Advertisement

Alberta child advocate's role to grow in new child intervention rules

Human Services Minister Manmeet Bhullar says he wants to make fundamental changes to the Alberta's child intervention system.

Alberta is expanding the role of the children's advocate to investigate the deaths of children who are in care.

Human Services Minister Manmeet Bhullar introduced the legislation today saying he wants to make fundamental changes to the province's child intervention system. The bill gives child and youth advocate more authority and allows him to look into deaths of children up to two years after they've left the system.

It also ends the banning of reporting of names of children who die in care.

"I have said from day one I did not like the way the publication ban sat," he told reporters. "That's why this bill will amend the legislation so that the ban no longer applies to deceased children.

"It would enable the name and photograph of children who have passed away and their parents or guardians to be published."

However, parents or guardians can still apply to the courts for a publication ban if they wish.

NDP MLA Rachel Notley said the changes don't go far enough because the children's advocate doesn't have an increase in his budget to conduct more investigations.