Advocacy Support for Children and Youth

Children and youth have the right to be involved in making decisions that affect them. The Child and Youth Officer works closely with the Ministry of Children and Family Development and delegated agencies to ensure that this happens in a meaningful way. Any child or youth who is having a problem getting a service or who disagrees with a decision can contact the Child and Youth Officer's team.

The Child and Youth Officer provides advocacy support for children and youth in care who are having difficulty speaking up for their rights under section 70 of the Child, Family and Community Service Act. Children and youth in care must be informed of their right to contact the Child and Youth Officer.

If you are a child or youth and you call the Child and Youth Officer looking for help with a concern or problem, a member of the Child and Youth Officer's team will do one or more of the following things:

• provide information about your rights and relevant government services
• help you think of ways to solve the problem
• give you the name and telephone number of someone who can look into the problem and help find a solution
• coach you to speak up for yourself in ways that might resolve the problem, which is about being an effective self-advocate
• help you find someone you trust who could support you in speaking up for yourself, or who could represent your views if you are afraid or too shy to speak for yourself
• send you written information that explains how to make a complaint and how to be an effective self-advocate in the complaint resolution process.

In certain cases, when the situation is very complicated and none of these suggestions seems to work, a member of the Child and Youth Officer's team will advocate on your behalf, to ensure that your views are heard and considered in a meaningful way.

Click here to find out how to contact the Child and Youth Officer.