‘A troublesome girl is pushed through’: Morality, biological determinism, resistance, resilience, and the Canadian child migration schemes, 1883–1939

This article critically analyses correspondence and decisions regarding children/young people who were included in the Canadian child migration schemes that ran between 1883 and 1939, and those who were deemed ‘undeserving’ and outside the scope of the schemes. Drawing on critical realist ontology, a metatheory that centralises the causal non-linear dynamics and generative mechanisms in the individual, the cultural sphere, and wider society, the research starts from the premise that the principle of ‘less or more eligibility’ lies at the heart of the British welfare system, both now and historically. Through analysing case files and correspondence relating to children sent to Canada via the Waifs and Strays Society and Fegan Homes, I shed light on the complex interplay between morality, biological determinism, resistance, and resilience in decisions around which children should be included or excluded. I argue that it was the complex interplay and nuance between the moral/immoral, desirable/undesirable, degenerate, and capable/incapable child that guided practice with vulnerable children in the late 1800s. In judgements around ‘deservedness’, related stigmas around poverty and ‘bad’ behaviour were rife. Within this, the child was punished for his/her ‘immoral tendencies’ and ‘inherited traits’, with little regard for the underlying reasons (e.g. abuse and neglect) for their (abnormal) behaviour and ‘mental deficiencies’.

Child Protection in Canada and England: A Comparative Analysis

At a time when the Canadian child welfare is at a crossroads and strives for a direction that leads to better outcomes and engagement with the families and service providers, placing the Canadian child’s welfare in the international context of child protection is essential for improving the system and learning from others. This phenomenological research endeavours to compare the child protection systems of Canada and England from the legislation perspective, with the focus on the definitions of child abuse and neglect, in order to identify some of their similarities and differences and capture some aspects of the child protection workers’ experience with the legislation and with these definitions. Furthermore, this explorative paper examines the implication of the legislation and the definitions of child abuse and neglect on the day-to-day work of the child protection workers who have experience in working in both countries – Canada and England – and identifies some of the similarities and differences of the two child protection systems. The child-protection system in Canada and England has undergone many changes over the years to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children, but the direct implications of these changes on the child-protection workers and their day-to-day work is little known and understood. While in England the child protection legislation is consistent along the country, in Canada each province/territory has its own legislation in child protection, and therefore each of them has policy manuals, guides and protocols providing working definitions of abuse and criteria used in making determinations of abuse. The legislation and policy in child protection act as essential tools in the interventions with the main focus to keep children safe. In order to ensure that the children have the right to live a life free from any form of maltreatment, most countries have developed their own child-protection system, which is highly influenced by the cultural and socio-economic context of that specific country, as well as by the needs of its various communities.

Wanted: Moral Courage in Canadian Child Welfare

Child welfare stifles change and innovation in a system that desperately needs it by promoting conformity and awarding subordination to bad ideas (Blackstock, 2009). If neglect means not doing the right thing for children even when you know better and can do better, and have the resources to do it, then too often child protection neglects First Nations children and their families. This essay explores whether emancipating moral courage in child protection is the key to ensuring good research translates into real benefits for First Nations families. This paper begins with a description of moral courage in child protection across the decades before drawing on my own experiences with moral courage in the child welfare field. It concludes with stories of how moral cowardice diminishes children and how moral courage uplifts them. Implications for research, policy and practice are discussed.

Historical Foundations of Canadian Child Welfare and Mandatory Reporting

This chapter explores the historical foundations of Canadian child welfare and mandatory reporting of child maltreatment. The first section addresses the changing conceptions of childhood from the Middle Ages through Canadian confederation to the present time. Legislation, both Canadian and international, which has profoundly impacted children’s lives is reviewed along with prominent figures who have increased our understanding of the attachment needs of children. What follows is an overview of the historical rise of the child welfare system in Canada and the jurisdictional separation of child welfare under provincial and territorial realms. The final section addresses the involvement of Canada’s Indigenous children in the child welfare system and provides a comprehensive overview of historical injustices against Indigenous peoples.