In the 2023 annual report presented on Tuesday, Lisa Broda, the Saskatchewan Advocate for Children and Youth, highlighted pressing challenges confronting the province’s youth.
The report underscores the grim realities faced by young people, emphasizing surges in suicide attempts, mental health issues, substance abuse, limited access to services, and systemic barriers contributing to adverse outcomes.
According to the report, chronic understaffing plagues all child-serving ministries in the province, with persistent concerns regarding group home care. Notably, there are approximately 59,183 Indigenous children under 15 and a total of 91,312 Indigenous youth under 25 in Saskatchewan. Alarmingly, Indigenous youth constitute at least 81% of children in care, with a staggering 30-fold increase in incarceration rates compared to non-Indigenous youth.
The advocate’s office observed a notable increase in received files in 2023, partly attributed to heightened public awareness of children’s rights and services provided by the Advocate for Children and Youth. Concerningly, issues related to accessing mental health and addiction services more than doubled over the previous year.
Moreover, the report highlights financial support deficiencies and terminations for individuals over 16 under the care of the Ministry of Social Services and First Nations Child or Family Services Agencies. Many individuals reaching out to the advocate’s office are in crisis, desperately seeking services.
Noteworthy concerns raised include families struggling to meet basic needs due to the high cost of living, housing accessibility challenges, and youth grappling with mental health issues, addiction, overdoses, familial violence, and assaults.
The report outlines advocacy efforts with provincial ministries, including corrections and social services, concerning legislative measures such as the Warrant Compliance Act, Saskatchewan Child Abuse Protocol, and policies on the use of preferred first names and pronouns by students.
Additionally, the report revisits 36 recommendations to the Government of Saskatchewan stemming from an investigation into independent schools, highlighting ongoing discussions with the Ministry of Education regarding implementation.
The advocate’s office receives notifications from Social Services and Corrections Ministries concerning critically injured or deceased children under their care. In 2023, 40 death reports and 49 critical injury reports were received, with mental health struggles, substance abuse, and violence persisting as predominant challenges.
The report concludes by acknowledging unprecedented case complexities and the failure of existing services to adequately meet the needs of children and youth, particularly in education, health, and social services. While some investments have been made, they remain insufficient to address the multifaceted challenges faced by young people.
