52 search results for
Representative for Children and Youth
Recommendation 3:
Work with RCY to identify opportunities to enhance the quality and consistency of reporting on lost and missing children, inclusive of notifications when lost and missing children have been found.
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Recommendation 5:
Work with and fund community organizations that serve CYSN families to develop activity plans for children losing school-based and development-centre-based services.
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Recommendation 10:
This review of lost and missing children highlights cross-jurisdictional research that speaks to the critical importance of a child’s sense of belonging in the child welfare system. These findings are not new for RCY and recommendations to address belonging have been made in the Representative’s report Skye’s Legacy: A focus on belonging, but progress has yet to be made to implement this recommendation. Therefore, the Representative reiterates the recommendation from RCY’s 2021 Skye’s Legacy:
“MCFD to conduct a systemic needs analysis of cultural and family support resources required to ensure that social workers are better supported to promote a sense of belonging and identity for First Nations, Métis, Inuit and Urban Indigenous children and youth in care in relation to their families, culture and cultural community over time and at different stages in their lives and identity development. This review will inform the development of a longer-term resourcing and implementation plan. However, given the urgent need to address the significant over-involvement of the child welfare system in the lives of Indigenous children and families and poor outcomes for Indigenous children in the child welfare system, a substantive investment of new resources should be made immediately that can be considered a down payment on the resources identified for the longer term plan.”
Implementation of new resources was recommended by April 1, 2023, and is now overdue.
“MCFD to conduct a systemic needs analysis of cultural and family support resources required to ensure that social workers are better supported to promote a sense of belonging and identity for First Nations, Métis, Inuit and Urban Indigenous children and youth in care in relation to their families, culture and cultural community over time and at different stages in their lives and identity development. This review will inform the development of a longer-term resourcing and implementation plan. However, given the urgent need to address the significant over-involvement of the child welfare system in the lives of Indigenous children and families and poor outcomes for Indigenous children in the child welfare system, a substantive investment of new resources should be made immediately that can be considered a down payment on the resources identified for the longer term plan.”
Implementation of new resources was recommended by April 1, 2023, and is now overdue.
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Recommendation 5:
There is perhaps no greater challenge currently facing young people in B.C. transitioning into adulthood than finding appropriate, affordable and safe housing. We echo the recommendation made in the late Katherine McParland’s report, From Marginalized to Magnified: Youth Homelessness Solutions from those with Lived Expertise – that the Ministry of Attorney General and Minister responsible for Housing should work with BC Housing to develop and implement an aggressive plan to work toward ending youth homelessness in B.C., with particular attention to young adults who have transitioned from care. As part of this plan, additional dedicated housing units should be provided for young people aging out of care. Units on a continuum of support – including with mental health and addictions supports where needed – should be available and eligibility requirements reduced.
BC Housing is to develop a comprehensive plan by April 1, 2022 and begin full implementation of that plan thereafter.
BC Housing is to develop a comprehensive plan by April 1, 2022 and begin full implementation of that plan thereafter.
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Recommendation 1:
The Representative is calling for a special convening of the child-serving systems and the children, youth, families and communities they serve to respond to the cracks in our care system that are contributing to children and youth being pushed and pulled away from the systems of care and being subjected to increased risks of serious incidents or critical injuries and deaths. To address the root systemic and structural causes of children and youth going missing from the child welfare system we need to collectively explore:
- What are the conditions of unbelonging that lead to children becoming lost or missing in the child welfare system?
- How are children’s unmet needs across systems contributing to them going missing?
- How do we align systems of care and protection to respond more effectively and uphold the rights of children who have disappeared in the system?
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- Academic institutions ,
- Faith and cultural groups ,
- First Nations governments ,
- General public ,
- Government of British Columbia ,
- Health authorities ,
- Human rights institutions ,
- Independent offices of the Legislature ,
- Indigenous organizations ,
- Municipal governments ,
- Non-profits and community organizations ,
- Public sector
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Recommendation 6:
The Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and MCFD, should develop and implement a plan for mental health and substance use services for youth in care who are transitioning to adulthood. The plan should be developed in consultation with appropriate First Nations, Métis, Inuit and Urban Indigenous representatives as well as young people with lived experience.
This plan should be integrated into A Pathway to Hope. It should specifically address the needs of the population of young people leaving care and the specialized services they need due to the inequities, adversities and trauma they have experienced in their lives before and while in care. The plan and all services should be trauma-informed and give particular attention and priority to First Nations, Métis, Inuit and Urban Indigenous young people transitioning to adulthood.
The plan is to be developed by April 1, 2022, with full implementation being completed within the ensuing two years.
This plan should be integrated into A Pathway to Hope. It should specifically address the needs of the population of young people leaving care and the specialized services they need due to the inequities, adversities and trauma they have experienced in their lives before and while in care. The plan and all services should be trauma-informed and give particular attention and priority to First Nations, Métis, Inuit and Urban Indigenous young people transitioning to adulthood.
The plan is to be developed by April 1, 2022, with full implementation being completed within the ensuing two years.
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- Ableism ,
- Ageism ,
- Culture and language ,
- Decolonization and Indigenous rights ,
- Discrimination and hate ,
- Economic inequality ,
- Health ,
- Health, wellness and services ,
- Income insecurity and benefits ,
- Indigenous children and youth in care ,
- Indigenous rights and self-governance ,
- Poverty ,
- Poverty and economic inequality ,
- Public services ,
- Representation and leadership ,
- Substance use
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Recommendation 6:
That the Ministry of Health incrementally reduce wait times for complex developmental behavioural conditions (CDBC) diagnostic clinics, and also secure additional resources to provide for periodic follow-up assessments, at key development stages from infancy through to adolescence. The Ministry of Health to reduce wait times to nine months by March 31, 2022; to six months by March 31, 2023; to three months by March 31, 2024; and thereafter increase capacity to provide for follow-up assessments.
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Recommendation 1:
The Ministry of Children and Family Development should fully implement and proactively support and monitor effective practice in planning for transition into adulthood, beginning at least by age 14 for youth in continuing care and extending beyond age 19. Principles of this transition planning process should include:
MCFD is to have developed a comprehensive plan by April 1, 2022 that addresses policy and practice guidelines, staff training and processes and mechanisms for support and monitoring of practice, with full implementation of that plan in the ensuing 18 months.
- Developmentally appropriate processes, aligned with the non-linear and complex process of transitioning to adulthood, and supporting the shift from dependence to interdependence, with relationships at the centre.
- Contextualization of the experience of Indigenous youth transitioning to adulthood within the experience of colonization and supporting the reclamation of culture and identity as critically important elements of the lives of emerging First Nations, Métis, Inuit and Urban Indigenous young adults.
- Reciprocal processes, where youth agency is prioritized and youth are responsible and empowered to design a case plan representative of their goals, interests and support networks.
MCFD is to have developed a comprehensive plan by April 1, 2022 that addresses policy and practice guidelines, staff training and processes and mechanisms for support and monitoring of practice, with full implementation of that plan in the ensuing 18 months.
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Recommendation 9:
MCFD together with the Ministry of Citizens’ Services to initiate the development of a cross-ministry plan, in collaboration with the ministries of Health, MMHA, Social Development and Poverty Reduction, and Education, and in association with DAAs, health authorities and Community Living BC, to routinely collect high-quality demographic and service data that allows for disaggregation, providing an essential foundation for more effective policy development, program provision and service monitoring for children and youth with special needs and their families, including those with FASD who are receiving services from these public bodies. The cross-ministry plan to be completed and implemented by April 1, 2022 and fully
implemented by March 31, 2024.
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Recommendation 1:
That the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions work with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Children and Family Development to conduct a review, after consulting with health authorities, First Nations, Métis Nation and urban Indigenous communities and leadership and other appropriate bodies, into the use of involuntary mental health care for children and youth to identify the conditions that are contributing to its increased use, and identify immediate opportunities to provide voluntary interventions or improve practices that would reduce involuntary admissions. Review to be complete by Jan. 1, 2022.
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