Change of leadership for Youth Protection Service

Mélissa Gélinas

The 2024-2025 report, entitled, Changing the World, One Child at a Time, was submitted by the National Director of Youth Protection (NDYP), Lesley Hill, on October 23. This report demonstrates several concrete advances made since 2024, in collaboration with several partners, with respect to ​​youth protection and the positive impact they have had on children and families in Quebec.

"This is what we are focusing on for the coming months...", commented Hill. "This is the right path to follow to implement youth protection services that are more humane, more consistent, and that promote trust, safety, and rehabilitation for young people."

Renewed Governance

Major changes marked the 2024-2025 year, including a major reform in health and social services, the arrival of the very first Commissioner for the Well-being and Rights of Children in Quebec, and the appointment of a new NDYP in November 2024.

Upon her arrival, Leslie Hill held a series of meetings with Santé Québec to establish the sharing of roles and responsibilities. A portrait of the structural issues was also drawn up based on previous reforms.

Consultations with Young People and Parents

The participation of young people and their parents is essential to improving services. To this end, the NDYP wishes to implement strategies to encourage young people and parents to express their opinions. To this end, several meetings were held with youth representatives to learn about their concerns.

Hill also met with associations representing parents and community organizations to better understand the challenges faced by parents within the Youth Protection Directorate (YPD).



Implementation of New Guidelines

New guidelines have been implemented to better protect young people and better regulate practices in rehabilitation centres. To this end, nearly 450 people were consulted to learn about their concerns.

• To obtain more tools for service providers to meet the needs of children with special needs.
• To develop partnerships with community and institutional organizations.
• To provide more services for parents and young people by teaming up with local service providers.
• To ensure better respect for the rights of young people, particularly regarding their schooling, health, individual needs, and other matters.

Services for First Nations and Inuit Youth and Families

These services are part of an approach based on respect and the importance of cultural safety and reconciliation. Several visits were made by the NDYP to various communities, including Opitciwan, Manawan, and Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam. These meetings made it possible to gather their perspectives while fostering dialogue.

Actions carried out in 2024-2025:

• Support for the community of Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam
• Support for Inuit authorities
• Online publication of clinical tools for service providers
• Launch of work on developing ministerial guidelines