Distinctly vulnerable: Infants investigated by the child welfare system and the decision to refer to services

Objectives: The main objectives of this presentation are to: (1) examine the profile of investigations involving infants; (2) discuss the factors associated with the service referral decision; and, (3) explore the patterns and... [ view full abstract ]

Objectives: The main objectives of this presentation are to: (1) examine the profile of investigations involving infants; (2) discuss the factors associated with the service referral decision; and, (3) explore the patterns and types of services families are referred to amongst differing age groups of children who have been investigated by the child welfare system in Ontario.

Method: A secondary analysis of the fifth cycle of the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (OIS) for 2013 was conducted. The OIS is a cross-sectional child welfare study that is conducted every five years. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses were conducted to understand which factors were significant in the decision to refer to services (e.g. child, household, case, and service outcomes). Descriptive and chi-square analyses were conducted between infants, preschool, early school, preadolescent and adolescent children in order to examine the clinical profile of children by age groups.

Results: There was an estimated 7,915 maltreatment-related investigations involving infants in 2013. The profile of infants does in fact differ from that of older children in various characteristics and types of services referred to. Primary caregiver factors drove the service referral decision for infants (i.e., victim of interpersonal violence and younger caregiver age). When compared to older children, investigations involving infants were most likely to result in a referral for a service; least likely to have an infant functioning concern identified; most likely to have a primary caregiver functioning concern identified; and, have greater challenges noted in household safety, socio-economic disadvantage, and housing stability.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that infants are a distinctly vulnerable group of children reported to and investigated by the Ontario child welfare system. Important policy and practice implications that emerged from the findings will be discussed, including the need to reconsider traditional child welfare approaches with infants.