Office of the Child and Youth Advocate
February 15, 2016

Advocate for Children and Youth, NL Released Annual Report 2014-2015

�I am delighted to present our Annual Report for the year April 2014 to March 2015. A lot has been accomplished this past year and we continue to be dedicated to ensuring the voices of children and youth are heard and their rights respected. This year�s Annual Report highlights the major activities of the office in the areas of individual advocacy, systemic advocacy, reviews and investigations and public education.�

Carol A. Chafe, Child and Youth Advocate

Over the past year, the Advocate for Children and Youth continued to provide advocacy services to children and youth in Newfoundland and Labrador. Ongoing work included providing individual advocacy services; in response to 632 requests for advocacy services. Outreach visits throughout the province enabled staff to meet with many children and youth, various professionals and members of the public. One investigation was completed and work continued on six other very significant investigations. The first �Advocate�s Report on the Status of Recommendations� was completed and released in February 2015. In June 2014, the Advocate requested that government make amendments to the Child and Youth Advocate Act that will require the mandatory reporting of all deaths and critical incidents involving children and youth receiving government services. Work began on this very important initiative in January 2015.

Included in this year�s Public Annual Report 2014-2015 are:

• Case examples of individual advocacy services provided in areas of housing/income support, education, child/youth in care, youth services and secure custody.
• Systemic advocacy highlights, with a look at our work in the area of post-secondary funding for youth previously in continuous custody and partial school day programming in the K-12 education system.
• Review of the �Advocate�s Report on the Status of Recommendations 2014.�
• Calendar Project � for the eleventh year the office invited schools across the province to participate in the Child and Youth Advocacy Calendar Project by submitting artwork.
• Statistical and business highlights.

A copy of the 2014-2015 Public Annual Report can be found under publications at: www.childandyouthadvocate.nf.ca/pdfs/ACY2014-2015AnnualReport.pdf

The Advocate for Children and Youth is an Independent Statutory Office of the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador. This office has the authority to represent the rights, interests and viewpoints of children and youth who are entitled to receive services and access programs provided by the government of this province.

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Media contact:

Janice Mullins Director of Strategic Development and Planning Advocate for Children and Youth 709-753-3888M janicemullins@ocya.nl.ca

2016 02 15                              10:05 a.m.