Table 2 Clinical profile of maltreatment-related investigations involving infants in Ontario in 2013
From: Infants and the decision to provide ongoing child welfare services
Variable | Estimate | % | % Transferred to ongoing services |
|---|---|---|---|
Child characteristics | |||
 Child sex | |||
  Female | 3887 | 49.3 | 45.9 |
  Male | 3999 | 50.7 | 34.1 |
 Child ethnicity | |||
  Ethnic minority | 2396 | 30.9 | 29.5 |
  White | 5355 | 69.1 | 43.9 |
 Child functioning concerns | |||
  Attachment issues | – | 0.8 | 100 |
  Intellectual/developmental disability | – | 0.6 | 73.9 |
  Failure to meet developmental milestones | 162 | 2.1 | 84.7 |
  FAS/FAE | – | 0.8 | 100 |
  Positive toxicology at birth | 305 | 3.9 | 87.5 |
  Physical disability | 124 | 1.6 | 50.0 |
  At least one child functioning concern | 614 | 7.8 | 78.5 |
Primary caregiver characteristics | |||
 Primary caregiver age | |||
  18 years and under | 851 | 10.8 | 45.1 |
  19–21 years | 1616 | 20.5 | 59.7 |
  22–30 years | 3347 | 42.5 | 35.9 |
  31–40 years | 1952 | 24.8 | 28.1 |
  41 years and up | 112 | 1.4 | 14.3 |
 Primary caregiver risk factors | |||
  Alcohol abuse | 842 | 10.6 | 77.1 |
  Drug/solvent use | 1490 | 18.8 | 76.6 |
  Cognitive impairment | 699 | 8.8 | 84.1 |
  Mental health issues | 2459 | 31.1 | 68.2 |
  Physical health issues | 466 | 5.9 | 68.2 |
  Few social supports | 2597 | 32.8 | 65.2 |
  Victim of intimate partner violence (IPV) | 2978 | 37.6 | 51.5 |
  Perpetrator of domestic violence | 854 | 10.8 | 51.3 |
  History of foster care | 1031 | 13.0 | 58.8 |
  At least one caregiver risk factor | 5883 | 74.3 | 50.3 |
 Household characteristics | |||
  No second caregiver in home | 2403 | 30.4 | 54.1 |
 Primary income | |||
  Full-time | 571 | 7.7 | 23.3 |
  Part-time/seasonal | 375 | 5.1 | 23.2 |
  Other benefits/unemployment | 5471 | 73.9 | 42.7 |
  No income | 1498 | 13.3 | 49.8 |
At least one household hazard | 664 | 8.8 | 72.7 |
Household regularly runs out of money | 1030 | 15.7 | 67.2 |
 Number of moves | |||
  No moves | 3261 | 50.0 | 26.4 |
  One move | 2121 | 32.5 | 42.0 |
  Two or more moves | 1138 | 17.4 | 80.9 |
Maltreatment characteristics | |||
 Types of maltreatment-related investigation | |||
  Physical abuse | 163 | 2.1 | 19.0 |
  Sexual abuse | – | 1.2 | 61.3 |
  Neglect | 1618 | 20.4 | 43.1 |
  Emotional maltreatment | 424 | 5.4 | 41.5 |
  Exposure to IPV | 2467 | 31.2 | 24.2 |
  Risk | 3150 | 39.8 | 50.6 |
 Case characteristics and short-term service outcomes | |||
  Opened for ongoing services | 3151 | 39.8 | – |
  At least one previous case opening (family-level) | 3445 | 43.6 | 51.1 |
  Reopened within 12-month period | 2243 | 65.1 | 51.9 |
  Infant previously investigated for alleged maltreatment | 1339 | 16.9 | 44.6 |
  At least one referral for specialized services | 4530 | 57.2 | 57.1 |
  Child welfare court | 693 | 8.8 | 98.1 |
  Placement | 680 | 8.6 | 89.0 |