Turpel-Lafond done as child advocate
Battles were many during 10-year term
Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond made her last official appearance Monday as B.C.’s representative for children and youth, ending a decade-long run as a powerful voice for vulnerable kids.
In a meeting at the B.C. legislature, she delivered a report card on the past 10 years to the select standing committee on children and youth before leaving office to spend more time with her family.
Comox Valley MLA Don McRae, who heads the committee searching for her replacement, said Turpel-Lafond’s term officially ends Nov. 27, and that she is using up vacation time until then, leaving her deputy in charge.
The earliest a permanent replacement can be announced is when the legislature resumes sitting in February, but an acting representative is expected to take over from Turpel-Lafond on Nov. 28.
Over two five-year terms as the province’s first representative, Turpel-Lafond has battled ministers and premiers, sued for access to cabinet documents, and issued multiple reports on the deaths and injuries of children in care.
In her final report card, TurpelLafond listed among her office’s accomplishments: • Advocacy work on 17,000 cases, helping children and families “find their voice” and receive better services. • A drop in the number of children in care to 7,200 from about 9,100 a decade ago. • Greater government focus on domestic violence, partly as a result of her report on an Oak Bay murder-suicide. • More adoptions of foster children. • A near doubling in school-completion rates for children and youth in care.
In addition, 12 of 25 post-secondary schools have responded to a challenge by Turpel-Lafond and now offer former foster kids some form of tuition waiver or reduction.
Ted Hughes, whose 2006 review of B.C. child-welfare system led to the creation of TurpelLafond’s office, said the system is better today because of her work.
“Unquestionably, she has proved the need for, and the worth of, the Office of Representative for Children and Youth,” he said.
“She’s shone the spotlight on deficiencies in the system, many of which have been remedied by subsequent government action.”
He said Turpel-Lafond has been particularly effective at highlighting the interests of aboriginal children, who are over-represented in the child-welfare system in B.C. and across the country.
If she has frequently been at odds with the government over the years, Hughes said that stems from the representative’s unusual responsibility to monitor the Ministry of Children and Family Development — something he recommended.
Hughes said there could come a time when that aspect of the job becomes unnecessary, as government becomes more adept at reporting on itself.
“At this point, we’re not there,” he said. “I would expect that when a replacement is named that the monitoring role will continue into the foreseeable future.”
Turpel-Lafond’s relationship with government remained strained to the end. She noted in her final report that Minister of Children and Family Development Stephanie Cadieux has refused to meet with her for the past 12 months.
Cadieux declined comment last week, but issued a statement Monday thanking Turpel-Lafond for her service.
“We have always been united in our desire to make things better for vulnerable children and families, even though we may not have always agreed on how best to improve B.C.’s child-welfare system,” Cadieux said.
Turpel-Lafond said some areas require urgent attention, including: • The lack of support for an average of 700 youth a year who “age out” of foster care at 19. • Inadequate services for aboriginal children and youth. • The lack of supports for children and youth with mentalhealth and substance-use issues.
Victoria-Beacon Hill MLA Carole James, who pushed to restore oversight of child welfare during her stint as leader of the NDP, said the public has come to demand a higher level of accountability from government because of Turpel-Lafond.
“I really believe that that is not going to shift based on someone new coming into the office,” James said. “I think that’s now a public expectation because of the work that Mary Ellen has done.”