“Something’s got to give”: A Qualitative Exploration of Policies and Practices by Child Welfare Services in Cases of Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence in Ontario, Canada

Child welfare service provision in Ontario, Canada has evolved significantly over the last two decades, especially regarding child exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV). After the addition of child exposure to IPV to the province’s Eligibility Spectrum, it now constitutes the largest proportion of substantiated maltreatment investigations. However, the interpretation and implementation of these policies by Ontario child welfare authorities remain unclear. The impact on service users has also been understudied.

This study explored the implementation of policies and practices used by child welfare services when responding to families investigated for child exposure to IPV. This study also aimed to better understand the impact of these policies and practices on service users. Data were obtained from semi-structured interviews with senior child protection service supervisors and managers across Ontario. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze the data.

Four themes were identified: (1) collaborating with the violence against women sector brings forth both opportunities and challenges, some of which are linked to distrust and fundamentally opposing ideologies, (2) systemic issues and gaps severely limit workers’ efforts to help families, (3) responses do not meet the intersecting and diverse needs of families, and (4) key differences in approaches when working with perpetrators compared to victims.

These findings emphasize the importance of providing families with flexible and individualized services that better meet their complex needs. The need for increased funding, enhanced cross-sector collaboration, and a shift in focus from the victim to the perpetrator is also underscored.