Leong Centre Rounds: Linking Census and Child Welfare Data to Explore Health and Social Outcomes for First Nations Children and Families

DATE: Monday, February 9
TIME: 12:00 – 1:00pm (ET)
METHOD: Virtual
REGISTRATION: https://forms.office.com/r/VsuPTk0ezH

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SPEAKERS:

Amber Crowe is the Executive Director of Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child and Family Services and a member of the Mississaugas of Rice Lake, living in Alderville First Nation. She has dedicated over 30 years to serving her community as a wife, mother, and grandmother. Her leadership focuses on Indigenous child welfare and supporting families within First Nations communities.

Barbara Fallon is Associate Vice-President of Research at the University of Toronto and a Professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, where she holds a Canada Research Chair in Child Welfare. Her research has informed key policy initiatives in child welfare, including differential response models and specialized intimate partner violence teams, and continues to shape evidence-based approaches to child protection across Canada.

Tara Black is an Associate Professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto with over 15 years of child welfare experience. Her career spans youth treatment centers, front-line child protection work, and research management, including serving as co-manager for the 2008 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS-2008). Currently managing the Ontario Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (OCANDS) project, Dr. Black's research focuses on child maltreatment, resilience, and quantitative research methods in child welfare.

TITLE: Linking Census and Child Welfare Data to Explore Health and Social Outcomes for First Nations Children and Families

DESCRIPTION:

This groundbreaking project linked census and child welfare data to examine the over-representation and trajectories of First Nations children in Ontario's child welfare system. Guided by OCAP principles (Ownership, Control, Access and Possession), researchers from the Ontario Incidence Study collaborated with Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child and Family Services (DBCFS) to connect cross-sectional data with longitudinal administrative records from OCANDS and Census data. The partnership resulted in valuable insights into service trajectories, predictive factors for maltreatment recurrence, and disparities in service decisions. The project produced the "Ten Answers" web-based tool, providing agencies with dynamic, up-to-date information about their service continuum and disparities, supporting improved outcomes for First Nations children and families.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Understand OCAP Principles: Learn how Indigenous data sovereignty principles guided collaborative research methodology and data governance.
2. Data Linkage Methods: Examine techniques for linking cross-sectional incidence data with longitudinal administrative and Census data sources.
3. Trajectory Analysis: Identify predictive factors for child welfare trajectories, including maltreatment recurrence and placement patterns.
4. Collaborative Research Models: Recognize the value of multi-disciplinary partnerships between Indigenous agencies and academic researchers.
5. Knowledge Translation Tools: Explore practical applications for improving agency practice and policy.