Fallon – child welfare systems

Child welfare workers work with the most vulnerable children and families in Canada.  These are children in families that are identified to the system for a number of different issues, a number of different risk factors that focus really on alcohol abuse, drug abuse, few social supports, physical health issues, cognitive health issues and when that intersects with vulnerable children, so children who are beginning to have social, emotional behavioural, cognitive issues, it’s often a very difficult combination of risk factors.  So to try and understand what optimal child development is, what the basic foundation for good child development looks like, I think is invaluable in our work with children and their families and their caregivers because it really leads to early detection and we know from a huge body of evidence, a huge body of research that the earlier we identify potential deficits in children, potential issues in children, that the more likely it is we’re able to connect them to a resource that will provide the supports that they need and their families need.   

The concern for children identified to the child protection system is not usually around imminent risk of physical harm but it clearly is about the strong possibility that unless we do something that children are at risk of being on very poor trajectory in terms of their long-term social, educational and physical outcomes.  The need to understand early intervention through knowledge around early child development is fundamental to the very clear objective of any child welfare system and that is to prevent the burden of suffering and to ensure that the well-being of the child is paramount to child protection practice.