Child protection policy reform in Quebec: its impact on placement and stability in substitute care

In recent years, the Government of Quebec has struggled to address the number of out-of-home child-protection placements as well as the problem of placement instability among children in care. In 2007, the Youth Protection Act (YPA) was modified to ensure that children benefit from continuity of care, stable relationships, and stable living conditions that correspond to their age and needs. This paper explores the effects of the new YPA by examining the changes in out-of-home placements and the stability of the children. Once the changes to the Act had come into effect, the number of children who were placed in substitute care decreased and their situations became more stable. Given that the social conditions of the families remained stable in the three years preceding and following 2007 (number of reports, funding), this result suggests that the changes to the Act have led to the observed effects.