A Letter from the Provincial Advocate of Children and Youth

December 27, 2011

Throughout the year, the Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth walks side-by-side with young people in the province’s care system, listening to their concerns and witnessing their inspiring efforts to overcome the many challenges they often face.

More and more, we see that our youth need three essential needs to be successful. They need resources, connections, and voice.

Resources are the practical things that many Ontarians take for granted: safe shelter, nutritious food, and access to education, health care and employment opportunities. Yet, young people in our systems often face real barriers when it comes to obtaining access to these basic resources, as well as conditions that can help them to reach their full potential.

We need to remember that when young people ask for support, it’s more than a plea for survival. They are also asking that we send them a message. Giving them the resources they need shows them that we believe they are worth investing in; that they are valued, and that we know they can achieve great things. 

Studies on child and youth development point to the importance of stable, positive adult relationships in the life of the young person. For many children and youth growing up in our systems, however, these points of connection can be few and far between.  Each time a young person in foster care or a custodial facility moves, relationships are broken. Fragmented services in the area of children’s mental health can make feelings of belonging extremely difficult to forge and maintain.

To be truly effective, the ways we support youth in forming connections will need to be as varied as the young people themselves. For some, adoptive families will be most appropriate. For others, safe places to be (like community centres, religious and peer groups) will have the most impact. By understanding how youth in care define ‘family,’ we can adapt the services we offer to support them in creating and maintaining ties.

The remaining component is just as crucial: voice. With a strong voice, young people can ask for and make use of the resources and connections they need. Without voice, they are unheard and invisible.

Now I understand the great privilege I have as the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth.  The Act, the  piece of legislation, that guides me, tells me to “partner” with young people to raise their concerns; to elevate their voice.  I also understand ,full well,  that I am not the only child and youth advocate in the province.  I believe strongly that as child and youth counselors/workers all of you receiving this newsletter are also child advocates.  You link children and youth to the resources they need.  You are so often the “one person” that children and youth tell me about who makes the difference in their lives.  You are the person who helps young people to find their voice and then use it when they begin to think about taking ownership of their future.

I have come to know your Association over the past year and I am very excited about how we will find ways to work together to improve the lives of the children and youth we both serve. From one child advocate to another  I am looking forward to this work with great anticipation.

~Irwin Elman

Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth