Alberta: Office of the Child and Youth Advocate Alberta
From January to March 2014, the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate (OCYA) met with stakeholders throughout the province to identify systemic issues for a special report related to young people. The number one issue raised in these meetings was the overrepresentation of Aboriginal young people in the child welfare system. This strong and consistent input led to this report. Information was gathered from a range of stakeholders through small gatherings, interviews, and online surveys. Children, youth, caregivers, and other stakeholders shared their perspectives about what was important to them before, during, and after their involvement with the system. This report identifies a number of systemic issues that contribute to the overrepresentation of Aboriginal children in Alberta’s child welfare system.