The Special Committee on the Rights of the Child and Youth Protection is currently holding public hearings. On December 5, 2019, the Protecteur du citoyen presented a brief. It began by describing the nature of its intervention in handling complaints and reports concerning children. It went on to present the problems brought to its attention in the past years. Then it pinpointed the actions to undertake quickly to ensure that children’s well-being and rights are respected.
As the Protecteur du citoyen sees it, it is crucial that the quantity and intensity of resources be tailored to children’s needs. Timely and continuous services must also be provided. Moreover, the roles and responsibilities of the various players within the community must be better defined. The Protecteur du citoyen also considers that front-line services must be strengthened. Lastly, it feels that the necessary measures must be taken to attract and retain personnel.
Public trust in children’s aid mechanisms has been sorely tested in recent years. In the Protecteur du citoyen’s opinion, this trust must be restored. The more children’s rights are at the heart of societal responsibility, the more these rights will be upheld.
