The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Statutory Review of Section 6(1)(b) of the
Representative for Children and Youth Act (SBC, 2006, c. 29)
Select Standing Committee on
Children and Youth
First Report
4th Session, 40th Parliament
March 26, 2015
March 26, 2015
To the Honourable
Legislative Assembly of the
Province of British Columbia
Honourable Members:
I have the honour to present herewith the First Report of the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth (the Committee) for the Fourth Session of the 40th Parliament. The report summarizes the results of the Committee’s statutory review of section 6(1)(b) of the
Representative for Children and Youth Act (SBC, 2006, c. 29).
Section 30(2) of the Act requires the Committee to complete, by April 1, 2015, an assessment of the effectiveness of section 6(1)(b) in ensuring that the needs of children are met. Section 6(1)(b) provides for the Representative’s monitor, review, audit and research functions.
On February 6, 2015, the Committee received a
joint letter signed by Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, Representative for Children and Youth, and Mark Sieben, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Children and Family Development, which described their shared view that the Representative’s monitoring functions, including reviewing, auditing and research, remain a required and important aspect of oversight and public accountability of the performance and outcomes of the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
The Committee subsequently met with the Representative for Children and Youth (February 24, 2015) and the Ministry of Children and Family Development (March 4, 2015) to consider the letter and to receive an update on efforts underway to enhance performance measurement and reporting by the Ministry. Following these meetings, the Committee met
in-camera to deliberate on the statutory review.
In accordance with the views of the Representative and the Ministry, the Committee recommends that, in order to ensure the needs of children are effectively met, section 6(1)(b) of the
Representative for Children and Youth Act not be amended at this time. The Committee further notes that there will be an opportunity to review this section during the next statutory review of the Act, which is required to be undertaken by the Committee before April 1, 2017, pursuant to section 30(1) of the Act.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the Committee,
Jane Thornthwaite, MLA
Chair
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