Quebec is slow to follow the recommendations of the Laurent report
Slowness, inconsistency, lack of transparency: the monitoring committee of the Special Commission on the Rights of the Child and Youth Protection (CSDEPJ) is worried about the government's actions to better protect Quebec's children.
This week marks the sad anniversary, five years ago, of the tragic death of the Granby girl. After this tragedy that shocked Quebec, a special commission chaired by Régine Laurent and composed of experts tabled a report containing some sixty recommendations aimed at avoiding this type of tragedy.
Three years after the tabling of the Laurent report, the CSDEPJ's monitoring committee notes that the government has been slow to act. He estimates that at this rate, it will take another 20 years to implement all of the report's recommendations.
Martine Desjardins, chair of the CSDEPJ's monitoring committee, says that this is a far cry from the six-year goal of the Minister responsible for Social Services, Lionel Carmant. "We're halfway there," she says. We do not doubt the minister's good will, we do not doubt that the avenues that are being put forward are certainly adequate, but we are judging the implementation of the report and we are currently very worried. »
"It's a far cry from the 10 years even projected by Régine Laurent in her letter this morning," Desjardins said, referring to the former commissioner's open letter published Tuesday in the media.
According to the government's 2021-2023 progress report on its plan to implement the recommendations, 11 of them have been completed. "We're up to nine, based on the data he made available in his balance sheet," says Ms. Desjardins. There are two recommendations that we cannot find completed. »
In addition to the 65 recommendations, the Laurent report includes 251 sub-recommendations, which are courses of action. According to government data, 42% of the sub-recommendations are ongoing or completed. The committee does not come to the same conclusion; rather, it calculates 30% based on inconsistencies.
IncoherenceThe committee identified several inconsistencies between the measures that the government says it has completed and the objective of the measure. After analysis, he concludes that the department has completed only one recommendation in a consistent manner out of the 65 in the Laurent report. This is recommendation 3.4, which is to facilitate the exchange of information to better serve the interests of the child.
Ms. Desjardins said the committee is not analyzing whether the government's proposal is useful, but rather whether it is consistent with the courses of action in the Laurent report.
To give an example of inconsistency, she cites measure 2.8.4 where the commission asked that children who are placed under the Youth Protection Act be allowed to remain in their living environment, daycare or school, when it is in their best interests. "The government says in its report that it is issuing ministerial guidelines to ensure a smooth transition when changing schools. It may be a good measure, but it does not meet recommendation 2.8.4 which called for keeping children in their living environment," she explains.
"When we look at all these inconsistencies, we arrive at 30% of the recommendations that are in progress (to be completed). That's a percentage we're worried about,"says Desjardins. [...] We need to speed up the pace now if we want to ensure that we meet the deadlines proposed by Minister Carmant himself. »
The Committee also noted that a number of measures considered urgent have not yet been implemented. Four of the report's 15 chapters are "neglected," according to his analysis. These are the chapter on First Nations, on family conflicts and domestic violence – which is a recurring issue, Ms. Desjardins reminds us – the chapter on the English-speaking community, and the chapter on the growth and stability of investments in youth protection and innovation.
Among the neglected measures, Ms. Desjardins names the one on youth centre facilities, whose dilapidation has been in the news recently. "These are emergency measures that are still not being put forward at the moment [...] It's clear to us that there should be priorities on this side," she said.
Lack of transparencyThe problems of access to public information and data have come to light in recent weeks. "It's really problematic in Quebec,"says Desjardins. We are not the only ones to have denounced it. »
The CSDEPJ's monitoring committee has produced a comprehensive report, but its president says she notes "like many others that access to data is extremely difficult." She would like better access to certain data, not only from the Ministry of Health and Social Services, but from other ministries related to the recommendations, such as the Ministry of Education.
On the other hand, Ms. Desjardins shared the committee's concerns about Bill 37, which concerns the Children's Welfare and Rights Commissioner Act.
For the time being, the study of this bill by parliamentarians is suspended until the department can align it with First Nations peoples. "Why wasn't it done before the bill was introduced? That would have saved us from pausing the adoption of the recommendations in the bill," said Ms. Desjardins.
She hopes that the study of the bill will resume quickly since it includes several key recommendations, including the establishment of a commissioner for the well-being and rights of children, "which is a crucial issue in the urgent measures that must be put in place."
The Canadian Press' health content gets funding through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for editorial choices
This week marks the sad anniversary, five years ago, of the tragic death of the Granby girl. After this tragedy that shocked Quebec, a special commission chaired by Régine Laurent and composed of experts tabled a report containing some sixty recommendations aimed at avoiding this type of tragedy.
Three years after the tabling of the Laurent report, the CSDEPJ's monitoring committee notes that the government has been slow to act. He estimates that at this rate, it will take another 20 years to implement all of the report's recommendations.
Martine Desjardins, chair of the CSDEPJ's monitoring committee, says that this is a far cry from the six-year goal of the Minister responsible for Social Services, Lionel Carmant. "We're halfway there," she says. We do not doubt the minister's good will, we do not doubt that the avenues that are being put forward are certainly adequate, but we are judging the implementation of the report and we are currently very worried. »
"It's a far cry from the 10 years even projected by Régine Laurent in her letter this morning," Desjardins said, referring to the former commissioner's open letter published Tuesday in the media.
According to the government's 2021-2023 progress report on its plan to implement the recommendations, 11 of them have been completed. "We're up to nine, based on the data he made available in his balance sheet," says Ms. Desjardins. There are two recommendations that we cannot find completed. »
In addition to the 65 recommendations, the Laurent report includes 251 sub-recommendations, which are courses of action. According to government data, 42% of the sub-recommendations are ongoing or completed. The committee does not come to the same conclusion; rather, it calculates 30% based on inconsistencies.
IncoherenceThe committee identified several inconsistencies between the measures that the government says it has completed and the objective of the measure. After analysis, he concludes that the department has completed only one recommendation in a consistent manner out of the 65 in the Laurent report. This is recommendation 3.4, which is to facilitate the exchange of information to better serve the interests of the child.
Ms. Desjardins said the committee is not analyzing whether the government's proposal is useful, but rather whether it is consistent with the courses of action in the Laurent report.
To give an example of inconsistency, she cites measure 2.8.4 where the commission asked that children who are placed under the Youth Protection Act be allowed to remain in their living environment, daycare or school, when it is in their best interests. "The government says in its report that it is issuing ministerial guidelines to ensure a smooth transition when changing schools. It may be a good measure, but it does not meet recommendation 2.8.4 which called for keeping children in their living environment," she explains.
"When we look at all these inconsistencies, we arrive at 30% of the recommendations that are in progress (to be completed). That's a percentage we're worried about,"says Desjardins. [...] We need to speed up the pace now if we want to ensure that we meet the deadlines proposed by Minister Carmant himself. »
The Committee also noted that a number of measures considered urgent have not yet been implemented. Four of the report's 15 chapters are "neglected," according to his analysis. These are the chapter on First Nations, on family conflicts and domestic violence – which is a recurring issue, Ms. Desjardins reminds us – the chapter on the English-speaking community, and the chapter on the growth and stability of investments in youth protection and innovation.
Among the neglected measures, Ms. Desjardins names the one on youth centre facilities, whose dilapidation has been in the news recently. "These are emergency measures that are still not being put forward at the moment [...] It's clear to us that there should be priorities on this side," she said.
Lack of transparencyThe problems of access to public information and data have come to light in recent weeks. "It's really problematic in Quebec,"says Desjardins. We are not the only ones to have denounced it. »
The CSDEPJ's monitoring committee has produced a comprehensive report, but its president says she notes "like many others that access to data is extremely difficult." She would like better access to certain data, not only from the Ministry of Health and Social Services, but from other ministries related to the recommendations, such as the Ministry of Education.
On the other hand, Ms. Desjardins shared the committee's concerns about Bill 37, which concerns the Children's Welfare and Rights Commissioner Act.
For the time being, the study of this bill by parliamentarians is suspended until the department can align it with First Nations peoples. "Why wasn't it done before the bill was introduced? That would have saved us from pausing the adoption of the recommendations in the bill," said Ms. Desjardins.
She hopes that the study of the bill will resume quickly since it includes several key recommendations, including the establishment of a commissioner for the well-being and rights of children, "which is a crucial issue in the urgent measures that must be put in place."
The Canadian Press' health content gets funding through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for editorial choices