Resources

Children Involved with the Ministry - Statistics

Fatalities of children who received services under the Child, Family and Community Service Act (including voluntary support services) within the past 12 months**.

Year
Natural
Accident
Homicide
Suicide
Undetermined*
Total
         
Open
Closed
  
1996
39
24
7
4
0
3
77
1997
52
11
5
9
0
4
81
1998
57
18
2
3
0
6
86
1999
44
19
2
6
0
1
72
2000
53
12
5
5
0
0
75
2001
59
21
2
4
0
5
91
2002
44
12
4
3
0
7
70
2003
33
16
0
5
1
8
63
2004
50
11
1
3
1
4
70
2005
46
9
2
1
0
6
64
2006
57
12
6
3
2
5
85
2007
64
10
1
6
2
5
88
2008
46
12
3
1
16
4
82

Fatalities of Children & Youth in Care

Year
Natural
Accident
Homicide
Suicide
Undetermined*
Total
         
Open
Closed
  
1996
11
5
2
1
0
0
19
1997
13
3
1
2
0
2
21
1998
8
3
0
2
0
0
13
1999
6
1
1
4
0
3
15
2000
6
3
0
1
0
0
10
2001
6
1
1
1
0
0
9
2002
5
3
0
1
0
0
9
2003
5
4
0
2
0
1
12
2004
10
1
0
1
0
2
14
2005
4
2
1
0
0
2
9
2006
7
3
0
0
1
2
13
2007
2
4
0
0
2
1
9
2008
6
5
2
2
0
0
15

 

These statistics include Community Living British Columbia (CLBC) Statistics. Community Living British Columbia became a Provincial Crown Agency on July 1st 2005.

The Ministry verifies child fatality categories of death with the Office of the Chief Coroner of British Columbia. The categorization of a fatality may change as a death is investigated or new information becomes available.

*In the “Undetermined” category, “open” indicates a case is still under investigation by the coroner; “closed” indicates the coroner’s investigation is complete and that the death which, because of insufficient evidence or inability to otherwise determine, cannot reasonably be classified as natural, accidental, suicide or homicide.

**These statistics pertain to children who have received services under the Child, Family and Community Service Act within the past 12 months. These children are not children in care. Recipients of services provided under the Act in the past 12 months include:

  • A child who was the subject of a child protection report and whose need for protection was investigated.
  • A child who was provided with a brief youth service, like a food voucher, youth agreement or repatriation home.
  • A child who was placed by court order with a person other than a parent, under the Director's supervision.
  • A child who was formerly in care either by agreement or court order and returned home.
  • A child whose family received support services - for example, from homemakers, child care workers, respite or family counselling providers.

For information concerning what happens when a child in care of the ministry dies please see the Accountability, Case Review Summary Reports web page.

As of October, 2007, the BC Coroner's Service is responsible for the investigation of all child deaths.

The Ministry confirms child fatality categories with the BC Coroner's Office as relevant. The category of a fatality may change as a death is investigated. Where the categorization of fatality types has changed since the last posting, this is the result of the Ministry’s ongoing process of updating the fatality categories to mirror updates by the BC Coroner's Service.

Classification of Death

NATURAL: Death primarily resulting from a disease of the body and not resulting secondarily from injuries or abnormal environmental factors.

ACCIDENT: Death due to unintentional or unexpected injury. It includes death resulting from complications reasonably attributed to the injury.

SUICIDE: Death resulting from self-inflicted injury, with intent to cause death.

HOMICIDE: Death due to injury intentionally inflicted by the action of another person. Homicide is a neutral term that does not imply fault or blame.

UNDETERMINED: Death which, because of insufficient evidence or inability to otherwise determine, cannot reasonably be classified as natural, accidental, suicide or homicide.

Links

Child, Family and Community Service Act

Child and Family Development Service Standards

Child Fatality Case Review Summary Reports

Representative for Children and Youth

BC Coroners Service - Child Death Review

BC Coroners Service - Statistics

Office of the Ombudsman

Office of the Provincial Health Officer

Vital Statistics