People at Quebec’s child protection services are busier than they have ever been, but there are some positives to take from that alarming fact.
An initial reaction that this is bad news because it means more children need protection from violence is to be expected. But some experts say it shows more people are aware the service is out there and that has led to more children getting the protection they need.
In the last year alone the number of calls to youth protection rose by more than 57-hundred.
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Neglect still makes up nearly half of all cases annually, but physical abuse remains a huge problem.
“A quarter of our children get reported to us because of either, they’ve been a victim of physical abuse or (are at) risk of physical abuse, which is quite a concern,” says Madeleine Berard of Batshaw Youth and Family Services.
The number of calls has gone up across the province but more acutely in the Monteregie. And with rumours of provincial budget cuts on the horizon, some worry, there won’t be enough staff to meet the need.
“It’s going to give us the motivation to go and make representation regarding all the increase of report that we have and we will try to avoid those cuts in our place,” says Monteregie Youth Centres spokeperson Gilles Cloutier.
A spokesperson for the minister responsible for youth and family services told Global News that department will get $1.3 billion for the year 2010-2011. He went on to say that any cuts would be made in administration and not front line services.
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