Kids Help PhoneThe Child Protection System in Canada

Presented at CHI International Consultation

Alisa Simon, MPHVice President, Counselling Services and Programs

•Kids Help Phone is an essential service available to the 6.5 million young people aged 5-20 in Canada

•Kids Help Phone provides free, anonymous, confidential, professional counselling services 24 hours a day 365 days a year in English and French

•Kids Help Phone has developed and maintained the largest referral database for children and youth in Canada. We have more than 37,000 referral agencies nation-wide.

•With the kids website transformation project we now have 4 distinct websites (Teen and Kids, in English and French) offering young people a place to go for age-appropriate, direct and indirect web-based counselling services.

Kids Help Phone’s Service

How We Help

Why Young People Contact Kids Help Phone (2011)

Kids Help Phone’s Contacts

Parental Addiction

Violence and Abuse

Family Violence

Sexual Abuse

Self Injury

Suicidal Ideation

Emancipation

Needing food

Homelessness

Prostitution

Mentioned in 20% of calls

The Child Protection System in Canada

The Child Protection System in Canada

Canada’s provinces and territories all have child welfare agencies that can be contacted by the public 24 hours a day.

•receive and investigate reports of possible child abuse and neglect;

•provide services to families who need assistance in the protection and care of their children;

•arrange for children to live with kin, foster families, or licensed group home facilities when they are not safe at home;

•arrange permanent adoptive homes for children; and

•arrange and support independent living services for youth leaving foster care

The Child Protection System in Canada

Each Province/ Territory has different child protection legislation and reports to different government Ministries

Province Age Coverage

Ontario/ Northwest Territories / Saskatchewan / Newfoundland/ Labrador/ Nova Scotia / Nunavut

Under 16 (Sometimes extended for youth already in care)

New Brunswick Under 16 (Under 19 for youth with a disability

Prince Edward Island Under 16 (16-18 for youth with mental/emotional or physical challenges)

Quebec/ Manitoba/ Alberta/ Yukon

Under 18

British Columbia Under 19

• 235,842 child-maltreatment-related investigations conducted in Canada in 2008

• 55,000 children and youth were the victims of a sexual offence or physical assault in 2009

• In 2007, there were an estimated 67,000 children in out-of-home care across Canada

The Child Protection System in Canada

• Graduation rate of 44% compared to their peers who have an 81% graduation rate.

• 82% of children in care have diagnosed special needs.

• 46% of youth in care rely on psychotropic medication to help them manage.

Youth in Care in Canada

Aboriginal Youth in Canada

•Canada’s child poverty rate is 18%. The child poverty rate in Aboriginal communities is 36%.

•Youth suicide rates in Aboriginal communities are five times higher than the national average.

The impacts of colonization continues to be felt, as Aboriginal groups have higher levels of unemployment, violent death, imprisonment, ill health and lower levels of education

Aboriginal Youth in Canada

Aboriginal young people are much more likely to be involved with child protection

•Less than 6% of the child population in Canada but estimated 26% of children who are placed in out of home care during a child protection investigation

•Aboriginal children in British Columbia make up roughly 9% of the child population, but account for 49% of children-in-care and 42% of youth in custody

•Ontario, Aboriginal people represent 2% of the population but 22% of Crown wards

Aboriginal Youth in Canada and Child Protection

Healthy Communities

Phone evaluation: represent 10% of callers to Kids Help Phone (3x the population)

Training for counsellors

Advocacy

Kids Help Phone’s Work with Aboriginal Youth

Healthy Communities

LGBTQ-identified Youth in Canada

Young people who identify as LGBTQ are at higher risk for: abuse, harassment, violence, parental rejection

•1/3 of gay, lesbian and bisexual youth were verbally abused by a family member and 10% had been physically assaulted by a family member due to sexual orientation

•35-73% of transgender youth reported “sometimes” or “often” being verbally abused by their parents related to gender expression

• 50% indicated “sometimes” or “often” being insulted, made to feel guilty and embarrassed in front of others

LGTBQ Youth in Canada and Child Protection

Kids Help Phone’s Work with LGBTQ Youth

• Phone Evaluation:

• 16% of callers to Kids Help Phone identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or questioning

• 4% of callers identified as transgender

• Training for counsellors

Kids Help Phone’s Work with LGBTQ Youth

Participating in the Ontario Provincial Advocate’s Office You Are Not Alone Campaign

Kids Help Phone and Advocacy

• Working with National Youth Serving Agencies to develop strategy to protect kids

• Cyberbullying Supreme Court Case