A child in need of protection is a child who is under the age of 18 who has experienced, or is at risk of experiencing, abuse or neglect.
Section 125 of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017, specifies the ways in which a child who is under the age of 18 may be in need of protection due to the actions or inactions of the person having charge of that child.
A child may have been harmed, or may be at risk of harm, due to this person’s actions or inactions. Types of harm include:
- Neglect
- Physical Harm
- Emotional Harm
- Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence
- Sexual Abuse including Sex Trafficking
For more information, please see Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect: It’s Your Duty.