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November 30, 2006

McGuinty Government Better Protecting Vulnerable Children and Youth

Legislation Introduced Today To Make Ontario’s Child And Youth Advocate Independent

TORONTO – The McGuinty government is continuing to deliver on its commitment to better protect vulnerable children and youth by introducing legislation that, if passed, would establish an independent provincial advocate in Ontario, Minister of Children and Youth Services Mary Anne Chambers announced today.

“When it comes to the rights of our children, there is no room for political interference,” said Chambers. “By moving forward to make the child and youth advocate independent, we are delivering on a key commitment of this government and a promise we made on behalf of Ontario’s children and youth.”

The child and youth advocate speaks on behalf of Ontario’s most vulnerable young people, including children and youth involved with the youth justice system, foster, group or residential care, and who have physical or developmental disabilities.

The new legislation, if passed, would make the child and youth advocate an officer of the legislature and as independent as the ombudsman or the auditor general. Under the new law, the advocate would be selected by an all-party legislative committee and report directly to the legislature. Currently, the advocate reports to the Minister of Children and Youth Services.

“Independence offers the Child Advocate unfettered access to Ontario's most vulnerable children and a greater ability to amplify the voice of children about their fears, concerns and wishes,” said Ontario’s Chief Advocate Judy Finlay. “An independent child advocate has been a long time in coming in Ontario and I applaud the government for creating this essential safeguard for the protection and wellbeing of our children."

“It is very gratifying that the government has moved ahead with a plan to establish the Child Advocate as a strong and effective protective force for the most vulnerable children in this province,” said Les Horne, Ontario’s first provincial Child Advocate and current Executive Director for Defence for Children International-Canada. “This is a major step forward for Ontario."

“An independent advocate will give increased visibility to the rights and voices of vulnerable children and youth to an extent never seen before in this province and will help protect our young people from inappropriate treatment and abuse,” said Chambers.

The proposed legislation is part of the government’s plan to help vulnerable children and youth in Ontario succeed and thrive. Other initiatives include:

• Reforming the child well-being and protection system through the Child and Family Services Statute Law Amendment Act, passed earlier this year and in effect as of today. Reforms under the act will strengthen the accountability of children’s aid societies and allow more children to grow up in safe, caring, permanent homes
  
  
• Making it faster and easier for people to make complaints about certain services or decisions they have received from a children’s aid society. The new complaints process, to be used consistently across the province beginning this December, includes third party oversight by an independent body, the Child and Family Services Review Board (CFSRB)
  
  
• The appointment of Suzanne Gilbert, a lawyer who has represented children and families, as the new chair of the CFSRB
  
  
• Providing more than $2 million annually for Akwe:go to help urban Aboriginal children and youth in 27 communities develop positive life skills and overcome challenges
  
  
• Investing more than $140 million more to help special needs children and their families, including an additional $10 million to enable Children’s Treatment Centres to serve 4,800 more children and youth.
  
  
• Providing more children and youth with mental health services through an expanded telepsychiatry program for children and youth in underserved, rural and remote areas, along with more than 200 other new and expanded local programs across the province resulting from increased investments of more than $38 million annually.

For more information:

Backgrounder - McGuinty Government Reforms Further Protect Vulnerable Children

Backgrounder - An Independent Voice for Ontario Children and Youth

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