Child advocate office has ‘aging out’ video
The Yukon Child and Youth Advocate Office,
The Yukon Child and Youth Advocate Office, along with support from Shakat, has produced a video with a young person who grew up in government care in the Yukon. It was launched in late September.
Carrie Davis, 31, is currently a student of digital media communications living in Nanaimo, B.C.
She lived in foster care and residential care (group homes) for most of her childhood.
“We lived it, and I want to tell our story without exploiting young people,” Davis said.
She asked Annette King, the Yukon’s child and youth advocate, to assist her in producing the video to amplify the voices of young people about their experiences with leaving care.
King said the documentary-style video is intended to model an approach of engaging young people in telling their experience.
“Often on large systemic issues regarding young people, their perspective is not respectfully portrayed,” she said.
Although aging out of care continues to be one of the systemic theme that need addressing, King said, the video is not specifically part of the systemic review of group homes her office is currently conducting.
The group home review is focused on the experiences of children and youth over a three-year period while the aging out video reflects on past experiences of children and youth leaving care.
“The issue of how young people transition out of care is a longstanding issue,” said King.
“It is important to hear from the past to validate those experiences and observe what has changed, and what still needs to be changed, to create the best possible outcomes for children and youth living in care.”
The link to the video, along with a feedback survey, is available online at www.ycao.ca.
King’s office is an independent office of the legislative assembly.
Its operations are guided by the Child and Youth Advocate Act.
Comments (6)
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This King Is No Dragon Slayer on Nov 9, 2018 at 9:43 pm
And the report will be submitted after a thorough vetting to minimize the potential for damage. Even a King serves at the pleasure of the public image.
George Carlin sums this idea up rather well:
Governments don’t want well informed, well educated people capable of critical thinking. That is against their interest. They want obedient workers, people who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork. And just dumb enough to passively accept it.
This is the problem with government systems.
Government for and by the people? Not likely... It reminds me of a chorus in a song:
Devil and the deep blue sea behind me
Vanish in the air you'll never find me
I will turn your face to alabaster
When you'll find your servant is your master [Police].
Yes, those elected to serve you... LOL!
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Mitch Green on Nov 7, 2018 at 5:46 pm
The Director of this program appears to be Geraldine MacDonald and the paper should interview her about her response to the the film. With all the negative things we have been learning about this program in the legislature and the media the tax paying public deserves to have this explained by this well paid public servant.
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Michelle Lee on Nov 7, 2018 at 5:38 pm
What power does the Advocate have? What has she done during crisis when these kids we have been hearing about are homeless or abused by HSS? I understand we are waiting on a report she will publish with recommendations but it seems like she has little to no real power during real crisis moments.
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Mike Gates on Nov 7, 2018 at 3:35 pm
Great work Carrie. Good to hear first hand what's happening for kids in care. Why have we not moved very far from our colonial past? Workers practicing racist social work should be held accountable. Yukon Government is not open to innovation it seems getting rid of any staff who advocate for youth and families.
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Elizabeth Duncan on Nov 7, 2018 at 3:30 pm
I watched this film and it shines a light on concerns in the Yukon's child protection system. It was curious to not see any YG managers being interviewed. It would be interesting to know if the Director was asked for an interview or not. More information about what's working would have also been helpful to us in the community. One young woman talks about the help she got at ISSY and in particular Jane Bates. I only ever hear youth who have been helped by Jane Bates and she is sorely missed by youth, families and community advocates. If you could tell us more about that it would be helpful.
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Groucho d'North on Nov 6, 2018 at 5:05 pm
It's kinda sad that these kids "age out" of the system rather than leaving when they can face the world safely on their own.