Québec Solidaire MNA Guillaume Cliche-Rivard is calling upon the provincial government to “announce emergency measures that will ensure the safety and well-being of children under the care of Batshaw Youth and Family Centres.”
Cliche-Rivard, his party’s social services critic, made his demand on Friday and in the wake of a Montreal Gazette investigation into three deaths within one month at the anglophone youth protection agency. Batshaw employees who spoke to The Gazette say the children were failed by a short-staffed organization that struggles with limited budgets and high turnover.
Two of the children were on wait-lists for home visits from social workers, according to employees. The third died by suicide in Prévost while being held in a unit operated by the youth protection agency.
“The revelations about the recent deaths of children under the care of Batshaw Youth and Family Centres are thoroughly unacceptable and deeply concerning for the well-being of vulnerable children,” Cliche-Rivard said in a statement.
“Those shocking events highlight the consequences of budget cuts and shortages of qualified staff resulting from years of underfunding by the CAQ government in both the anglophone and francophone youth protection system.”
The MNA also challenged Lionel Carmant, Quebec’s minister responsible for social services, to “explain how the situation at Batshaw was allowed to deteriorate to this point, meaning that vulnerable children were left months without receiving the support and services that were needed.”
“I also urge the Commissaire au bien-être et aux droits des enfants and the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse to investigate this matter, establish the facts and recommend any necessary corrective measures.”
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