The provincial government recently unveiled an action plan responding to a child and youth advocate’s report in Newfoundland and Labrador. Social Supports and Well-Being Minister Joedy Wall is defending the two-year timeline outlined for reviewing the restoration of a dedicated service for young crime victims.
Timeline and Commitments
“I know it’s a long time, but we want to get this right,” Wall stated. “We want to make sure we do this right from the onset and not have to reproduce the work. To do something quickly, just to tick a box? That’s not what we’re doing here today.”
The plan includes an initial review to assess location, budget, and resources, potentially lasting up to two years, with completion targeted for fall 2027. No firm commitment exists yet to reopen the centre. “That work is ongoing and we will determine through those discussions if and when the centre does open again,” Wall explained. Inquiries about the committee’s progress are directed to Health Minister Lela Evans.
Previous Centre and Service Gaps
A child and youth advocacy centre operated in the province from 2022 until its closure in 2023. Acting Child and Youth Advocate Karen Gray’s report, released two months ago, highlighted how the shutdown reintroduced service gaps for child victims and families in the capital region.
“We’re not providing what children require to be able to move through what we know to be a really arduous process,” Gray stated. “And so whatever we can do to help and assist children get through that, I think we need to be doing. We’re not doing it right now.”
Role of Child Advocacy Centres
These centres serve as one-stop facilities where police, social workers, and other professionals support children who have faced abuse or violence. “We know that these are really good environments for children to be able to tell probably the most horrific and horrendous story that they can share with anybody,” Gray noted.
Approximately 50 such centres operate across Canada. In 2024, the advocate reviewed policies and procedures for handling sexual abuse reports in the child protection system, following directives from then-Premier Andrew Furey amid concerns over long-standing accusations of sexual violence against vulnerable youths, including some in government care.
