N.L.’s child advocate probes system’s role in abuse, suicide cases

ST.JOHN’S,N.L.—Newfoundland’s Child and Youth Advocate is investigating four new serious incidents affectingchildren,includingthedeath of a teen in a group home, bringing the total number of investigations by her office to 10.

Carol Chafe said Wednesday the four most recent cases affected seven children and she’s examining whether provincial agencies met the needs of the children and youths in each of the cases.

“It continues to be a concern that there are gaps in all of our systems of government providing services to children and youth that ultimately lead to harm for children,” said Chafe in a telephone interview.

“These children ... should all be provided the same standard of care throughout the province.”

She says in a news release one case involved an 18-year-old who committed suicide while residing in a group home and receiving services from the regional health authority and the Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development.

Chafe says in another incident, several children were physically and sexually abused by their parents despite their cases being overseen by provincial agencies.

In a third case, the advocate says she will look at what happened to a 16-year-old girl with complex mental health needs whose health deteriorated while in a group home, prior to her move to another location.

The fourth case involves a young child who was placed in an alternate care arrangement by the social development department for a lengthy period of time, and “concerns” were identified with the services provided and the lack of a permanent home for the child.

The investigations will also look at the involvement of police services, the departments of Health and Justice, the English school district, and the Eastern Regional Health Authority.

Chafe says the probes are being added to a list of other cases already being looked at.

Her office is already conducting six previously called investigations which involved two deaths and four critical incidents involving 18 children.

Chafe has asked for the Child and Youth Advocate Act to be amended to ensure mandatory reporting by all government departments and agencies of critical incidents and deaths of children and youth receiving services.