Child Welfare Data and Results
The child welfare sector of Ontario is committed to using data to continuously improve the services it provides to children, youth and families. To learn more about the background of Child Welfare Performance Indicators:
What are Performance Indicators?
They are a tool to help child welfare strive for better outcomes for the children, youth and families we serve.
By definition, performance indicators can be both descriptive and numerical results that measure the performance of an important service. They can also measure efficiency, effectiveness, value for money and client satisfaction. For example, numerical performance indicators can measure outputs such as how much of a service was delivered, percentage of age groups, proportion of specific factors or the cost of interventions.
In the provincial system of performance indicators, Children’s Aid Societies are collecting numerical data to measure performance in five areas of child welfare–safety, permanence, well-being, organizational capacity and governance effectiveness.
As of March 2015, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services has been reporting on five performance indicators from Children’s Aid Societies to the public. These performance indicators focus on safety, permanency, and well-being.
Why are Performance Indicators Important?
They are going to help shape the future of Ontario’s child welfare services.
Performance indicators will inform the practices, protocols and procedures of Children’s Aid Societies as well as help influence management decision-making related to program development, budgeting and planning. They will help to build public confidence in the continuously evolving child welfare field.
Ultimately, provincial performance indicators will tell the story of children and youth by identifying what has been accomplished and highlighting areas where improvement will lead to a stronger child welfare system.
The performance indicators project is a long-term initiative that is in its second phase. The focus has been on developing province-wide performance indicators based on standardized definitions that measure important aspects of child welfare service. Tools and resources have been developed and provided to agencies to build capacity to collect data around these standardized definitions. As the project moves forward, the number of performance indicators collected and reported publicly will continue to evolve.
Current Results for Halton Children’s Aid Society (updated July 12, 2018)
- Safety – Recurrence of Child Protection Concerns in a Family after an Investigation
- Safety – Recurrence of Child Protection Concerns in a Family after Ongoing Protection Services were Provided
- Permanency – The Days of Care, by Placement Type
- Permanency – The Time to Permanency
- Well-being – The Quality of the Caregiver and Youth Relationship