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The Eligibility Spectrum

In the mid 1990's, Children's Aid Societies throughout Ontario developed the "Eligibility Spectrum" to help social workers make consistent and accurate decisions about child welfare intervention at the time of referral. This tool encourages inquiry and discussion between the person(s) reporting the abuse and the child welfare decision-maker. It also supports a consistent and dependable response pattern to child abuse throughout the province.

The Eligibility Spectrum is based on the reasons for child protective services as set out in Section 37(2) of the Ontario Child and Family Services Act. There are five major categories:

1. Physical/Sexual Harm by Commission (deliberate harm)
The child has suffered physical or sexual harm or there is a risk that the child is likely to suffer physical or sexual harm as a result of an act or action by a caregiver.

2. Harm by Omission (neglect)
The child has been harmed or there is a risk that the child is likely to be harmed as a result of the caregiver's failure to adequately care for, provide for, supervise, or protect the child.

3. Emotional Harm
The child has been emotionally harmed or is at risk of emotional harm as a result of specific behaviors or pattern of neglect of the caregiver towards the child or resulting from the caregiver failing to adequately address the emotional condition.

4. Abandonment/Separation
The child has been abandoned or is at risk of being separated from the caregiver as a result of intentional or unintentional actions of the caregiver.

5. Caregiver Capacity
No harm has yet come to the child and no evidence is apparent that the child may be in need of intervention for a reason indicated in Section 1- 4. However, the caregiver demonstrates characteristics that indicate that without intervention, the child would be at risk in one of the previous sections.

Each of these five sections is then divided into four levels of severity:

1. Extremely Severe

a) Physical Force and/or Maltreatment of a child by a caregiver or by another person with a caregiver's knowledge resulting in:
  • burns, fractures or wounds requiring medical treatment;
  • sprains, cuts, concussions that may or may not require medical treatment;
  • superficial bruises, welts, cuts or abrasions
b) Cruel or Inappropriate Treatment of a child such as:
  • deliberate withholding of food or water for one day or more;
  • deliberate feeding of minimal amounts of or nutritionally inadequate food for several days;
  • deliberate locking out of home with no alternative place to stay, or as a result of locking out is at risk of harm such as having to ask strangers for help
  • child confined to room for extensive periods of time, or in a dark or cramped enclosure for any period of time
  • harnessing, tying, binding
c) Threats of harm to a child, even if no actual harm occurs such as being held out a window, or held over boiling water

 

2. Moderately Severe

a) Knowledge resulting in temporary pain but no actual injury, but appears to be harsh or inappropriate and has the potential for injury.
b) Cruel or inappropriate treatment of a child such as:
  • deliberate withholding of food or water for one day or more;
  • deliberate feeding of minimal amounts of or nutritionally inadequate food for several days;
  • deliberate locking out of home with no alternative place to stay, or as a result of locking out is at risk of harm such as having to ask strangers for help;
  • child confined to room for extensive periods of time, or in a dark or cramped enclosure for any period of time;
  • harnessing, tying, binding.
c) Verbal threats of harm or abuse even if no actual abuse has occurred. Also included would be implied threats of harm such as “I get so mad I don’t know what I might be capable of doing…” made by persons who appear to the informant to be capable of following through; e.g., persons with mental health problems or in crisis or appear overwhelmed.

 

3. Minimally Severe

a) Physical force used by a caregiver or by another person with a caregiver’s knowledge but not excessive or inappropriate (spanking on clothed rear with hand).
b) Being sent to bed without supper, but never withholding water.
c) Locked out of house, but is older and has a place to stay or does not need a stranger for help.
d) Confined to room for several hours, no cramped or dark enclosures, or not restricted by tying or binding
e) Implied verbal threats of harm or abuse such as “I get so mad I don’t know what I might be capable of doing…” made by persons who are frustrated but do not appear to the informant to be likely to follow through with the threats.

 

4. Not Severe

a) Child is never punished with physical punishment, only non-physical methods of discipline.
b) Food or water never withheld other than some foods like desserts
c) Child never locked out of home.
d) Child is never confined or bound.
e) No verbal threats of harm. Threatening to spank a child using acceptable corporal punishment should be considered as no verbal threat of harm.

The Elgibility Spectrum sets out specific case examples within each protection category for each of the severity levels. All referrals are then classified according to the example that most closely fits the presenting situation. Extremely severe or moderately severe referrals are investigated, while minimally severe or not severe referrals are not investigated.