The Role of Data Coordination in Strengthening Child Welfare Services within CWICE Projects

Effective child welfare programs rely on timely, accurate, and coordinated data. Within CWICE services, training and projects, data coordination has become a critical mechanism for improving outcomes for vulnerable children. By linking information across multiple initiatives, departments, and organizations, services can be delivered in a more targeted, efficient, and responsive manner.

CWICE currently implements several projects, including the National Outreach Project, Repatriations, Citizenship, Unaccompanied and Separated Children, among others. Coordinated data across these initiatives provides a comprehensive understanding of service needs, identifies gaps, and supports evidence-based decision-making. When information flows seamlessly, staff resources can be allocated more effectively, and program planning becomes more strategic.

For example, we are enhancing our current Citizenship Project. We continue to identify barriers faced and outcomes achieved such as youth obtaining citizenship. We also are hoping to continue to proactively forecast eligibility for citizenship and track this within the project. Other data changes this year include better identification of existence of Family and Intimate Partner Violence and concerns of Human Trafficking. As we know, our work intersects with many other specialized services and we must have robust systems to enable us to offer innovative services.

The benefits of strong data coordination are evident in improved service delivery and outcomes. By connecting information across multiple projects, child welfare teams can monitor progress, respond proactively to emerging needs, and tailor interventions to better support children and families. Indeed, coordinated data transforms fragmented efforts into a unified approach, ensuring that services are both effective and sustainable.

Future Directions
Looking ahead, CWICE is taking a proactive and strategic approach to data coordination to maximize impact across all projects. The department is upgrading its database system to enhance data quality, consistency, accessibility, and reliability, ensuring that information is both accurate and actionable. Key initiatives include streamlining data collection processes, enhancing integrated dashboards for real-time data monitoring, and standardizing reporting protocols across projects. These enhancements will not only enable child welfare professionals to make faster, evidence-based decisions but also provide tools to identify emerging needs, track outcomes more effectively, and optimize the allocation of resources.

As well, we are embarking on our annual review period in this final quarter of 2025/26. We look forward to evaluating our impact and the many outcomes achieved. We also look forward to enhancing Identity Based Data Collection, with an immigration and citizenship lens. By strengthening internal systems and adopting innovative data management practices, CWICE is positioning itself to deliver more responsive, efficient, and impactful services, ultimately improving outcomes for children and families across Ontario.

About the Author:

Ghezal Wallid is a Data and Research Coordinator with CWICE. She joined CWICE and Peel CAS in 2023, where she leads and supports evidence-based initiatives through rigorous data collection, advanced analysis, and strategic research coordination. Her work at CWICE focuses on generating data-driven insights that inform practice, strengthen child welfare systems, and improve outcomes across the sector.