Social services, by the numbers

Last year, 433 children in Nunavut received services under the Child and Family Services Act.

* 46 of those children are living outside of Nunavut because of special medical needs or behavior problems;
* 284 live with foster parents or extended family acting as foster parents;
* 19 live in Nunavut group homes for children with special needs;
* 70 remain in the family home with regular visits from a social worker.

Here is a breakdown of just how many children and families were affected by social services in an average month in 2004-2005:

* About 100 families or parents are in a “plan of care” agreement, where the parent or guardian agrees to some service from a social worker.
* About 55 children are permanent “wards of the state.” That is, children who will remain in the care of the director of child and family services until they are 16.
* About 28 children are temporary wards. That is, they are made “wards of the state” for a specific period of time, under two years.
* About 35 children are apprehended by a social worker, for no more than 72 hours, because the social worker believes the child is in need of protection.
* About 30 youth aged 16 to 18 have struck “support services agreements,” with youth who, if under the age of 16, would be considered a ward of the state. The agreements provide youth with money for rent, food and clothing (but no housing) until the child is eligible to receive income support at age 18.
* About 155 families or parents are in “voluntary support agreements,” so they receive some support from a social worker without giving up their child or children.

Social services also managed 290 adoptions in 2004-2005. The majority, 267, were aboriginal custom adoptions. Twenty children were adopted by non-Inuit residents of Nunavut. Three children were adopted by the director of child and family services; those children are now permanent wards of the state.

Source: Annual Report of the Director of Child and Family Services, 2004-2005.