The Minister responsible for Social Services, Lionel Carmant, considers that the “historically low” rate of reports retained by the DPJ last year confirms the success of its reform. More young people are being redirected to appropriate community services and fewer are in need of protection, he says.
“Satisfied” with the work accomplished since Régine Laurent made public the 65 recommendACTIONS of the Special Commission on the Rights of Children and Youth Protection, 24 months ago, Minister Carmant says he is ready to launch the “phase two” of three of its overhaul of the DPJ.
The 31 measures of “phase one” are “not completed, completed”, agrees the minister in an interview with The duty, as part of the second anniversary of the tabling of the Laurent report, but “we are sufficiently active to say that we can move on to the next stage”. “All points are well underway in phase one,” he says.
At this time last year, the elected member of the Coalition avenir Québec had calculated that he had completed eleven of the Commission’s “recommendACTIONS”, in addition to having “started” two-thirds of them. We were unable to get such data this time, as the next update is expected in June.
Never mind, Dr. Carmant’s reform, entitled “committing to our children”, has proven itself, according to the principal concerned. ” This year [2022-2023]for the first time since we have been in government, if there is an increase in reports, it will be minimal: we would be at around 136,000, compared to 132,000 last year [2021-2022] “, he says.
This is an increase of approximately 3%. In comparison, this total had increased by 12.5% between fiscal years 2020-2021 and 2021-2022.
“And above all, also, the number of reports retained is at the lowest it has ever been at 31.3%, because the services are provided,” boasts Mr. Carmant. In youth protection, a “retained” report leads a worker to assess the protection needs of a young person and can lead to placement in a youth center or foster family.
The progress recorded in the DPJ data is rooted in phase one of the reform, which made it possible to set up better front-line services for young people, said the minister. By activating phase two of its reform, it aims to facilitate the passage of children through the youth protection system, then to support them during the transition to adulthood.
New part of the Carmant reform
The CAQ government will therefore take advantage of the coming months to “revise the offer of youth accommodation services”, to deploy new “standards and practices” in the network, but first and foremost, to establish and appoint a property commissioner. -being and the rights of children.
The creation of such a position, which was at the top of Régine Laurent’s list when her report was presented, will have to go through a bill. Mr. Carmant had promised it last year, before the elections.
However, the imposing reform of the health network by his colleague Christian Dubé, aimed at launching the Santé Québec agency, is slowing down the minister’s work. Its teams are busy studying Bill 15 “aimed at making the health and social services system more efficient,” he agrees. Impossible, therefore, to draft a new bill to create the post of commissioner. At least, for now.
“As soon as Bill 15 is approved, we will be ready”, supports the elected caquiste, who ensures that checking this box of the Laurent report is a “priority”. “It takes a bill to clearly define its role and ensure its sustainability. »
Already qualified as “ombudsman” of the DPJ, the commissioner will have a role of “spokesperson for the well-being of all children”, sums up Mr. Carmant. “Ideally, the other commissioners or protectors [du citoyen et de l’élève] could be subject to its influence,” he suggests.
And the Charter?
In May 2021, Régine Laurent placed the drafting of a “Charter of the Rights of the Child” second on her list of 65 recommendACTIONS, just after the commissioner. Its aim was to “state the fundamental rights of children” and to protect them.
By making public the main lines of his reform, at the end of 2021, Mr. Carmant had planned to launch from phase two a “construction site with regard to a charter of the rights of the child”. But this project is still pending. Asked about his intentions in relation to this flagship recommendation of the Laurent report, the elected official agrees that we will have to wait a little longer.
“It will probably be in phase three,” he said.
At the time of tabling her report, Ms. Laurent had stated that it would take at best six years to complete the steps set out in her voluminous report. Two years after his filing, Lionel Carmant has no illusions. “As I said, I’m satisfied with the progress, but of course we still have a lot of work to do. »