Welcome to the Commissioner for Children's Welfare and Rights and a reminder of our concerns

For over a year, FFARIQ has been calling for the creation of a position of Commissioner for Children's Welfare and Rights. FFARIQ welcomes the appointment of Marie-Eve Brunet Kitchen to this position.

The presence of this DPJ "watchdog" for children's welfare and rights finally gives foster families recourse so that the children in their care can receive the help, care and support they need.

"I've been a foster parent for 23 years, and I've noticed that the youth protection system is at its lowest ebb. Children arrive with suitcases much bigger than they're capable of carrying, and it's often difficult to get the care and support they need. It's important to be able to denounce things and for children to be heard," says Ms. Gagnon.

She took advantage of the nearly 10-minute interview to emphasize that the entire system needs to be overhauled, particularly on these points:

- The obligation to "remove" children from foster care as soon as they turn 18, even if they are in local foster care, still need support or are studying. "Despite the Law that changed in 2023 and the Laurent Commission's recommendations to keep children until the age of 25, what I see in the field is that at 18, they're told 'figure it out, we're not paying anymore'. It's not a question of available places, it's a question of money!

- General criteria for becoming a foster family. "The Ministry is reworking the general criteria. FFARIQ was involved in this project. The reference framework and criteria are designed for all foster families, whether for children or adults, but a child doesn't stay in his room like an adult. The room can be smaller. The criteria can be made more flexible to accommodate children, while maintaining a benevolent eye";

- Longer host family contracts to ensure security. "Foster families are self-employed. It's hard to invest in adapting a house to accommodate children when you don't have job security. We've been negotiating and fighting for this for 22 months."

The arrival of a Commissioner for Children's Welfare and Rights gives us hope that the children in our care will have access to everything they need to meet their needs.

You can listen to the full interview by clicking on this link :

Listen to the interview