Quebec report on youth protection calls for charter of children’s rights

“A lot of small things to do differently, but it will make a big change,” says Andre Lebon of the Special Commission on Children’s Rights and Youth Protection, after their final report was released Monday. Alyssia Rubertucci reports.

By CityNews staff and The Canadian Press

MONTREAL (CityNews) – A commission investigating Quebec’s youth protection system released its final report Monday, calling on the government to create a charter of children’s rights.

The commission’s 552-page report included numerous other recommendations, following a two-year investigation that was prompted by the death of a seven-year-old girl in Granby, Que. – about 80km south of Montreal – in April 2019.

She was found in troubling circumstances at her family home, her father and stepmother were charged in her death, which sparked the commission into the province’s youth protection system.

Quebec’s human rights commission concluded the child had been failed by the province’s youth protection system and the province needs to do better and act now, to ensure the well-being of children.

“It’s small things. A lot of small things, to do different but it will make a big change,” said André Lebon, Vice-president of Special Commission on Children’s Rights and Youth Protection.

“The consequences for children and families of not fooling the good thing at the good moment. Is more severe and have very bad consequence,” added Lebon.

President of the commission Regine Laurent said the young Granby girl’s death was a “collective failure.”

She is calling for the implementation of a commissioner for youth and children named by the national assembly, apart from a youth protection director, which the Quebec government appointed in March – following a preliminary report. She also calls for the creation of an assistant commissioner for indigenous children.

“You have to view the commissioner as a voice for all Quebec children for their well being. To look at hints of mistreatment. To look at what are the deaths of children in Quebec. To be able to see major problems at certain moments?” expressed Laurant.

“It’s clear the biological family must be accompanied and supported to provide this stability,” Laurent told reporters Monday after releasing the report. “But if the biological family cannot respond to the needs of the child, and knowing time is of the essence, the child must be able to take root quickly in a family that will take care of them for life.”

Laurent’s commission also recommended the government shift toward a prevention approach to reach families before they end up in the system. That kind of culture shift, the commission said, should include better services in schools, for example.

“We want to be clear: counting only on youth protection to stop the suffering and distress of children constitutes an error and leads up to an impasse – history teaches us this,” Laurent said.

“There’s a lot of recommendations going to be adopted and applied by the government. In terms of the recommendations, youth transitioning out of… there were… would be a huge win for this province. Way behind other provinces that offer this support,” explained Jennifer Dupuis, President & co-founder of Care Jeunesse.

“I think there’s very good points. Address the mediation, more mediation, offer services to families. That’s great. All this is great. How it’s going to be put in place, that’s my concern. How are we going to change the culture within the institution,” wondered Valérie Assouline, family and youth protection lawyer.

“What we have to do at the first step. It’s the shift for prevention. And this prevention means making sure the families don’t run to get the services. But the services goes towards the family,” added Lebon.

Since the death of the Granby girl, $200 million has been invested and 400 social workers hired. But the lawyer representing the mother of the 7-year-old girl says a lot more work on the ground needs to be done.

“Its been two years we’re waiting for this report to happen. It’s good we have a report. But there were other reports before,” said Assouline.

Premier Francois Legault took to Facebook Monday afternoon saying he’s promising Quebecers this report won’t be forgotten on a shelf. That his government will make sure the recommendations are implemented concretely. That we owe this to the little girl from Granby and all Quebec children he posted.

“I think that not much has changed in the last couple of decades. We need to evolve with society. We need to learn from our mistakes. And make changes,” added Dupis.

The report recommended the appointment of an independent commissioner to oversee the welfare and rights of children in the province.

It also recommended the province hire a youth protection director to oversee the system. The Quebec government has already implemented that recommendation and filled the job in March.

-With files from the Canadian Press

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