 and 2.2 times higher, respectively, than their proportion in the child population.

In the child welfare context, disparity refers to how certain groups experience child welfare relative to other groups. Disparities can manifest in various ways, including within decision-making stages as higher referrals and substantiations; higher rates of disproportionality; less access to appropriate services; and poorer outcomes. For example, according to a 2016 information sheet, in comparison to white children, African Canadian children in Ontario are 40% more likely to be investigated,18% more likely to be substantiated, 8% more likely to be transferred to ongoing services, and 13% more likely to be placed in out-of-home care during the investigation. In comparison to white children, Indigenous children in Ontario are more than 130% more likely to be investigated,15% more likely to be substantiated, 40% more likely to be transferred to ongoing services, and 168% more likely to be placed in out-of-home care during the investigation.