A Case Study of Child and Youth Advocacy in Ontario

Abstract

In 2019, the Province of Ontario underwent a drastic change regarding child and youth advocacy. The Progressive Conservative Government announced they would close the Ontario Office of the Provincial Child and Youth Advocate and shift some of its functions to the Office of the Ombudsman of Ontario in a new Children and Youth Unit. Although research exists on child and youth advocacy in Canada, relatively little attention has been paid to this change. In this study I sought to address a knowledge gap by investigating how child and youth advocacy has shifted in Ontario and what implications this change has had on the lives of children. This research employed a descriptive case study methodology using one-on-one interviews with nine participants in child and youth advocacy in Ontario, including previous employees of the Provincial Advocate’s Office, Children’s Aid Society employees, lived experts, and other child advocates. Additionally, the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth Act, 2007, Restoring Trust, Transparency and Accountability, 2018, and reports from the former Advocate’s office and the current Ombudsman’s Office were analyzed in conjunction with the interviews, using a reflexive thematic analysis. Childism was utilized as the guiding theoretical framework. The key thematic findings from this study demonstrated that child and youth advocacy has important requirements to ensure it is being conducted in a meaningful way; there have been some significant changes in how child and youth advocacy is conducted within the province of Ontario that have had negative effects on the lives of children, but some things have remained the same; as well as there were multiple recommendations made by the participants on how to improve children’s experiences with advocacy, such as ensuring advocacy is reinstated in legislation. The implications of this study demonstrate that having a formal appointed provincial child advocate, or legislated advocacy, is critical to ensure child and youth advocacy is taking place at the provincial level. Additionally, findings suggest the need for outreach being conducted at the Ombudsman’s Office to be expanded to encompass much more than just children’s rights pertaining to care. Outreach should include places like schools, and discuss the rights prescribed to children within the UNCRC.