Chelsey St. Pierre – The Suburban LJI Reporter
Concerned by the situation at the Youth Protection Agency (DPJ), Brigitte Garceau, MNA for Robert-Baldwin and the Official Opposition Critic for Youth Protection, demanded answers in the National Assembly on a range of issues from Lionel Carmant, the Minister Responsible for Social Services.
Garceau passionately questioned the Minister on the slow and fragmented implementation of the Laurent Commission’s report recommendations, the lack of training for DPJ workers in the area of conjugal violence, the lack of resources and services for parents, the infringement on children’s rights and the labour shortage.
She said the promises of the Legault government have yet to produce tangible results on the ground. Garceau criticized the failure of the government to meet its obligation to smooth the transition of children from the DPJ to adulthood, in addition to emphasizing the Minister’s lack of an action plan. She also expressed disappointment at the absence of the other two opposition parties at the interpellation, which offered a unique opportunity to question the Minister. “The recent troubling news from the DPJ should motivate elected representatives from all political parties to urge this government to act immediately in the best interests of our youth.”
“It has been two and a half years since the Laurent Commission’s report was tabled, and the implementation of its key recommendations, in particular the appointment of a Commissioner for Children’s Welfare and Rights, remains unclear. While the Minister assures that a bill is ready to be presented, he could not confirm the actual date. What disappoints me the most is the Minister’s lack of a sense of urgency in dealing with pressing issues affecting the well-being, and psychological and physical safety of our children. We’re talking about thousands of children in difficulty. It’s a deplorable situation,’’ Garceau stated.
The press secretary to Minister Carmant told The Suburban that, “the projet de loi is ready and we can expect a development at that level very soon. The implementation of recommendations is divided in three phases in a six-year plan. We decided to do it over a shorter stretch than Régine Laurent, president of the Special Commission on the rights of children and protection of youth, had suggested over a 10-year span. Phase one is complete and advancements are going well. As for the MNA’s comment concerning the work force depreciation, it is quite the opposite as (since 2019) we have 7,000 new social service workers and 3,000 new youth centre workers.”
According to the press secretary, at the start of his mandate, the situation in Youth Protection was degraded and he considers the reform to be of a high level of importance. “Is everything perfect? Of course not. We have a lot more work to do.”
“Never has a government done so much in terms of youth services and youth protection. We are the first government to have put in place financial incentives for work at the DPJ following the creation of the CISSS and CIUSSS and we want to continue to improve their working conditions. We fundamentally reformed the Youth Protection Act last year. Adopted unanimously in April 2022, this law marked the first milestone in this major project for our children. One of the key points of this reform is that we have put in place strong leadership by appointing a national director of youth protection, Ms. Catherine Lemay, so that there is a competent authority with the necessary powers to intervene when required.” n