There are fewer Nova Scotia children in child protection services today than five years ago despite an increase in the number of referrals over the same period, says the deputy minister of the Community Services Department.
“Five years ago, 1,020 children were in care and that number now sits at 884,” Tracey Taweel told a legislative standing committee on public accounts this week.
Taweel said amendments to the Child and Services Act in 2017 expanded the definition of abuse and neglect, streamlined court processes, and allowed the department to better plan for children with respect to their identity and cultural connections and better support permanency for children.