The Representative announces the 2011 Awards of Excellence winners recognizing individuals and organizations who are providing service excellence to children and youth throughout B.C.. To view a copy of the news release, please click here.

 

The Representative for Children and Youth Act- Five Year Review

The Representative for Children and Youth Act requires that the Act be reviewed by the Select Standing Committee for Children and Youth within five years of coming into force. As part of that process, the Representative for Children and Youth was invited to provide a written submission and make a presentation to the Committee on Oct. 6, 2011. The following is the written submission of the Representative.

The Representative's 2010/11 Annual Report

The year 2010/11 was one of great significance, as the Office of the Representative for Children and Youth and government began to forge a new and much more constructive relationship in which children and youth are being placed at the forefront. The report highlights the work and accomplishments of the Representative's Office on behalf of vulnerable children in B.C.

To view the report, click here.

So Many Plans, So Little Stability: A Child's Need for Security

This report on the Representative’s investigation looks into the chaotic life and unexpected death of a four-month-old First Nations infant. It identifies troubling inadequacies in planning, case management and decision-making, and makes recommendations to address gaps in how government and delegated Aboriginal agencies work together, and in how courts assess potential caregivers.

To view this report, click here.
To view the news release, click here.

MOU signatories to focus on education issues for First Nations children and youth in B.C.

Representative signs MOU with the First Nations Education Steering Committee.

To view the news release, please click here.

Isolated and Invisible: When Children with Special Needs are Seen but Not Seen

The Representative's investigation examines the services and supports provided to a 15-year-old girl with Down syndrome, who was found in September 2010 alone with the body of her deceased mother. The report examines whether the services were appropriate and responsive to the child's situation.

To view the report, please click here.
To view the news release, please click here.

 The Representative's 2011 Awards of Excellence Announced

The Representative for Children and Youth's fourth annual awards recognize and encourage excellence in British Columbia's child- and youth- serving systems.

To view the media release, please click here.
For more information and awards nomination forms, please click here.

All children deserve equal access to the same programs, supports, opportunities and hopeful futures, especially children and youth with special needs, and their families. This is an update on the RCY report released in February 2008, which looked at the support system for children and youth with special needs. These reports examine how the Ministry of Children and Family Development and Community Living BC deliver these services.

To view the report, click here.

A plan reflecting the Office of the Representative for Children and Youth's goals and objectives from 2009/10 to 2011/12.

To view the report, click here.

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RCY reviews and investigations of critical injuries or deaths of children in care or receiving reviewable services from June 1 - September 30, 2008.

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Four British Columbians and two B.C. organizations are receiving recognition for their excellence and exceptional efforts benefiting children and youth around the province.

A backgrounder can be found here.

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An improved health strategy must be put in place for youth who are in or leaving jails, says B.C.Â’s Representative for Children and Youth. This is a key recommendation in a report released today by Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond. She conducted an independent review of practices and procedures relating to physical examinations of youth in custody.

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BC’s child-serving system must act on lessons waiting to be learned from the deaths years ago of four children in Northern BC, and learning from these types of deaths must become more integral to child protection practice, says the Representative for Children and Youth.

Other documents shared at the Representative's April 16 press conference:
From Loss to Learning: Executive Summary and Introduction
From Loss to Learning: Children's Stories
From Loss to Learning: Findings and Recommendations

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Vulnerable children and youth with special needs and their families and caregivers need a more responsive and accountable system of supports, said BC's Representative for Children and Youth, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond.

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Vulnerable First Nations children with special needs will benefit from an announcement from Premier Gordon Campbell pledging support for Jordan's Principle, B.C.'s Representative for Children and Youth said today. Jordan's Principle states governments must help the child first and sort out who pays the bills later.

Government must ignite new enthusiasm to address child protection measures called for in the Hughes Review 18 months ago, BC’s Representative for Children and Youth said today.

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New senior appointees to the Representative for Children and Youth's office form the core of a strong team dedicated to helping improve the lives of B.C.'s children, said Representative Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond.

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An in-depth study of children and youth in care of the government shows they are not achieving the same educational outcomes as children who have never been in care.