A survey of the 16 Canadian child and youth protection programs: A threadbare patchwork quilt

Child abuse and neglect (CAN) represents an international public health and societal problem, the extent and nature of which are inadequately understood. Child and youth protection programs (CYPPs), based in 16 Canadian paediatric academic health science centres, identify, manage, treat and prevent cases of CAN.

To ascertain the structure, resources and functioning of Canadian CYPPs.

Telephone interviews were conducted with the directors of the 16 CYPPs.

Full-time equivalent staffing ranged from 0.25 to 18.7 people. All programs were staffed with physicians. The majority of programs had social workers (14 of 16) and administrative staff (12 of 16), while fewer programs had a dedicated nurse (nine of 16) or psychologists (six of 16). All CYPPs provided medical examinations and psychosocial assessments, consultation and coordination of CAN cases within the hospital and with community professionals, expert medico-legal opinions and representation in court, and hospital in-service and community outreach education and advocacy. Nine centres participated in regular multi-agency reviews of cases. Fourteen centres had specialized teams for acute sexual assault. Academic activities include lectures to medical students (16 of 16), undergraduate clinical electives (11 of 16), mandatory clinical rotations for paediatric residents (10 of 16) and/or electives (15 of 16), a fellowship (one of 16) and research on CAN-related issues (11 of 16). CAN documentation was inconsistent and limited, underestimating the number of cases assessed within the CYPPs.

CYPPs appear to need further resources to care for maltreated children and their families. A national, standardized database to document CAN cases would aid in the allocation of resources to help develop policies and programs that effectively address the needs of CAN victims and their families, and to prevent CAN.