50 young Albertans died while receiving child intervention services last year, report says
CBC
Alberta's child and youth advocate says she is concerned about the rising number of young people dying while receiving child intervention services.
Between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023, there were 88 notifications of serious injuries and deaths reported to the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate (OCYA) — the highest number since the office began conducting investigative reviews in 2012.
Fifty young people died while receiving child intervention services, the most ever recorded, surpassing last year's total of 49.
"This is profoundly concerning and underscores the importance of ensuring our recommendations are implemented to help meet the needs of vulnerable young people," Terri Pelton said in her office's annual report published on Tuesday.
The independent office is notified of a death or life-altering injury if the young person had an open child welfare file at the time or was receiving child intervention or youth justice services.
The office is also notified if the young person had received those services or had an open child welfare file in the two previous years.
According to the annual report, the number of notifications of serious injuries and deaths has been rising for the past three years.
About 76 per cent of notifications were for Indigenous youth, who are overrepresented in the child intervention system.
Pelton said the cause of many of the deaths has yet to be confirmed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, but anecdotally, most of the deaths are suspected to be related to drug poisonings.
Peter Choate, a social work professor at Mount Royal University in Calgary, said multiple factors are likely contributing to the increase in serious injuries and deaths, including the opioid crisis and decreased access to things like housing and food.
He said more money should be spent on prevention and early-intervention services.
"Children die because we're not properly funding," he said.
He said scores of reports over the years have shown Indigenous youth in particular have been dying at disproportionate rates and the reports have recommended changes but there has been a lack of sustained funding and effort to address the issue.
Choate said the province should work with First Nations and urban Indigenous communities on direct prevention services, provide social supports aimed at and led by Indigenous populations, increase outreach services on city streets, encourage First Nations to work with governments to take over their Indigenous child welfare services, and increase support services available for Jordan's principle.
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