Latin American children in Ontario child welfare: An examination of investigation disparities

Abstract

Despite literature indicating that children and families of certain racial and ethnic backgrounds are more likely to experience child welfare involvement than white children and families, there is limited research on Latin American children’s child welfare involvement within the Canadian context. This study provides the first investigation of potential differences and disparities in child welfare involvement for Latin American children in Ontario, Canada, by conducting a secondary analysis of data from the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect 2018 (OIS-2018). The OIS-2018 collected data on child protection investigations from investigating workers, including characteristics of the investigated child, their caregivers, and their household, as well as characteristics of the investigation and short-term investigative dispositions. Incidence rates and disparity indices were calculated, and descriptive and bivariate analyses compared investigations involving Latin American children to those involving white children across key characteristics. While comprising a relatively small proportion of the investigation population, Latin American children were more than twice as likely to be investigated as white children. Consistent with this investigation disparity, significant differences were also observed in rates of substantiation and placement in out-of-home care. Investigations involving Latin American families more frequently involved concerns about family violence and were more likely to be initiated by police, but they were less likely to involve concerns about child or caregiver risks. These findings underscore a need to focus on Latin American experiences in the child welfare system, their service trajectories, and practice and policy considerations that can adequately respond to this community’s unique needs.