A profile of children and youth whose families received Family Support for Children with Disabilities services

Date
2019-01-18
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
PolicyWise for Children & Families
Abstract
Families caring for children with disabilities may require a wide range of supports to assist them. This report used administrative data to profile young Albertans (0 to 17 years old) who received a range of services from the Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) program between 2005/06 and 2010/11. Analyses examined these individuals’ sociodemographic characteristics and public service use patterns based on their primary reason for support. This report found that (1) more than half of FSCD clients with mental health disorders met or exceeded educational expectations during the report period, (2) a higher proportion of FSCD clients who had mental health conditions and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder received child intervention support (to protect against abuse, neglect, or another risk) than the non-FSCD population, and (3) a higher proportion of FSCD clients with developmental delay and mental health or health conditions were in single-parent/blended families receiving child support payments than the non-FSCD population. These findings provide policy-relevant evidence that public authorities may consider as they seek to better support children with disabilities.
Description
This report used administrative data to profile young Albertans (0 to 17 years old) who received services from the Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) program between 2005/06 and 2010/11. 
Keywords
welfare, disabilities, families, children, big data, longitudinal, social services, health services, administrative data, data linkage
Citation
Child and Youth Data Laboratory. (2017). A profile of children and youth whose families received Family Support for Children with Disabilities services. Edmonton, AB: PolicyWise for Children & Families.