Every day, more and more children and adolescents with anxiety disorders or major adjustment difficulties suffer in Quebec.
Posted at 11:35 a.m.
This is the worrying observation made by the directors of youth protection (DYP) in their 19e annual report unveiled this Tuesday in Montreal.
Once again this year, the DYPs observed a “considerable” increase in the number of reports.
In total, for all of Quebec, the DYPs processed 132,632 reports during the year 2021-2022, compared to 117,904 last year. This represents an increase of 12.5%.
Photo Olivier Jean, THE PRESS
Assunta Gallo, Director of Youth Protection at the CIUSSS Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal
This is an average of 363 child situations reported per day in Quebec, or 40 more than last year. “They are in distress. They are in real pain, ”said the DPJ of the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal Assunta Gallo, at the time of the presentation of the report.
That being said, the DYPs noted a drop in retained reports of 2.3% compared to the previous year.
“It was not easy” for children and adolescents during the pandemic, added Mme Gallo from the Montreal DPJ. The latter attributes the increase in reports to the fact that the population is “benevolent”. The Quebec population is concerned about its children, and by the same token, does not hesitate to report them if it perceives worrying situations, she specified.
If there are fewer reports retained, it is because the “front-line” services of the health network and community organizations are playing their role and offering a safety net to these children who are the subject of a report, explained Mr.me Gallo.
Thus, the DPJ of Montreal (services for Francophone children) received 12,967 reports, an increase of 8.22% compared to last year. Batshaw, (services for English-speaking children in the metropolis), received 4,645 reports, an increase of 16.39%.
Despite this drop in retained reports, the waiting lists are getting longer, however specified Mr.me Gallo; an increase that can be explained by the shortage of personnel affecting the health network. In Montreal, there are currently 463 children awaiting an assessment (French services). A figure that the DPJ of Montreal describes as “important” and “worrying”. Among Anglophones (Batshaw), there are even more children currently waiting to be assessed, i.e. 560.
At the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, there is currently a shortage of 19 workers to carry out the evaluations of reports. His team usually has 101 workers. However, they are currently 82. “We are working to be more attractive [comme milieu de travail] “, Among other things by offering the four-day work week, underlined Mme Gallo.
Increase also observed in Montérégie
In Montérégie, the number of reports processed has also increased. We are talking about an increase of 3,000 reports compared to the 2020-2021 fiscal year, for a total of 20,837 this year. There is also a drop in reports retained (415 reports retained less than last year).