Amplifying Voices
for Change
Who We Are
The Representative for Children and Youth is an independent oversight office that stands up for the rights of young people in BC.
We use our unique mandate, described in the Representative for Children and Youth Act, to illuminate and challenge inequitable and harmful policies, programs, and practices impacting young people and advocate for improvements.
We make a positive difference for young people and families now, and into the future. We engage all parts of the system to transform outdated approaches and publish compelling evidence that spurs change. We won’t stop until every child in BC has an equal opportunity to thrive.
Our North Star: Advancing Child and Youth Well-Being in British Columbia
RCY’s North Star is clear: Every child and youth should be nurtured, supported, safe, valued for their uniqueness and be able to thrive. We have a collective responsibility to uphold every child’s rights to physical, emotional, mental, social and cultural well-being.
This vision of child well-being guides all of our work.
RCY's Priorities
Our issue areas reflect the interconnected dimensions of well-being and RCY’s ongoing work to strengthen accountability and collaboration so that every young person in British Columbia can be seen, heard and supported to thrive.
RCY gathers information across a range of areas to better understand patterns and trends related to what young people are experiencing. We focus our attention on where change is most needed.
Here are some of our current priorities.
Spotlight
Spotlight
Don’t Look Away, 2024
In 2024 the Representative released the most significant report in the office’s history following the death of a young boy in government care. The report highlighted an outdated system that is failing young people and families and called for a new path forward focused on collective responsibility.
The Representative for Children and Youth (RCY) is calling for a collective commitment to “stop tinkering at the edges of an outdated system that does not work for too many children and families” and embark instead on both specific and larger transformative changes that will ensure that our young people are safe, connected and thriving.
