DYP: Quebec could review the
principle of parental primacy
"We want more prevention, less DYP" - Lionel Carmant
Even before the tabling of the final report of the Special Commission on the Rights of Children and Youth Protection (CSDEPJ) this fall, the government has already initiated a "culture change" within the Directorate of Youth Protection. , says Minister Lionel Carmant.
In an interview with the 24 • 60 program , the Minister for Health and Social Services promised that this much-awaited report will not be tabled and confirms that discussions are already underway with the Ministry of Justice to modify the Act. on youth protection.
The law is expected to reopen this fall , Mr Carmant said. We have to change the law; it has not changed for 40 years on certain aspects.
In fact, the government announced last week the appointment of Catherine Lemay as the first national director of youth protection. Ms. Lemay must undertake a reflection not only on youth protection services, but also on the law which frames it and on the role of the courts, social services and other actors concerned.
She will have the status of Assistant Deputy Minister of the new Directorate General of Development, Welfare and Youth Protection, and National Director of Youth Protection.
In an interview with the 24 • 60 program , the Minister for Health and Social Services promised that this much-awaited report will not be tabled and confirms that discussions are already underway with the Ministry of Justice to modify the Act. on youth protection.
The law is expected to reopen this fall , Mr Carmant said. We have to change the law; it has not changed for 40 years on certain aspects.
In fact, the government announced last week the appointment of Catherine Lemay as the first national director of youth protection. Ms. Lemay must undertake a reflection not only on youth protection services, but also on the law which frames it and on the role of the courts, social services and other actors concerned.
She will have the status of Assistant Deputy Minister of the new Directorate General of Development, Welfare and Youth Protection, and National Director of Youth Protection.
One of the elements that could be changed is the notion of parental primacy, says Carmant. The well-being of the child must come first. Science shows us that things have changed. It doesn't necessarily have to be the biological family; the child must be in a loving environment.
The Minister also adds that the concept of confidentiality cannot take precedence over the well-being of the child. Sometimes confidentiality puts the child at risk. It can't go on. A foster family must know what is endangering the child's life,
what the child has gone through, how he will react in certain situations.
The president of the Special Commission on the Rights of Children and Youth Protection, Régine Laurent, also deplores the fact that everyone works in silos. There needs to be a minimum of information sharing between schools, foster families,
the Youth Protection Department (DYP) and doctors.
The interview with Lionel Carmant and Régine Laurent at 24 • 60 Wide angle will be rebroadcast on Sunday at 4:30 pm on ICI RDI, after the replay of the last episode of the series Au coeur de la DPJ .
We want more prevention, less DYP
Lionel Carmant deplores the fact that too many children have a family history with the DPJ and that it is imperative to break the circle .
And the best way to do that is to work upstream and offer more services to parents, he believes. For example, he says, interventions with mothers at risk must begin early in pregnancy. The situation can be improved if the children are taken care of early enough.
While the government has added hundreds of workers to help workers who are already overworked, Carmant admits that is not enough. With more than 118,000 reports to the DPJ last year, it is clear that too many families did not have the services they needed.
Almost 26% of the children followed by the DPJ were placed in foster care in 2020.
Ms. Laurent hopes for her part that there will be a better harmonization of services from one region to another. Children [from different regions] are entitled to the same services.
She adds that response times must be considerably reduced and that court cases must not drag on. We must stop waiting for years because it is not in the interest of the child, of the family , says Ms. Laurent, recalling that for a 2-year-old child,
six months [of waiting], that's a quarter of his life .
Finally, Mr. Carmant and Ms. Laurent believe that it is necessary to recognize the heavy load carried by the interveners of the DPJ. It's difficult, complex, nuanced work, says Ms. Laurent. It is very intrusive in families, and caregivers must decide the future of the children. It shows to what extent it is a very specialized practice that must be supported.
The Minister also adds that the concept of confidentiality cannot take precedence over the well-being of the child. Sometimes confidentiality puts the child at risk. It can't go on. A foster family must know what is endangering the child's life,
what the child has gone through, how he will react in certain situations.
The president of the Special Commission on the Rights of Children and Youth Protection, Régine Laurent, also deplores the fact that everyone works in silos. There needs to be a minimum of information sharing between schools, foster families,
the Youth Protection Department (DYP) and doctors.
The interview with Lionel Carmant and Régine Laurent at 24 • 60 Wide angle will be rebroadcast on Sunday at 4:30 pm on ICI RDI, after the replay of the last episode of the series Au coeur de la DPJ .
We want more prevention, less DYP
Lionel Carmant deplores the fact that too many children have a family history with the DPJ and that it is imperative to break the circle .
And the best way to do that is to work upstream and offer more services to parents, he believes. For example, he says, interventions with mothers at risk must begin early in pregnancy. The situation can be improved if the children are taken care of early enough.
While the government has added hundreds of workers to help workers who are already overworked, Carmant admits that is not enough. With more than 118,000 reports to the DPJ last year, it is clear that too many families did not have the services they needed.
Almost 26% of the children followed by the DPJ were placed in foster care in 2020.
Ms. Laurent hopes for her part that there will be a better harmonization of services from one region to another. Children [from different regions] are entitled to the same services.
She adds that response times must be considerably reduced and that court cases must not drag on. We must stop waiting for years because it is not in the interest of the child, of the family , says Ms. Laurent, recalling that for a 2-year-old child,
six months [of waiting], that's a quarter of his life .
Finally, Mr. Carmant and Ms. Laurent believe that it is necessary to recognize the heavy load carried by the interveners of the DPJ. It's difficult, complex, nuanced work, says Ms. Laurent. It is very intrusive in families, and caregivers must decide the future of the children. It shows to what extent it is a very specialized practice that must be supported.
Radio-Canada
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