Child and Youth Advocate’s annual report highlights critical issues impacting young people

November 27, 2023

Edmonton, Alberta

Terri Pelton, provincial Child and Youth Advocate, has released the 2022–2023 Annual Report of the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate (OCYA).

This year’s annual report provides a summary of OCYA major activities during the past year and an overview of the office’s recommendations to government.

“This year, we saw the highest number of notifications of death of young people since our office received the mandate to conduct investigative reviews in 2012,” said Pelton. “This is profoundly concerning and underscores the importance of ensuring our recommendations are implemented to help improve services and supports for vulnerable young people.”

The report also emphasizes that young people benefit when their voices are heard, and their perspectives are considered, and that this is particularly crucial for those involved in the child intervention and youth justice systems.

Some significant aspects of the OCYA’s work over the past year include:

• taking measures to honour the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action,
• releasing two mandatory investigative review reports that examined the circumstances of 33 young people who had passed away,
• making three new recommendations to government to help improve the lives of children and youth, and
• working on a special report about the experiences of young people with disabilities in the child intervention and youth justice systems.

The annual report was tabled by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and outlines the work and activities of the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate during the reporting period of April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023.

A copy of the annual report can be found here: ocya.alberta.ca/adult/publications/annual-reports/

The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate is an independent office of the Alberta Legislature. It represents the rights, interests, and viewpoints of children and youth receiving designated government services.

Media inquiries:

Stephanie Shantz
Acting Communications Manager
Office of the Child and Youth Advocate
780-218-9429
stephanie.shantz@ocya.alberta.ca