Nova Scotia’s opposition is calling for more independent probes of deaths of youth and children in care after a 16-year-old girl was found dead in a Halifax home over the weekend.
Chris d’Entremont, the Progressive Conservative house leader, said the latest death, along with incidents of violence in youth group homes, show the province needs an independent and transparent system of oversight.
The member of the legislature for Argyle-Barrington acknowledged that the care of children and troubled youth is difficult.
However, he says even an ombudsman’s July 2014 recommendation for a dedicated team of bureaucrats to review deaths hasn’t been completed.
The opposition member was responding to the latest death of a young woman, who local media reported was in the care of the province at one of its group homes.
Kelly Regan, the acting minister of Community Services, told reporters Thursday she couldn’t confirm if the girl was in care, citing “privacy concerns,” and wouldn’t clearly indicate what form of review was underway.