Protecting our children and youth

In Ontario, child protection services are:

• provided by children's aid societies
• governed by the Child and Family Services Act.

About Ontario's children aid societies

• there are 53 children's aid societies across Ontario
• six of the children's aid societies are Aboriginal and three are faith-based (two Catholic and one Jewish)
• each society is an independent, non-profit organization run by a board of directors elected from the local community
• children's aid societies:
  • investigate reports or evidence of abuse or neglect of children under the age of 16 or in the society's care or supervision and, where necessary, take steps to protect the children
• care for and supervise children who come under their care or supervision
• counsel and support families for the protection of children or to prevent circumstances requiring the protection of children
• place children for adoption

You can find a list of the children's aid societies on the Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies website.

Role of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services

The ministry:

• funds and monitors children's aid societies
• develops policy to support the child welfare program
• licenses children's group homes and foster homes

Learn more

Child protection resources -- publications, directories

Reporting Child abuse and neglect

Recognizing the signs of child abuse and neglect

Grandparents
Support for grandparents caring for children in need of protection

Ontario is improving child protection services through legislative changes and investments of more than $260 million since 2003. Find out what's been happening to change Ontario's child protection services.