The Laurent Commission recommends a Charter of the rights of the child
After two years of work, the Special Commission on Children's Rights and Youth Protection has submitted its final report in which it retains the need to make “major adjustments” to psychosocial services intended for young people and families, in particular by making a “prevention shift”.
The President of the Special Commission, Régine Laurent, presented her long-awaited report at a press conference on Monday afternoon "with the feeling of duty accomplished".
It was following the death of a girl from Granby known to the youth protection system, in April 2019, that the Quebec government mandated a special commission to undertake a reflection on youth protection services. , the law which frames it,
the role of the courts, social services and other actors concerned.
The President of the Special Commission, Régine Laurent, presented her long-awaited report at a press conference on Monday afternoon "with the feeling of duty accomplished".
It was following the death of a girl from Granby known to the youth protection system, in April 2019, that the Quebec government mandated a special commission to undertake a reflection on youth protection services. , the law which frames it,
the role of the courts, social services and other actors concerned.
Composed of 12 commissioners, including five experts in the psychosocial, legal and pediatric fields, four elected from the parties represented in the National Assembly as well as a president and two vice-presidents, the Special Commission proposes
more than a hundred "recommendations" .
"These must be implemented from a continuum perspective so that, from now on, no child and no young person goes through the youth protection department (DYP), unless they experience a situation that compromises their development or their security, ”said Régine Laurent.
Creation of a post of Commissioner
The very first recommendation of the report is to establish a commissioner to promote the well-being and rights of children, a request made by several witnesses, including young people.
“Quebec is committed to this by ratifying the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has been calling on Canada to do so for years, and several Canadian provinces have already done so. Quebec must institute such a function, exclusively responsible for promoting and monitoring the well-being and rights of all children, ”the report states.
This commissioner should monitor the well-being of children and the repercussions of decisions affecting them, as well as all child deaths. It would also have a mandate extended to indigenous youth, young people from ethnocultural communities, young people with disabilities and those who have been in the care of the State, up to their 25th birthday.
In addition, the Commission considers that the creation of a post of deputy commissioner dedicated to indigenous children and youth is necessary. The latter would be appointed after consultation with indigenous representatives.
The commissioner and deputy commissioner would be appointed by the National Assembly for seven years and an appropriate budget should be allocated to them, along with the obligation to report annually to the National Assembly.
A position of national director of youth protection was created this year, following a first major recommendation from the independent commissioner Régine Laurent last November.
If the role of the national director is rather to orient and standardize the practices of youth protection, that of commissioner is above all to have a look at all the children, whether they have gone through the system or not. , explained Ms. Laurent.
Creation of a Charter of the Rights of the Child
In addition, the Commission recommends the rapid adoption of a Charter of the Rights of the Child which affirms his fundamental rights and the guiding principles essential to his well-being and respect for his rights.
This would send "a strong and clear message that the child is a full person and citizen,
subject of rights, and that respect for this is a priority for all."
Moreover, the report also suggests adding a preamble to the Youth Protection Act (YPA) which would state that the actions and decisions taken must respect the Charter of the Rights of the Child.
In addition, the preservation of the cultural identity of indigenous children must be affirmed in this Charter. "The application of the Youth Protection Act, when it does not respect the culture of the child, produces discriminatory effects," said Régine Laurent.
"The prevention shift is mandatory"
According to the recommendations of the Special Commission, a shift towards prevention is “mandatory” in order to reach people in vulnerable situations. "We must act as early as possible in children's lives to support their development and ensure that those who have the most needs receive services in a timely manner," said Régine Laurent.
Youth protection intervention should only be the last solution, she adds. “Focus on frontline services. The service offer, as it is currently deployed, does not make it possible to reach, mobilize and adequately support families in greatest difficulty with the intensity necessary to avoid the protection of young people ”, mentioned Ms. Laurent. .
In particular, the Commission proposes to strengthen the support offered to young people and parents in CLSCs, to increase psychosocial support in schools and to fund community organizations. “Relying only on the DYPs to put an end to the suffering and distress of children on their own is a mistake that leads us to a dead end. History teaches us that, ”said Régine Laurent.
The “prevention shift” welcomed
The president of the Alliance of Professional and Technical Staff in Health and Social Services ( APTS ), Andrée Poirier, also thinks that prevention work is key. “It doesn't make sense that we have so many children at the DPJ. The DPJ is intensive care. We cannot [see] everyone getting to intensive care, ”she explains.
Same story with the president of the professional order of criminologists of Quebec ( OPCQ ), Michèle Goyette. "Priority to prevention and first-line services to put everything in place so that we do not go to protection situations," she said straight away.
If they are satisfied with the recommendations, Ladies Poirier and Goyette are impatient to see how the Government of Quebec intends to implement them and in what order of priority. "It's too important for it to be tabletted," adds André Poirier.
The president of the APTS underlines the stakes of overload of work of the interveners and the shortage of manpower. "We have a government that offers us the addition of positions, but there is nothing to attract the world to youth centers," she laments.
To counter this “exodus”, we will have to improve the working conditions of the interveners, thinks Ms. Poirier.
more than a hundred "recommendations" .
"These must be implemented from a continuum perspective so that, from now on, no child and no young person goes through the youth protection department (DYP), unless they experience a situation that compromises their development or their security, ”said Régine Laurent.
Creation of a post of Commissioner
The very first recommendation of the report is to establish a commissioner to promote the well-being and rights of children, a request made by several witnesses, including young people.
“Quebec is committed to this by ratifying the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has been calling on Canada to do so for years, and several Canadian provinces have already done so. Quebec must institute such a function, exclusively responsible for promoting and monitoring the well-being and rights of all children, ”the report states.
This commissioner should monitor the well-being of children and the repercussions of decisions affecting them, as well as all child deaths. It would also have a mandate extended to indigenous youth, young people from ethnocultural communities, young people with disabilities and those who have been in the care of the State, up to their 25th birthday.
In addition, the Commission considers that the creation of a post of deputy commissioner dedicated to indigenous children and youth is necessary. The latter would be appointed after consultation with indigenous representatives.
The commissioner and deputy commissioner would be appointed by the National Assembly for seven years and an appropriate budget should be allocated to them, along with the obligation to report annually to the National Assembly.
A position of national director of youth protection was created this year, following a first major recommendation from the independent commissioner Régine Laurent last November.
If the role of the national director is rather to orient and standardize the practices of youth protection, that of commissioner is above all to have a look at all the children, whether they have gone through the system or not. , explained Ms. Laurent.
Creation of a Charter of the Rights of the Child
In addition, the Commission recommends the rapid adoption of a Charter of the Rights of the Child which affirms his fundamental rights and the guiding principles essential to his well-being and respect for his rights.
This would send "a strong and clear message that the child is a full person and citizen,
subject of rights, and that respect for this is a priority for all."
Moreover, the report also suggests adding a preamble to the Youth Protection Act (YPA) which would state that the actions and decisions taken must respect the Charter of the Rights of the Child.
In addition, the preservation of the cultural identity of indigenous children must be affirmed in this Charter. "The application of the Youth Protection Act, when it does not respect the culture of the child, produces discriminatory effects," said Régine Laurent.
"The prevention shift is mandatory"
According to the recommendations of the Special Commission, a shift towards prevention is “mandatory” in order to reach people in vulnerable situations. "We must act as early as possible in children's lives to support their development and ensure that those who have the most needs receive services in a timely manner," said Régine Laurent.
Youth protection intervention should only be the last solution, she adds. “Focus on frontline services. The service offer, as it is currently deployed, does not make it possible to reach, mobilize and adequately support families in greatest difficulty with the intensity necessary to avoid the protection of young people ”, mentioned Ms. Laurent. .
In particular, the Commission proposes to strengthen the support offered to young people and parents in CLSCs, to increase psychosocial support in schools and to fund community organizations. “Relying only on the DYPs to put an end to the suffering and distress of children on their own is a mistake that leads us to a dead end. History teaches us that, ”said Régine Laurent.
The “prevention shift” welcomed
The president of the Alliance of Professional and Technical Staff in Health and Social Services ( APTS ), Andrée Poirier, also thinks that prevention work is key. “It doesn't make sense that we have so many children at the DPJ. The DPJ is intensive care. We cannot [see] everyone getting to intensive care, ”she explains.
Same story with the president of the professional order of criminologists of Quebec ( OPCQ ), Michèle Goyette. "Priority to prevention and first-line services to put everything in place so that we do not go to protection situations," she said straight away.
If they are satisfied with the recommendations, Ladies Poirier and Goyette are impatient to see how the Government of Quebec intends to implement them and in what order of priority. "It's too important for it to be tabletted," adds André Poirier.
The president of the APTS underlines the stakes of overload of work of the interveners and the shortage of manpower. "We have a government that offers us the addition of positions, but there is nothing to attract the world to youth centers," she laments.
To counter this “exodus”, we will have to improve the working conditions of the interveners, thinks Ms. Poirier.
Naomie Gelper
Métro
https://journalmetro.com/actualites/national/2637387/la-commission-laurent-depose-son-rapport-final/
Métro
https://journalmetro.com/actualites/national/2637387/la-commission-laurent-depose-son-rapport-final/