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Child Protection

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Child Protection Services in Ontario

Ontario is strengthening its child protection system.  Find out how new reforms are improving the lives of Ontario's children, youth and families.

Child protection in Ontario is legislated by the Ontario government.  Child protection services are provided by local children's aid societies, which have exclusive responsibility for the provision of the services under the Child and Family Services Act.

There are 53 children's aid societies across the province. Each society is an independent, non-profit organization with a local board of directors. The main duties of a children's aid society are to:

• investigate allegations or evidence that children under the age of 16 years may be in need of protection
• protect, where necessary, children who are under the age of 16 years 
• provide guidance, counselling and other services to families for protection of children or for the prevention of circumstances requiring the protection of children
• provide care for children assigned to its care under the Act
• supervise children assigned to its care under the Act
• place children for adoption.

The Government's Role in Child Protection

The government's role in child protection is to fund, legislate and monitor the child welfare system.  The Ministry of Children and Youth Services sets policy and provides program design for child welfare, and licenses children's residential services (group homes and foster care). The ministry's nine regional offices  monitor the children's aid societies in their regions.

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