The journalist Nancy Audet fears in a Book recently published, denouncing a “collective failure”.
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“There are children who have died here at home in almost complete indifference. We talk about it for a few days, but in the end the system doesn’t change. And those who suffer are the children who suffer,” laments the one who was a DPJ child herself.
Nancy Audet denounced the “silence”, “immunity and impunity” of the DPJ, but above all the inaction of the leaders.
“Stakeholders, educators, department heads, attorneys, judges, Department of Health and Human Services officials, intervention officials, social workers and politicians, I speak to you all. Can we put aside our pride and ego to reconsider our ways and treat these children more humanely? ‘ she begins, They’re all called Courage. Weep heartily for the children of the DPJ.
The errors in the system
Starting with the death of the little girl from Granby, whom she called Courage, in April 2019, which will have scared the whole nation, the author paints a harrowing portrait of the DPJ, but above all points to the many failings in the system.
The issues are numerous: labor and foster care shortages, low graduation rates, appalling numbers of young people experiencing homelessness, the deplorable state of youth centers, isolation and coercive measures used, and reprisals for those who dare to be denounced.
In particular, the author questions how the 7-year-old child could have been abandoned to her fate, which eventually led to her violent death “which should never have happened”. Stakeholders are also concerned that more similar tragedies will happen in the future, she writes.
Best companion
But more than that, Nancy Audet calls for better support for the children of the DPJ, so that when they come of age they will be better equipped as they will no longer have access to services.
The journalist specifically spoke to the little girl’s birth mother from Granby, who also went through the DPJ.
“A child of the system is taken away from its child by the same system that couldn’t provide it with the necessary tools,” she describes.
” [La DPJ] Although she causes serious harm to children, their parents, or foster families, she almost always gets away with it. In my eyes and in the eyes of many, this impunity is dangerous. It puts the institution above the law,” argues Nancy Audet.
That’s why she wants to give these children a voice and calls for “profound reform”.
centers in poor condition
Photo courtesy of Nancy Audet
Centers that take in children from the DPJ are in very poor condition and unsanitary, criticizes Nancy Audet, who is demanding massive investment from the government.
Photo courtesy of Nancy Audet
“The furniture is often old and shabby. The walls are peeling and the upholstery is from the 1980’s. I even saw a fireplace that had large holes in the ceiling. The young people told me that this had been the case for more than a year after water damage,” the journalist complains in her book.
Photo courtesy of Nancy Audet
According to his findings, “the quality of facilities varies from center to centre,” and not often for the better.
Mold and peeling paint
“Some of the buildings I visited were in a sorry state: a bathroom that had been falling into disrepair for more than two years and whose faucets were leaking; large circles of mold on the ceiling; dirty showers, some of which have not worked for years. The paint was peeling off in several places in the rooms,” she says.
Photo courtesy of Nancy Audet
She admits she is still concerned that children in Quebec can live in such conditions.
“We have a responsibility to provide them with a safe and welcoming living environment. […] We can certainly provide a home worthy of the name for the most vulnerable children in our society,” she writes.
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