Services for CYIC with Support Needs (CYSN)

Performance Indicators

2.01 Median Residential Cost per CYIC with Support Needs

Rationale

Cost pressures often stem from a shortage of skilled foster parents, which translates into a higher usage of more expensive contracted resources. Other factors that can impact costs per case include the use of exceptional payments to service providers and the level of care required by the current caseload composition.

1,158 CYIC, identified with support needs, were cared for by MCFD paid residential resources at some point this fiscal year. They represented 33% of all the CYIC in paid residential care over the reporting period. The annualized median cost to provide residential care for these children and youth was approximately $93K.

The overall number of CYIC identified with support needs who received residential services over a 12 month period show no significant decrease since March of 2019 (-3%).

The higher median cost for non-Indigenous CYIC with support needs is partly a result of the Indigenous CYIC cohort being more likely as their non-Indigenous peers to be in foster care rather than contracted resources (which offer more complex and expensive care options). This is partly because these Indigenous CYIC are significantly younger (therefore more appropriately served in foster care) than their non-Indigenous counterparts; almost 29% of Indigenous residential care was for children under the age of 12 compared to 23% of non-Indigenous CYIC with support needs. Indigenous CYIC also have a greater range of needs, many of which can be appropriately accommodated through foster care.

Since data that is used to generate the numbers for this Indicator is updated retroactively, the numbers may change overtime. Numbers in this section are current as at Jan 4, 2024.

The median annualized cost per CYIC with support needs has increased significantly since the baseline. Most of the increase occurred in the last 2 years and was significantly steeper for Non-Indigenous CYIC than their Indigenous counterparts.

Almost two thirds (73%) of the CYIC with support needs were aged 12 or older. The contrast with CYIC without identified support needs is significant: only approximately 39% of the CYIC without support needs were aged 12 or older.

Non-Indigenous CYIC with support needs identified were older than their Indigenous counterparts, with more than 3 out of every 4 CYIC aged 12 or older.