Ontario. Office of the Superintendent of Neglected and Dependent Children

• Ontario. Office of the Superintendent of Neglected and Dependent Children

The Office of the Superintendent of Neglected and Dependent Children was established in July, 1893, within the Ontario Department of the Provincial Secretary.

The office reported to the Department of the Provincial Secretary until 1898 when it was transferred to the Ontario Department of the Attorney General. In 1904 it again became part of the Department of the Provincial Secretary.

The position of Superintendent was filled by J.J. Kelso.

In 1930, when the Ontario Department of Public Welfare was formed, the branch became part of that department, and was known after that time as the Children's Aid Branch.

The Office of the Superintendent of Neglected and Dependent Children of Ontario enforced the Children's Protection Act, which made it a crime to commit cruelty to children. Activities of the office included encouraging the formation of Children's Aid Societies in the towns and cities of Ontario; providing guidelines and information to these Children's Aid Societies; and encouraging the establishment of Children's Visiting Committees in each electoral district of the Province to provide neglected children with foster homes and/or temporary shelters.

RAD: Rules for Archival Description, 2nd edn (2008)

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

Bishop, Olga. Publications of the Government of Ontario, 1867-1900 (1976) MacTaggart, Hazel. Publications of the Government of Ontario, 1901-1955 (1964) Annual Reports of the Superintendent of Neglected and Dependent Children, 1893-1930 Canadiana Name Authorities, 1996-12-24

The Agency is found within Canadiana Name Authorities, 1996-12-24 as "Ontario. Dept of Neglected and Dependent Children of Ontario". Since none of the source material consulted, including the annual reports of the Superintendent, give this as the name of the agency, it was felt that the more common form "Ontario. Office of the Superintendent of Neglected and Dependent Children" should be used as the authorized form of name.

Archivist(s):
Anger