'Absolutely heartbreaking': Groups concerned about closure of Legal Aid child protection office

Groups are voicing their concerns about the closure of a specialized legal aid office that helps families who are dealing with child protection services.

The Family and Child Office in St. John's, which offers the support of a lawyer, a paralegal, and a social worker, is set to close around the end of July due to fiscal restraints and stretched resources at the Newfoundland and Labrador Legal Aid Commission.

"What we just lost was a very important specialized service that vulnerable mothers living in poverty depended on, and we have no plan with what's going to happen with those families," said Jenny Wright, the executive director of the St. John's Status of Women Council.

Wright said her group has heard from many women who are angry, frustrated, and disappointed that the Family and Child Office is closing.

"One lawyer is not going to help a woman navigate really complex cases with child protection," she said. "Much more support is needed."

Child protection issues

Wright said there are issues with the province's child protection system, with 5,000 open cases, and a number of deaths while under child protection orders.

"The relationship between child protection and a mother is the most intrusive relationship possible. They have a great deal of power about whether your child stays with you or doesn't stay with you, or the different rules that will be imposed on you in order to keep your child. And on average, they're going to be involved in your life for well over a year," she said.

"So women need to have strong advocates, great education, and access to legal and justice systems to help them navigate that system in the best way that they can for their family."

Government action needed

Wright said she understands that legal aid is a non-profit and there are pains from having to deal with minimal resources — but it's time for government to step in.

She's calling on the Department of Justice, the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, and the Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development to come together to work out a plan.

"What is going to happen with these ... delays in courts? Because it's absolutely unacceptable," she said.

"The most frustrating part that we find through... this whole situation is that [government] knew this was coming. They were warned that it was coming. The director told them in advance that this was going to happen."

High rates of domestic violence

Wright said Newfoundland and Labrador has some of the of the highest rates of domestic violence, and to lose this support is "absolutely heartbreaking."

"Anytime there is an interaction with police around domestic violence, a child protection case is open. We need those supports around women and their children who are experiencing domestic violence," she said.

"The government needs to come forward, and it needs to give resources to legal aid, so that those women and [those] families have their basic human rights and safety met, around representation and justice, the ability to navigate that Goliath of an office with a great deal of power, and to ensure they have the education and the advocacy that they need."

Child and Youth Advocate responds

The province's Child and Youth Advocate was unavailable for an interview, but Jackie Lake Kavanagh's office sent a statement that said the closure of the Family and Child Office in St. John's is "very concerning."

"This will result in a reduction of specialized legal services in cases involving vulnerable children, and may result in unnecessary delays," the statement read.

"If there are longer timelines for cases to be resolved, this may contribute to increased time that children may spend in care. If this is the case, this is unacceptable."

The advocate also voiced concerns about moving the office's cases to other lawyers within the legal aid system, specifically about their level of training and experience in child and family matters.

According to the statement, "while there are very real pressures and workload demands on Legal Aid, a reduction of services in matters involving vulnerable children is particularly troubling."