B.C. releases action plan to fix gaps in child and youth system

British Columbia’s government has released an action plan that aims to prevent people from falling through the cracks in the child and youth system. 

The plan outlines a “whole-of-government approach” to improve co-ordination of child and family services over the next five years. 

It comes two years after the release of the “Don’t Look Away” report by B.C.’s Representative for Children and Youth, Jennifer Charlesworth. 

The report examined the case an 11-year-old Indigenous boy, referred to as Colby, who died after suffering torture and abuse from his foster parents. It called for a number of major changes to transform B.C.’s child and youth system, including improved communication between siloed government ministries. 

Children and Family Development Minister Jodie Wickens said Tuesday the plan reflects “years of people refusing to accept the system could not do better.”

“Every family deserves to know that when they reach out for help, help will be there for them. Yet, too often we hear from families that accessing services which are meant to support them can be complex and fragmented for them,” said Wickens. 

She said families with complex needs often have to repeat their story over and over again as they are bounced between different ministries and agencies.

The new Child and Youth Well-Being Action Plan said families and caregivers have described long wait times for services that are often disjointed. Others reported fears about systemic racism and stigma in the system. 

It also highlighted concerns that many support models are largely not accessible to families until they have reached a point of crisis. 

Wickens said the new co-ordinated approach could include a merging of her ministry with the Ministry of Social Development, and the province is exploring the idea through ongoing engagement this summer.

Charlesworth said she was feeling emotional to see the action plan finally released.

She said it marks the start of a “generational change” in the child and youth system.

“There’s a part of me that thinks, why did it take two years? We knew so many of the things that needed to be done,” said Charlesworth. “However, these things do take time because it’s not just about putting things on a paper and creating a plan. It’s about shifting the mindset and the mental models that we have.”

The province said the plan also includes a framework to measure the government’s results. 

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip with the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs welcomed the co-ordinated approach. 

“Colby’s devastating death was a preventable tragedy. His heart-wrenching passing called for broad systemic change, where First Nations’ self-determination is upheld in a meaningful way, and where supports that recognize the multifaceted nature of a child’s, a family’s and a community’s well-being are provided early, said Phillip in a statement. “The true test of this new approach, however, will be its implementation.”