● A Fragmented System: The lack of Children Aid
   Society amalgamation has led to massive
   challenges and deaths within the system due to
   fragmented record keeping and disorganized
   tracking.

● Overrepresentation: The amount of young
   people being admitted into the child welfare
   system is declining as a whole, however Black
   and Indigenous youth are still overrepresented.

● Accountability: Group Homes are the epicenter
   of the problem, they are more dangerous than
   family homes, there is very little accountability,
   poor service provision and data sharing.

● Suicides: here are high suicide rates among
   youth that have been constantly moved from
   home to home.

● Information Vortex: young people and families
   do not know have a solid understanding their
   rights as well as they should under the Child,
   Youth and Family Services Act.

● Justice Interactions: approximately 50% of youth
   in care come into contact with the law/justice
   system.

● Unfortunate Options: Youth often find being
   taken into custody more amicable than living in a
   group home and will act-out in order to be
   detained.

● Systemic Racism: 70% of crossover youth  are
   racialized, 77%  of youth were charged while in
   residential care. Of the 77%, 60% of the youth
   were charged for the first time, many of the
   charges are minor (i.e. missing a curfew).

● High possibility of recidivism.

● Pre-trial detention is the worst place for a
   youth/child to be. 90% of youth in pre-trial
   detention are from Children's Aid Societies.
   Youth are rarely bailed out and detention terms
   can last as long as 100 days.

While this list is not exhaustive, Laidlaw, through its public policy advocacy, granting and convening is actively invested in addressing many of these issues so that young people can receive the care and justice they deserve.

For more on our Child Welfare improvement efforts feel free to contact us at info@laidlawfdn.org.