15-Year-Old Jimmy

It is essential that their histories of abuse and neglect are considered and caseworkers look beyond the young person’s “presenting behaviours” and shift their focus from “what is wrong with you?” to “what happened to you?”4 The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate has seen a marked increase in the number of adolescents like Jimmy, who have asked Child Intervention Services for help and have bee [...] The Family Law Act speaks to the Courts’ responsibility to ensure the greatest possible protection of a child’s physical, emotional and psychological safety.5 The paperwork associated with a guardianship application is not reflective of how these needs are assessed and obtaining further information is left to the discretion of the Judge. [...] The Advocate derives his authority from the Child and Youth Advocate Act (CYAA).6 The role of the Advocate is to represent the rights, interests and viewpoints of children receiving services through the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act7 (Enhancement Act), the Protection of Sexually Exploited Children Act8 (PSECA), or from the youth justice system. [...] The Advocate may investigate systemic issues arising from the death of a child who was receiving Child Intervention Services at the time of their death if, in the opinion of the Advocate, the investigation is warranted or in the public interest. [...] The responsibility to realize the fundamental rights afforded to him under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC),25 such as housing, was left up to 15-year-old Jimmy.