Review of child and youth advocacy in Alberta

Alberta is considered by many other jurisdictions as a forerunner in providing innovative child welfare services. However, this is balanced by an understanding that not all children and youth have optimal outcomes, and a continual focus on improvement is fundamentally important. This review represents an opportunity to build on the strengths of the current system to ensure the system is transparent and accountable with a focus on improving outcomes for children and youth in Alberta. This report presents the findings and recommendations of the Alberta Child and Youth Advocacy Review Committee. It balances "what we heard" from a range of stakeholders with observations of the Committee, including a particular emphasis on voices from youth with experience with child welfare services in Alberta. Practices and models were examined from other jurisdictions. The recommendations in this report represent a solution that is designed for Alberta culminating in a vision for strengthened child and youth advocacy in Alberta.