The Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS) was first implemented in 1998 to enhance the understanding of reported child maltreatment; it is currently one of the key child health surveillance activities at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). The CIS is directed from within the Family Violence Surveillance Section, a part of the Surveillance and Epidemiology Division, Centre for Disease Prevention, Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch of PHAC. The CIS is a multi-cycle child-welfare-based study that examines reports of child maltreatment (physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional maltreatment, neglect, and exposure to intimate-partner violence) or risk thereof, explores key characteristics of children and their families in which maltreatment or maltreatment risk has been reported, and monitors short-term outcomes of investigations (e.g., placement in kinship foster care). Under the terms of agreements between PHAC and provincial and territorial authorities, CIS data are provided by child protection workers with regard to their recently-opened investigations. Data bases from previous CIS cycles are housed at the Government of Canada, which reviews data-use applications and makes data available to qualified individuals and organizations, free of charge. Reports can be accessed at the web address: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/cm-vee/csca-ecve/2008/inde…
