Child and Youth Advocate’s latest report underscores importance of adequate child intervention assessments

“It is essential that child-serving systems recognize young people’s needs and provide appropriate care. This begins with adequate child intervention assessments,” said Terri Pelton, Alberta’s Child and Youth Advocate, in a press release.

One heartbreaking case is 19-month-old Eliza, who died from toxic opioid and methamphetamine exposure after previous concerns for her safety were not fully addressed.

Officials say this year’s report builds on previous findings about how compounding trauma, grief, and loss affect young people’s ability to cope with adverse experiences, which can impact their well-being and lead to pain-based behaviours including turning to substance use.

According to the report, 48 of the children and youth had mental health and/or substance use problems, and 33 died from substance-related causes.

“Many of these young people had horrific starts to their young lives, and that stays with them,” said Pelton. “While there are times when the government must intervene to ensure a child’s safety, professionals must recognize how this compounds their trauma and provide them with the support they need as early as possible to mitigate these impacts.”

The report’s recommendations include:

1. The Ministry of Children and Family Services should make the Transition to Adulthood Program (TAP) policy manual publicly available.

TAP has been in operation since 2022.
Young people preparing for independence require clear and reliable information about program expectations, eligibility, and entitlements.
Caregivers, service providers, and community supports need access to this information to effectively advocate for and assist young people.
Publicly available policy supports equity by allowing all young people, regardless of location or circumstance, to understand their rights and entitlements.

2. The Ministries of Primary and Preventative Health Services, Hospital and Surgical Health Services, Education and Childcare, Assisted Living and Social Services, and Justice should have mandatory training in child-centered, trauma-informed practices for professionals who deliver services to young people and their families.

Professionals is referring to those who have an impact on the experiences of children, youth, and families within a system.
Training will provide professionals with practical skills to recognize and respond to trauma.
Training should focus on the unique needs of the family and the young person’s experiences.
Each ministry should determine how training best aligns within existing training practices.

3. The Ministries of Primary and Preventative Health Services, Hospital and Surgical Health Services, Children and Family Services, Education and Childcare, and Assisted Living and Social Services should each implement an approach to identify young people’s traumatic experiences that will guide the planning of services and supports that are responsive to their individual needs.

Each Ministry should review and determine how trauma identification can be embedded within its existing policies, practices, and processes for planning and delivering services and supports for young people.
The trauma identification approach should be evidence-informed and include a broad range of adverse experiences, their frequency, intensity and impact over time on a young person to inform planning.
Identifying trauma early is essential to be able to effectively plan and access targeted services to address pain-based behaviours.
Trauma identification should occur regularly as part of the ongoing planning process.
Approaches to identification and planning should be culturally responsive, inclusive of important relationships and connections.
Planning should involve collaboration with other professionals and natural supports working with young people to enhance coordinated service delivery.

Diana Batten, Shadow Minister for Children and Family Services, issued the following statement in response to the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate’s annual report:

“The findings in this year’s Office of the Child and Youth Advocate investigative report are heartbreaking and reveal a profound failure in protecting Alberta’s most vulnerable.

“This year, there were 79 young people who were under the responsibility of the government who were seriously injured or lost their lives —each one a child or youth who deserved safety, stability, and the chance to thrive.

“The overrepresentation of Indigenous children—65 per cent of those reviewed—is unacceptable and reflects the ongoing harm caused by systemic inequities.

“We cannot ignore this urgent call for change. Trauma, grief, and loss are at the core of these tragedies. The recommendations in this report are clear and actionable and designed to address those root causes.

“This government continues to ignore recommendations from the OCYA. The UCP government must implement recommendations before anymore lives are lost.

“Every child and youth in Alberta deserves to grow up safe, supported, and connected to their culture and community. Anything less is a failure of this government’s responsibility.”

The Calling for Change report can be found here:
ocya.alberta.ca/reports/

The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate is an independent office of the Alberta Legislature. It represents the rights, interests, and viewpoints of children and youth receiving designated government services.

by rdnewsNOW staff

Child and Youth Advocate’s latest report underscores importance of adequate child intervention assessments

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