Au Québec, les taux de signalements pour mauvais traitements, de recours à des mesures de placement et de judiciarisation sont les plus bas du Canada. Mais on connaît peu de chose sur la qualité des services offerts en matière de protection de la jeunesse et leur efficacité à long terme sur le bien-être des enfants et de leur famille. Les informations longitudinales qui nous permettraient de comprendre les trajectoires de services et leurs retombées pour les enfants et les familles ne sont en effet pas disponibles. Mes projets de recherche visent donc à documenter l'effet du placement en milieu substitut sur le bien-être des enfants et l'influence des facteurs relatifs à la vulnérabilité socioéconomique sur les résultats des services de protection de la jeunesse.

Tonino Esposito, Ph.D., is currently an Adjunct Professor at McGill University and Assistant Professor at the École de travail social - University of Montreal, and nominated for a Tier II Canadian Research Chair in Social Services for Vulnerable Children. He joined the McGill Centre for Research on Children and Families (CRCF) in 2007 with eight years of experience as a child welfare and mental health social worker, and was appointed Associate Director of the CRCF from 2012 to 2014.

His research focuses on effectively identifying long-term child protection service trajectories, the mediating effects of out-of-home placement on children’s well-being and the influence of socioeconomic vulnerabilities on child protection service outcomes. His participatory and applied community-based research, conducted in collaboration with all child welfare agencies across the province of Quebec, led to a series of population-based longitudinal studies of children’s placement trajectories in the Quebec child welfare system.

Having recently created one of the largest, most comprehensive longitudinal child protection datasets in Canada, Tonino will launch a series of new collaborative studies further examining the mediating effects of out-of-home placement on youth criminality, and the extent to which jurisdictional disparities in socioeconomic vulnerabilities and health and social service funding impact the probability of out-of-home placement, family reunification and reunification breakdown, and recurrence of child maltreatment.

Taken together and in an integrated manner, the longitudinal work of Tonino will help policy makers better understand the context and challenges that vulnerable children and families face, which may change the way we prioritize social services and transform policy on these issues. 

Esposito, T., Caldwell, J., Chabot, M., Blumenthal, A., Trocme, N., Hélie, S., Fallon, B. (2024) Socioeconomic risk and the longitudinal child lifetime prevalence of child protection intervention. Child Abuse & Neglect. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106923

Lefebvre, R., Fallon, B., Fluke, J., Trocmé, N., Black, T., Esposito, T. Rothwell, D. (2024). Distinguishing profiles of adversity among child protection investigations in Ontario, Canada: A latent class analysis. Child Protection and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chipro.2024.100022

Esposito, T., Caldwell, J., Chabot, M., Trocme, N., Hélie, S. (2024) What if universal services don’t have a universal impact? A spatial equity perspective on the prevalence of child protection intervention in a Canadian province. Revue française des affaires sociales, p. 31-48. https://doi.org/10.3917/rfas.233.0031

Gendron-Cloutier, L., Daigneault, I., Esposito, T. (2024). Predictors of placement instability for sexually abused children served by child protection services. Children and Youth Services Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107328

De La Sablonnière-Griffin, M., Collin-Vézina, Esposito, T., D. Dion, J. (2023). Recurrent child protection post-investigation services for First Nations children in the province of Quebec. Child Abuse & Neglect.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106243

Esposito, T., Calwell, J., Chabot, M., Trocme, N. (2023) Considering geographic variation and poverty in child protection involvement in Quebec. Revue Criminologie, 56(1), p. 245-275. https://doi.org/10.7202/1099013ar

Hélie, S., Hebert, S., Poirier, M.A., & Esposito, T. (2023). Une famille pour la vie: Les trajectoire de placement menant à un milieu de vie permanent pour les enfants placés en milieu substitut. Revue de psychoéducation. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.09.005

Esposito, T., Caldwell, J., Chabot, M., Blumenthal, A., Trocme, N., Fallon, B., Hélie, S., Affifi, T. (2023) Childhood prevalence of involvement with the child protection system in Quebec: a longitudinal study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(1), 622.  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010622

Trocmé, N., Doucet, M., Fallon, B., Nutton, J., Esposito, T. (2023). Child Welfare in Canada. Chapter in press in J. Duer Berrick, N. Gilbert& M. Skivenes (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Child Protection Systems. New York: Oxford University Press.

Esposito, T., Précourt, S., Caldwell, J., Chabot, M., Hélie, S., Clément, M-E., Trocmé, N. (2022). L’environnement social et les défis des familles vulnérables :  Une étude longitudinale à multiniveau sur l’intervention récurrente en protection de la jeunesse. Revue de psychoéducation. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104823

Esposito, T., Chabot, M., Caldwell, J., Webb, C., Delaye, A., Fluke, J., Trocmé, N., & Bywaters, P. (2022). The differential effects of localized disparities in socioeconomic vulnerabilities and child protection involvement for reasons of neglect: Multilevel structural equation modeling. Children and Youth Services Review, 138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106505

Boatswain-Kyte, A., Esposito, T., & Trocmé, N. (2022). Impacts of race on family reunification: A longitudinal study comparing exits from Quebec’s child welfare system. Child Abuse & Neglect, 125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105483

Fallon, B., Joh-Carnella, N., Trocmé, N., Esposito, T., Hélie, S., & Lefebvre, R. (2022). Major findings from the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect 2019. International Journal on Child Maltreatment, 5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42448-021-00110-9

Esposito, T., Caldwell, J., Chabot, M., Delaye, A., Trocmé, N., Hélie, S., & Fallon, B. (2022). Reunification trajectories in Quebec: Acknowledging chronic family challenges to support stability. Child Abuse & Neglect, 130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105437

Caldwell, J., Delaye, A., & Esposito, T. (2021). Studying the spaces around families: Critical considerations for neighbourhood research related to child protection involvement. Child Welfare, 99(3), 91-138. https://doi.org/10.1177/2516103220968842

Esposito, T., Chabot, M., Trocmé, N., Fluke, J., Delaye, A., Caldwell, J., Hélie, S., King, B., De La Sablonnière, M., & Mackrell, L. (2021). Recurrent involvement with the child protection system for reasons of neglect: A longitudinal clinical population study. Child Abuse & Neglect, 111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104823

Trocmé, N., Saint-Girons, M., Esposito, T. (2021). Dénouer la protection urgente et le bien‐être face au double mandat de la protection de la jeunesse au Canada. Les editions  Thémis, Faculté de droit - Université de Montréal

Boatswain-Kyte, A., Trocmé, N., Esposito, T., & Fast, E., (2021). Child protection agencies collaborating with grass-root community organizations: Partnership or tokenism? Journal of Public Child Welfare. DOI: 10.1080/15548732.2021.1891184

Shields, M., Tonmyr, L., Morin, Y., Hovdestad, W., Adams, N., Esposito, T., Jervis, L., MacIsaac, S., Pang, C., Peterson, M., Thompson, D., Chabot, M., & Trocmé, N. (2021). Testing for seasonality in Canadian child welfare investigations. Children and Youth Services Review, 122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105878

Esposito, T., Chabot, M., Trocmé, N., Fluke, J., Delaye, A., Calwell, J., Hélie, S., King, B., De La Sablonnière, M., Mackrell, L. (2021). Recurrent involvement with the child protection system for reasons of neglect: A longitudinal clinical population study. Child Abuse & Neglect. https://doi.org/DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104823

Caldwell, J., Delaye. A., Esposito, T., Petti, T., Black, T., Fallon, B., Trocmé, N. (2020). Essential services, risk, and child protection in the time of COVID-19: An opportunity to prioritize chronic need. Developmental Child Welfare, 2(3), 208-223. https://doi.org/10.1177/2516103220968842

Boatswain-Kyte, A., Esposito, T., & Trocmé, N. (2020). A longitudinal jurisdictional study of Black children reported to child protection services in Quebec, Canada. Children and Youth Services Review, 116.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105219

Antwi-Boasiako, K., King, B., Fallon, B., Trocmé, N., Fluke, J., Chabot, M., & Esposito, T. (2020). Differences and disparities over time: Black and white families investigated by Ontario's child welfare system. Child Abuse & Neglect, 107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104618

Esposito, T., Trocmé, N., Chabot, M., Gates-Panneton, G, Léveillé, S., Robichaud, M.J. (2019). Mieux comprendre pour mieux servir : Une démarche de mobilisation de connaissance en protection de la jeunesse au Québec. Intervention 150, 5-24.

Goyette, M., Blanchet, A., Esposito, T., Bellot, C., Trocmé, N. (2019). Améliorer le devenir des jeunes placés par la mobilisation des connaissances, in. Robert Bernier et Stéphane Paquin (dir.), L’État québécois ! Où en sommes-nous ? (pp. 467-488). PUQ.

Trocmé, N., Esposito, T., Fallon, B., Chabot, M., & Delaye, A. (2019). Building research capacity in child welfare in Canada: Advantages and challenges in working with administrative data. In Lonne, B., Scott, D., Higgins, D., & Herrenkohl, T.I. (Eds.) Re-visioning Public Health Approaches to Protecting Children (pp. 433-454). Springer Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05858-6

Trocmé, N., Esposito, T., Nutton, J., Rosser, V., Fallon, B. (2019). Child welfare services in Canada. Dans Merkel-Holguin, L, Fluke, J, Krugman, R. (Eds.), National Systems of Child Protection (pp.27-50). Springer Publication.

Fallon, B., Joh-Carnella, N., Trocmé, N., Chabot, M., Esposito, T., Nosrati-Inanlou, M., Collin-Vézina, D. (2019). An Examination of Trends in Child Sexual Abuse Cases in Ontario Over Time. Child Abuse & Neglect  88, 389-399.

Trocmé, N., Esposito, T., Nutton, J., Rosser, V., Fallon, B. (2018). Child welfare services in Canada. Dans Merkel-Holguin, L, Fluke, J, Krugman, R. (Eds.), National Systems of Child Protection (pp.27-50).Springer Publication.

Esposito, T., Delaye, A., Chabot, M., Trocmé, N., Collin-Vézina, D. & Simpson, M. (2017). The placement trajectories of youth served by child protection for sexual abuse. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 10(1), 63-76. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-016-0128-6

Daigneault, I., Esposito, T., Bourgeois, C., Hébert, M., Frappier, J.-Y. (2017). Health service use of sexually abused adolescents aging out of care: A matched-cohort study. International Journal of Child and Adolescent Resilience 5(1), 53-66.

Hélie, S., Poirier, M.A., Esposito, T., Turcotte, D. (2017). Placement stability, cumulative time in care and permanency: Using administrative data from CPS to monitor placement trajectories. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 14(11), 1405-1422.

Esposito, T., Delaye, A., Chabot, M., Trocmé, N., Rothwell, D., Hélie, S., & Robichaud, M-J. (2017). The effects of socioeconomic vulnerability, psychosocial services, and social service spending on family reunification: A multilevel longitudinal analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(9), 1040-1055. http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/14/9/1040

Daigneault, I., Vézina-Gagnon, P., Bourgeois, C., Esposito, T., Hébert, M. (2017). Physical and mental health of sexually abused youth: Gender comparisons from a matched-control cohort study. Child Abuse & Neglect 66, 55-165.

Esposito, T., Chabot, M., Rothwell, D.W, Trocmé, N. & Delaye, A. (2017). Out-of-home placement and regional variations in poverty and health and social services spending: A multilevel analysis. Children and Youth Services Review, 72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.10.013

Esposito. T., Trocmé, N., Chabot, M., Coughlin, L., Gaumont, C., Delaye, A. (2016). Better understand to better serve:  A province-wide knowledge mobilization initiative in child protection. Child Indicators Research, 8(3), pp.1-11. 

Esposito, T., Chabot, M., Delaye, A., Trocmé, N. (2015). The stability of residential and family foster care in Quebec, Canada: A propensity weighted analysis. International Journal of Child and Youth Resilience 3(1), pp.88-100. 

Esposito. T., Trocmé, N., Chabot, M., Duret, A., Coughlin, L., Gaumond, C. (2015). Gestion fondée sur les indicateurs de suivi clinique en protection jeunesse. Jeunesse en tête: au-delà des risques, les besoins de développement des enfants. Presses de l'Université du Québec. 25 pages.  

Esposito, T., Trocmé, N., Chabot, M., Shlonsky, A., Collin-Vézina, D., Sinha, V. (2014). Family reunification for placed children in Québec: A longitudinal study. Children and Youth Services Review, 44(2), pp.278-287.  

Esposito, T., Trocmé, N., Chabot, M., Shlonsky, A., Collin-Vézina, D., Sinha, V. (2014). The stability of child protection placements in Québec, Canada. Children and Youth Services Review 42(1), pp.10-19. 

Esposito, T., Trocmé, N., Chabot, M., Shlonsky, A., Collin-Vézina, D., Sinha, V. (2013). Placement of children in out-of-home care in Québec, Canada: When and for whom initial out-of-home placement is most likely to occur. Children and Youth Services Review, 35(12), pp.2031-2039.