Child and Youth Advocate releases ideas for taking action on issues affecting LGBTQ2S+ youth

by Morinville News Staff

The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate (OCYA) has released Community Conversations on Speaking OUT, an addendum to a special report on the experiences of LGBTQ2S+ youth in the child welfare and youth justice systems produced in 2017.

OCYA hosted five community conversations across Alberta that included young people, as well as stakeholders from the Ministry of Children’s Services, the Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General, and agencies serving children and youth. More than 170 people throughout the province participated in the consultations held from March to June 2018.

The new report addendum indicates LGBTQ2S+ youth still experience high levels of homelessness, suicide, mental illness, addiction and violence.

“These community conversations reinforced what we’ve previously heard from LGBTQ2S+ young people about the issues that most affect them,” said Del Graff, Child and Youth Advocate. “There’s great energy and desire in Alberta to improve services to young people, and we hope the ministries of Children’s Services and Justice and Solicitor General will hear what these communities have had to say and apply it in implementing the recommendations made in the original report.”

A copy of the addendum: Community Conversations on Speaking OUT: Ideas for Taking Action and the original 2017 special report are available on our website: http://www.ocya.alberta.ca/adult/publications/ocya-reports/

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