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Longueuil – Québec’s youth protection system is still under intense pressure, even though the number of reported cases is no longer rising as sharply. Such is the conclusion reached by the APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) after reading the 2026 annual report filed by youth protection directors. Five years after the Laurent report published by the Special Commission on the Rights of Children and Youth Protection, lack of resources is still preventing a number of changes from being carried out.

“Year after year, youth protection continues to face serious problems,” said APTS president Robert Comeau. “Even the youth protection directors’ report acknowledges that the system is under pressure. We know what the solutions are, but we don’t have the resources to put them in practice.”

The APTS does see some encouraging signs of progress. For instance, the proportion of children remaining in their family environment has increased from 45.8% in 2025 to 52.1% in 2026. This is a step in the right direction, but it must be accompanied by sufficient resources to provide children and families with the support they need.

Meanwhile, some of the Laurent report’s key recommendations have only partly been carried out; others are not even in the process of being implemented; and youth workers do not see many concrete changes in their daily life at work. The APTS is asking the health and social services ministry and Santé Québec to make the implementation of these recommendations a priority.

Rehabilitation centres: the challenges persist

The APTS welcomes the commitment to reducing the presence of children under 12 in rehabilitation centres. To carry this out, however, will require appropriate resources in foster families and group homes – resources that are currently not available.

Worrisome conditions also prevail in a number of rehabilitation centres. Facilities have deteriorated over time, ratios are high, and clienteles with different needs are forced to cohabit. These problems limit the system’s capacity to provide environments that are truly safe and adapted.

Youth workers are also worried about organizational decisions, in particular regarding searches, that might jeopardize security in facilities.

Taking care of employees: an absolute necessity

Work overload is still high and is still affecting the quality of services. Occupational health and safety problems – burnout, aggression, intimidation – persist, making it even more difficult to retain employees. For the APTS, there is no way of improving youth protection without improving conditions of work and practice.

“It’s time to move on from promises to concrete results,” concluded Robert Comeau. “Vulnerable young people can’t wait any longer, and neither can youth workers. We’re asking the government to make this an immediate priority.”

The APTS

The APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) represents more than 68,000 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.