Child Advocates

Child advocates are concerned with the developmental needs of children and young people, and can play an important role in ensuring due process rights for young people in conflict with the law. They can help provide a voice for children and young people, ensure just and humane conditions of custody, and guard the privacy rights surrounding record provisions. They can also work to ensure that the special legal protections assigned to young people are provided with dignity and fairness.

Child advocates can help ensure accountability to Canadians, an important feature in all government social policy initiatives, including the Youth Justice Renewal Initiative.

Example of how child advocates played a role:

• Standards of Care for Youth in Custody
  
  A discussion paper outlines the key issues for youth in custody in terms of safety, basic needs, rehabilitation and reintegration and rights entitlements. The paper explores the importance of developing best practice standards for youth in custody and issues relating to the accountability of the system and the stated goals of the
  Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA).