The Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (“OACAS”) is aware of recent media reporting relating to mortality rates among children in care.
Any death of a child in care is a profound loss. To better understand the nature of these tragic losses, aggregated data must also consider the nuanced circumstances of each case. Without this, such statistics may inaccurately attribute the frequency of these deaths to failures in the child welfare system.
The data currently available lacks critical context: there is limited information about the intersectionality between the broader population served by child welfare, the socio-economic realities of families involved, or the detailed circumstances surrounding each death. This reality has been reaffirmed in a recent report by Ontario’s Chief Coroner – Child and Youth Death Review and Analysis (CYDRA) Unit Report for 2022-2023, which states: “The data analyzed over recent years suggest that there is sufficient variability year-over-year to merit the ongoing examination of the data prior to drawing any conclusion.”
Ontario’s child welfare sector is committed to using data to continuously improve the services it provides to children, youth, and families. OACAS will continue to work in close partnership with the Ontario government, the Office of the Chief Coroner, broader community partners and Member Agencies to strengthen reporting systems and ensure appropriate supports, services and treatments are in place for Ontario’s children, youth and families.
