Home / Crime and Justice / Alberta Child Deaths: Gaps Found in Caregiver Assessments
Alberta Child Deaths: Gaps Found in Caregiver Assessments
27 Nov
Summary
- Child advocate found gaps in assessing caregiver capacity and relationship impacts.
- Over half of reviewed cases lacked adequate evaluation by intervention workers.
- Trauma, addiction, and disrupted relationships cycle harms youth in care.
A review of 69 deaths and serious injuries in Alberta has revealed significant gaps in child intervention services. The child and youth advocate's report highlights that in more than half of these critical cases, intervention workers failed to adequately assess caregiver capacity and the impact of disrupted relationships on young people's safety and well-being.
The advocate recommends mandatory training on trauma for provincial employees and improved systems for identifying youth with trauma. This is crucial to break a cycle where untreated trauma leads to escalating behavioral challenges and addictions, overwhelming caregivers and causing further disruption and distress for the youth.
The report also addresses support for young adults aging out of care, recommending the public release of the Transition to Adulthood Program manual. Despite government spending on the program, the advocate notes slow progress on past recommendations, underscoring the urgent need for systemic improvements in child intervention and support services.
