Revised: July 11, 2025
Originally published: July 26, 2024

Information collected

As the Inter-ministerial Data Integration Unit (IMDIU) within the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS), the Business Intelligence and Practice Division (the “Division”) indirectly collects personal information for the purposes of data integration from institutions, including other inter-ministerial data integration units or ministry data integration units, extra-ministerial data integration units, or persons or entities prescribed by regulations.

In its role as an IMDIU, the Division is collecting personal information about:

  1. children and youth in care (including extended society care, and interim society care), in kinship service, enrolled in the Continued Care and Support for Youth Program (CCSYP), or having Voluntary Youth Services Agreements (VYSAs) while enrolled in public school in any of the school years of 2017–18 to 2022–23 (inclusive)
  2. individuals enrolled in elementary and secondary education (from kindergarten to Grade 12) in publicly funded schools in Ontario for the school years of 2017–18 to 2022–23 (inclusive)

This information comes from the following data sources:

  • Child Protection Information Network (CPIN) — Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
  • Ontario School Information System (OnSIS) — Ministry of Education
  • Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) Data — Ministry of Education

The personal information collected indirectly as an IMDIU includes:

  • identifying information from OnSIS for matching with identifying information including names, dates of birth, postal codes and Ontario Education Numbers (OEN), of children and youth in care (including extended society care and interim society care), in kinship service, enrolled in CCSYP, or who have VYSAs and while enrolled in public school
  • child welfare program information, including, but not limited to, names of children’s aid societies, case type, cumulative days in care, placement type and identification of human-trafficking risk
  • education program information, such as name of school board, grade of enrollment, attendance and credit accumulation
  • results from Education Quality and Accountability Office’s (EQAO) standardized assessments
  • demographic information for children and youth in out-of-home care, including age, gender identity and other personal attributes, such as race, place of birth (in or outside of Canada) and first language learned at home

Who has access to the collected personal information

Personal information is only disclosed to members of the IMDIU within MCCSS in the performance of their duties in connection with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Part III.1. The IMDIU within MCCSS may further disclose personal information it collects:

  • to another IMDIU and/or an extra-ministerial Data Integration (DI) unit
  • as required by law
  • to an institution or law enforcement agency in Canada in relation to an investigation
  • for the purpose of a proceeding before a court or tribunal
  • to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
  • for research purposes

The collected personal information from any of the program areas will be linked and then de-identified to remove or anonymize identifying information. The dataset resulting from this exercise will be disclosed to authorized individuals within the Division in the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services for analysis.

Aggregate findings from the analysis will be reported to the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and the Ministry of Education, Children’s Aid Societies, School Boards, the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies and the Association of Native Child and Family Services Agencies of Ontario, to be included with material that can be shared with young audiences through these organizations. The IMDIU is collecting this personal information for the purpose of planning for the delivery of programs and services. Key findings are used to better inform policy and program options in each program area to improve the quality of the supports and services provided.

Data and privacy

The government is committed to transparency in the use of personal information for data integration and uses only as much personal information as is necessary to achieve the purposes identified above. As required under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Part III.1, the ministry complies with the Ontario Public Service Data Integration Data Standards. The Data Standards contain a minimum set of requirements for promoting responsible stewardship of the personal information collected by the Division in its role as an IMDIU. By outlining the obligations of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Part III.1, the Data Standards ensure a consistent and effective approach to transparency, accountability, and the protection of privacy across all DI units.

The ministry is authorized to indirectly collect this personal information under section 49.2 and section 49.4 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Contact information

Questions about the collection, use and disclosure of personal information for the purposes of data integration may be directed to the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services’ Data Integration Unit:

Manager, Data Strategy and Policy Unit
Data Strategy and Solutions Platform
Business Intelligence and Practice Division
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
3rd Floor, 315 Front Street West
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 0B8
MCCSSdata@ontario.ca