News

Longueuil – The APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) has reviewed the 2024 evaluation of the Director of Youth Protection (DPJ), entitled Quand la violence conjugale est au coeur de la vie de l'enfant. While the report highlights the challenges, the APTS would like to comment on the current state of the youth protection system.

“Once again this year, the APTS finds that the state of the DPJ system is grim,” said Robert Comeau, APTS president. “It’s frustrating to have to air our grievances in public by pointing out that youth protection needs to be a government priority. This should have been the case all along! The good will of government officials and senior civil servants offers nothing concrete for our people on the ground or for youth, whom Québec should be taking care of with a lot more zeal. We need concrete measures to be applied quickly.”

While the theme of this year’s evaluation is when intimate partner violence takes over a child’s life, the APTS knows only too well that people on the ground lack the means to perform their day-to-day duties and that they need more time to reflect on certain issues, including intimate partner violence, which has a direct impact on youth. It’s the only way to get them the help they need.

“The APTS knows that young Quebecers can count on the dedication of DPJ employees and that youth workers perform miracles on the ground,” Robert Comeau said. “While plenty of DPJs across Québec do the impossible to avoid failing in their mission, who can youth workers turn to when they need resources on the ground? When will the government take concrete measures to attract new colleagues? Concrete measures to support employees and foster the retention of qualified people, who are currently leaving the system every day?”

The APTS knows we need to improve working conditions for youth workers: it’s practically impossible to find teams that aren’t experiencing staffing shortages, whether in major centres or in the regions.

“The situation is appalling in much of Québec,” said Sébastien Pitre, APTS officer for youth centres. “Just look at what’s happening in the Côte-Nord region. They are short 29 out of 36 youth workers! They have only seven people to apply measures and perform assessments and referrals for the entire region! I was there this morning to help out the local team: when will the government and the provincial youth protection director stop saying that everything will be fine and take action? Under the current conditions, it’s no longer a matter of whether a youth worker will end up on sick leave, but when.”

On May 29, we remarked on the National Assembly’s adoption of the law creating the position of Commissioner for Children's Well-Being and Rights, one of the key recommendations from the Laurent Commission report (special commission on children’s rights and youth protection). The APTS contends that there are many other recommendations that still need to be applied, including those that directly affect resources provided to employees.

“The alarming drop in youth protection staff needs to be taken seriously,” said the APTS president. “I would have been happy to say that everything’s just great and that three years after the Laurent Commission report, things have improved. Unfortunately, that’s just not the case. If Québec wants to take care of its children, it needs to recognize the value of the people helping them. Failing that, youth workers will keep leaving the ship at a disconcerting rate.”

The APTS

The APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) represents more than 65,000 members who play a key role in ensuring that health and social services institutions run smoothly. Our members provide a wide range of services for all Quebecers, including diagnostic, rehabilitation, nutrition, psychosocial intervention, clinical support, and prevention services.