Latest news with #OfficeoftheChildandYouthAdvocate
CBC
13-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Alberta child and youth advocate says new bill erodes her independence, could endanger children
Alberta's child and youth advocate is concerned that a new advisory position in her office could weaken her office's autonomy and potentially endanger children. Bill 206, a private member's bill passed by the legislature in March, amends the Child and Youth Advocate Act to add a new employee to Pelton's staff — a parent and guardian adviser available to help any Alberta family in "nurturing, guiding and fostering the growth and well-being of their children." The adviser will provide families with information and referrals, help them with their children's education, and identify "systemic barriers" that may negatively impact families and children, according to the legislation. The services will be for any Alberta family, "not just those who are already accessing services through the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate," said Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul MLA Scott Cyr, who put forward the bill last year. "It's a proactive, family-centred approach to strengthening outcomes for children across the province," Cyr said in a statement. Child and Youth Advocate Terri Pelton said she questions the need for the legislative change. "I am a little confused about why we need this," Pelton told CBC News. "I have some concerns about an external body hiring somebody for within my office. It takes away my independence." An independent arm of the legislature, the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate helps young people involved with the child intervention and youth justice systems. The office investigates when young people who were involved with the child intervention or youth justice system are seriously injured or die. It publishes reports on its investigations and makes recommendations to government. CBC asked Cyr for an interview but he was not made available. In his statement, he said the adviser will help parents and guardians "navigate complex systems — like education, health care and social services — while ensuring their voices are heard." The bill says the adviser may point also families to "spiritual support" and "language and cultural supports." Pelton said she is concerned that the adviser will be tasked with serving all Alberta families. "I am a little worried that the way this position is envisioned, that we'll have one person trying to support thousands and thousands of parents and that they're just going to get more frustrated rather than feeling that they are getting the support they need," she said. It could be problematic if parents want more information about how her office is working with their child, Pelton said. In some cases, parents or guardians might be part of the reason why a child is in need of services, she added. "We're going to have to have some kind of separation between advocacy services and parent/guardian liaison services," she said. "I think it is a very real worry for me." Cyr said he recognizes Pelton's concerns around potential conflicts of interest. "The legislation takes that seriously and includes clear guardrails," he said in his statement. "The liaison will not interfere in investigations or legal matters and is required to report any suspected abuse, neglect, or danger to a child immediately." Those guardrails and guidelines might not be enough, said Diana Batten, the NDP Opposition critic for children and family services. "It is a true fear that we would have a child or youth seek support through this office and then have their parents looped in. It is putting children and youth at risk," Batten said in an interview. The bill has not yet been proclaimed into law. Its wording says the adviser will be appointed by the child and youth advocate on a recommendation from the standing committee on legislative offices. Cyr said decisions around funding, staffing, and implementation will be the responsibility of Pelton's office. Pelton said she wasn't consulted before the bill was introduced, but that after it was, she met with Cyr once and raised many of her concerns. She followed up with a letter that went unanswered, she said. She said the new position would make more sense if it were embedded in Alberta's Family Resource Networks, which offer free access to community supports and resources, early development and learning, and strengthening knowledge around parenting and caregiving. This year's budget provides $67 million to FRNs to develop and deliver prevention and early-intervention programs, which Pelton said is about four times the funding allocated to her office. Batten said having the adviser within Pelton's office doesn't make sense. "If parents need more resources, fantastic, let's find them more resources, let's use the ones we have," she said. "We have FRNs that are really well funded, they're across the province. They provide parenting support already, so we can invest there … putting this amendment inside that bill dilutes the ability of the advocate to do her job and it puts all of those kids at risk." Despite her concerns, Pelton said she remains dedicated to adapting to the new legislation. "I'm fully committed to a collaborative path forward to ensure that this new function is successful and supports families appropriately," she said. "But I still have concerns about how that's going to work … I think we could have done it differently. I think we could have had collaboration along the way. I think we could have had discussions about where it really fits."
CBC
12-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Province 'didn't understand who Innu people were,' says inquiry commissioner
There was a stronger shift toward hearing from people accountable to children in protection this week at the Inquiry Respecting the Treatment, Experiences and Outcomes of Innu in the Child Protection System, as four individuals responsible for child and family services took the stand. Commissioners and community members heard pre-recorded testimony from Wanda Lundrigan, who worked as an assistant deputy minister in the provincial child protection system; Michelle Shallow, the former provincial director of child protection and in-care; and Jennifer Barnes, the former provincial director of in-care and adoptions. Social worker Lyla Andrew also spoke at the public inquiry, sharing testimony on her decades of experience working with Innu in Sheshatshiu. After formal hearings concluded on Thursday, inquiry commissioner Anastasia Qupee said she was struck by how little the provincial government understood about Innu culture. "I think that people within government had very limited knowledge of Innu people, especially when they said they didn't really know the impact of the intergenerational trauma," Qupee said. Qupee noted that some frontline workers did try to alert government officials about issues with child and family services in Innu communities. On Thursday morning, Innu Nation counsel Benjamin Brookwell questioned Lundrigan, Shallow and Barnes about a 2004 report written by social worker Colleen White, which was shared with the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate, the regional director of Child, Youth and Family Services in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and then Minister of Health Tom Osborne. "Child, Youth and Family Services (CYFS) in Sheshatshiu, N.L., is at present a completely reactionary agency that fails miserably even in its ability to react. This truth needs to be known and change must come," White wrote in 2004, reflecting on her time working in the community. White said the caseloads of social workers in Sheshatshiu more than doubled the provincial average for other communities in 2004. She also said the system "does not support its own mandate to make efforts to intervene early in the lives of children at risk and to even prevent child maltreatment and family breakdown." Brookwell asked the panel whether the provincial government was aware of White's concerns. Shallow, who said she was likely the only panellist working with the department at the time, said she had no recollection of seeing the report. On Monday, social worker Lyla Andrew spoke about a report she wrote in 1992, calling for Innu-led family and children's services. The recommendations of that report, too, made little impression on government, said Andrew. Looking to the future of an Innu-led care system According to commissioner Mike Devine, about 100 Innu have come forward with their stories as part of the inquiry — relaying experiences with residential schools, sexual abuse, forced removal of children, and other traumatic incidents in the child and family services system. Edward Nuna, the healing services lead with the inquiry, is currently studying social work online with a group of about 20 Innu in Sheshatshiu and Natuashish. As a social work student, Nuna said the formal hearings this week were a "good learning opportunity," especially when it comes to learning the history of social services in Innu communities. If the inquiry does lead to Innu taking charge of child protection services, Nuna said he and his classmates will be prepared to work within a new Innu-led system. "I think we'll be ready to help with the development and implementation of the new social programs to help with the community," he said. Nuna said he's already seeing gradual changes in the child and family services system. "You know, I don't think you see as [many] children coming into care now," Nuna said. "Hopefully more children will come home." The next round of formal hearings for the inquiry is slated to take place in Natuashish this July. Commissioners Qupee, Devine, and newly reinstated chair commissioner, James Igloliorte, will spend the next few months investigating the deaths of six children in care. The deadline for the inquiry's final report was extended by the provincial government earlier this year, to Oct. 31, 2026.
CBC
26-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
Government moves to ditch investigations into deaths of young adults in care
Young Albertans who grow up in the child welfare system age out at 18. Should they die anytime up to the age of 22, the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate will conduct a review of the death. Now, the Alberta government is proposing legislation that would see death investigations conducted only on a discretionary basis for former child welfare clients between the ages of 18 and 20, and none for those who die older than 20. This week on the podcast we hear a conversation with three young Edmontonians who grew up in care and aged out. They share their experience and reactions to this proposed legislation.
CBC
19-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Laywer hopes for change as child and youth advocate investigates issues at Whitbourne youth detention centre
After CBC News reported on crumbling infrastructure and capacity issues at the Newfoundland and Labrador Youth Centre in Whitbourne, the province's child and youth advocate launched an investigation. But one lawyer says the problems have been known for years, and should've been addressed much sooner. Kelsie Lockyer represents survivors of institutional abuse, and works with people who lived and are living in the youth detention centre. "The materials show a shocking lack of care for youth within our criminal system, and a shocking lack of understanding of the factors that will further cause harm, rather than allowing for rehabilitation to happen," said Lockyer of documents obtained by CBC News through access-to-information legislation. Lockyer says she and other members of her firm frequently speak with people who are or have lived in the youth centre. She said they often get cold calls from people looking to report abuse or look for help, and recently spoke to a youth who had requested a camera be placed in his cell while living in the centre. "You have a youth here who is already out in a system where they have very little privacy … and they're willing to give up the tiny shred of privacy they have because they think it might protect them," said Lockyer. "That's how terrified youth are of abuses that are happening within our system currently in the year 2025." Lockyer was unable to say if that youth is a past or current resident. She said a lot of people only feel confident enough to talk about the abuse they experienced after leaving the centre. A spokesperson from the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate, Wilma MacInnis, told CBC News in a statement that Karen Gray — the acting child and youth advocate — visited the centre on Feb. 28 and arranged a meeting with the Department of Justice to discuss issues at the centre. MacInnis said Gray attended a residents' meeting at the centre to hear concerns first-hand, and they are pleased with how the meetings went. CBC News asked in a follow up email if Gray's investigation is ongoing. The office said they have plans to address the issues. They also committed to residents that they would attend more meetings when requested. In a statement, Department of Justice spokesperson Eric Humber said the department met with Gray and they've undertaken repairs of the facility. He did not disclose any other details. Lack of care Lockyer says the lack of care for the building's physical infrastructure demonstrates the lack of care for the youth residents inside. Many children are already traumatized before being placed in the centre, she said, making the facility's poor conditions all the more detrimental. "You're not able to feel cared for when you're left in those conditions," said Lockyer, adding that instead of rehabilitation, children are becoming further traumatized and pushed into criminalization. In 2003, the Canadian Youth Criminal Justice Act came into effect to try to reduce the overuse of incarceration of young people. This resulted in a decline in youth incarceration rates, but now the Whitbourne centre is facing capacity issues. Lockyer said there is supposed to be a higher bar to put youth in detention, which is a further indication that the current capacity issues are concerning. The Morris Moore law firm previously launched a lawsuit against the youth centre, and other Newfoundland and Labrador government-operated youth facilities, for sexual abuse experienced by 70 former residents between the 1970s and 1980s. The suit resulted in a $12.8-million settlement for the victims. One of the firm's lawyers, Lynn Moore, calls the Newfoundland and Labrador Youth Centre "HMP for kids," referring to Her Majesty's Penitentiary, an adult correctional facility in St. John's also facing severe infrastructural issues and a long history of problems. Jack Whalen was a victim of the centre, held in solitary confinement for 703 days between 1973 and 1977. He has lasting trauma and psychological damage as a result. But the province has a statute of limitations for civil claims from cases of assault causing bodily harm, meaning Whalen can't settle. Lockyer says she fears the youth centre's current infrastructural problems could lead to more cases of abuse. "When you're in a situation where nobody's paying attention … the ceiling, the sky is falling, and nobody's paying attention," she said. "Other people who have bad intentions are able to act on those intentions because nobody's stopping them." Lockyer says she hopes Gray's investigation will bring about positive change. "These are children who are being placed in a facility where they are having more harm done to them."
