Strengthening Families and Communities

Transforming Ontario’s child welfare system to keep more families together

The safety, well being and success of children and youth in care is of the utmost importance to our PC government.

The current child welfare system leaves vulnerable children and their families without the support they need to succeed and thrive. Children and youth who maintain connections to mothers, fathers, family, community, faith, or culture have better outcomes.

That’s why our PC government is redesigning the child welfare system to focus on strengthening families and communities through prevention services that are high-quality, culturally appropriate and truly responsive to the needs of children, youth and families.

“Children and youth in care experience significantly worse outcomes than those in a family setting, such as lower graduation rates, a higher risk of homelessness and more involvement with the justice system,” said Jill Dunlop, MPP for Simcoe North and Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues. “That is why we are transforming the child welfare system, to ensure more families stay together and children and youth in care have the supports they need to be safe, succeed and thrive as they transition from care to adulthood.”

This strategy is built on five pillars that focus on: community-based prevention services to enhance family well-being; improving the quality of residential care; increasing youth supports; developing stable lifelong connections for children and youth; and, improving accountability and sustainability.

Redesigning the child welfare system will take time and continued partnership with the child welfare sector, Indigenous communities and other health and social services. Our PC government is committed to taking the time to get this right and keep children and youth at the heart of everything we do.