N.B. child welfare bill changed to add children's rights, tracking outcomes of youth in care
CBC
A committee of MLAs from all stripes has agreed to make several changes to New Brunswick's proposed child welfare legislation, including more recognition of children's rights and a commitment to move toward tracking more data to measure the outcomes of youth in care.
That came after two days where politicians heard from several expert witnesses, including the province's child and youth advocate and representatives of Indigenous child and family services agencies.
"The most vulnerable among us, who do not have a voice, most certainly need lawmakers to ensure that they have rights and their rights are protected under the law," Partners for Youth executive director John Sharpe told the committee on Thursday, after urging them them to recognize children's rights.
Social Development Minister Bruce Fitch initially said he felt the bill as it was adequately recognized children's rights, but changed his stance after several witnesses called for the change.
The bill now includes a child or youth's right to medical treatment and education "that corresponds to their aptitudes or abilities," among others.
"This makes it clear, makes it concise and again, addresses some of those concerns that we were hearing in the testimony," Fitch said.
The Child and Youth Well-Being Act was a key recommendation from a review of the child protection system in 2019, which found that child protection wasn't a priority in a big government department.
New Brunswick was the last province without a standalone child protection law, and it could pass third reading on Friday.
Child and youth advocate Kelly Lamrock has said the province is failing as a parent to youth in its care by not tracking how many graduate from high school and how many struggle with mental health issues, among other measurements.
The government introduced a change that would force it to keep a register of "outcomes," though it's not yet clear which outcomes the government will start to track.
But the committee's changes didn't address all the issues raised by expert witnesses on Thursday.
Samantha Paul, executive director of Mi'gmaq Child and Family Services of New Brunswick Inc., which covers six Mi'gmaw communities, said they were consulted on the bill two years ago, but none of the suggestions from those communities were incorporated.
"I read it and it was an absolute utter slap in the face that they did not incorporate one thing that we had asked for," Paul said.
Paul said they don't plan to follow the legislation if it passes as it's written now.
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