Fatalities – Children involved with the Ministry of Children and Family Development
Last updated on December 20, 2024The ministry gathers information to understand trends and outcomes associated with services provided to children and families.
The information on this page is gathered from the ministry's electronic information system and updated regularly.
The tables below show the number of fatalities of children in care and those receiving other ministry services. This information has been collected since 1996. Data collected from1996 to 2013 is available upon request.
On this page
- Deaths of children in care by calendar year
- Deaths of children receiving services (not in care) by calendar year
- Useful links
Deaths of children in care by calendar year
| Year | Natural | Accident | Homicide | Suicide | Undeter- minedii – Open |
Undeter- minedii – Closed |
Indigenous | Non- Indigenous |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024i | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| 2023 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 15 |
| 2022 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 16 |
| 2021 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 10 |
| 2020 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 15 |
| 2019 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 15iii |
| 2018 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | – | – | 13 |
| 2017 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | – | 12 |
| 2016 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 7iii |
| 2015 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 11 |
| 2014 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | – | – | 14iii |
Table notes – Deaths of children in care by calendar year
Classifications for 2013 to 2022 were reviewed and updated by the BC Coroners Service (BCCS) in December 2023.
- Data from 2024 represents January 2024 to June 2024
- "Undetermined – Open” indicates a case is still under investigation by the Coroner. “Undetermined – Closed” indicates the Coroner’s investigation is complete and due to insufficient evidence or an inability to determine, the death cannot reasonably be classified as natural, accidental, suicide, or homicide. See classification of death descriptions below
- This total includes one or more fatalities where there is no Coroner classification of death because the fatality occurred outside the province or country
For information concerning what happens when a child in care of the ministry dies, see Child and Family Service Accountability in B.C.
As of October 2007, the BCSS is responsible for the investigation of all child deaths.
The Ministry of Children and Family Development confirms child fatality classifications with the BCCS. Classification of death is determined by the BCCS. The classification of a fatality may change as a death is investigated. Where the classification of fatality has changed since the last posting, the statistics are updated with a note.
Child and youth fatality information may differ between the Ministry of Children and Family Development and the BCCS due to the timing of updates. While data reconciliation with the BCCS is currently underway, this information should be considered preliminary.
Deaths of children receiving services (not in care) by calendar year
| Year | Natural | Accident | Homicide | Suicide | Undeter- minedii – Open |
Undeter- minedii – Closed |
Indigenous | Non- Indigenous |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024i | 15 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 16 | 25 | 40 |
| 2023 | 43 | 21 | 7 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 27 | 65 | 92 |
| 2022 | 56 | 27 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 0 | 42 | 70 | 112iii |
| 2021 | 38 | 28 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 1 | – | – | 90iii |
| 2020 | 51 | 13 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 6 | – | – | 84iii |
| 2019 | 52 | 18 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 5 | – | – | 91iii |
| 2018 | 66iv | 23 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 2 | – | – | 101iii |
| 2017 | 60 | 26 | 7 | 12 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 108iii |
| 2016 | 62 | 23 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 96iii |
| 2015 | 77 | 13 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 4 | – | – | 110iii |
| 2014 | 38 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 5 | – | – | 67iii |
Table notes – Deaths of children receiving services (not in care) by calendar year
Classifications for 2013 to 2022 were reviewed and updated by the BC Coroners Service (BCCS) in December 2023.
- Data from 2024 represents January 2024 to June 2024
- "Undetermined – Open” indicates a case is still under investigation by the Coroner. “Undetermined – Closed” indicates the Coroner’s investigation is complete and due to insufficient evidence or an inability to determine, the death cannot reasonably be classified as natural, accidental, suicide, or homicide. See classification of death descriptions below.
- This total includes one or more fatalities where there is no Coroner classification of death because the fatality occurred outside the province or country
- This total includes a child in care under the Adoption Act who received services within 12 months of death
For information concerning what happens when a child in care of the ministry dies, see Child and Family Service Accountability in B.C.
As of October 2007, the BCSS is responsible for the investigation of all child deaths.
The Ministry of Children and Family Development confirms child fatality classifications with the BCCS. Classification of death is determined by the BCCS. The classification of a fatality may change as a death is investigated. Where the classification of fatality has changed since the last posting, the statistics are updated with a note.
Child and youth fatality information may differ between the Ministry of Children and Family Development and the BCCS due to the timing of updates. While data reconciliation with the BCCS is currently underway, this information should be considered preliminary.