CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal | Child and Youth Protection

Youth Protection: Stepping in, protecting children, and bringing hope after a report

The role of Youth Protection: Protecting children, supporting families

The Director of Youth Protection intervenes when a child under 18 years old is not safe or their development is at risk. Such interventions always focus on what is best for the child and ensure their rights are respected.

When does Youth Protection intervene?

Youth Protection steps in when a child is exposed to serious situations, such as:

neglect
physical or psychological abuse
dangerous living conditions

Youth Protection accompanies and supports families while regularly monitoring the child’s situation. All interventions are carried out collaboratively with the parents and community resources to ensure the child’s needs are met in a safe and stable environment.

Providing support

Youth Protection provides assistance and resources to parents so that children can grow up in a safe and caring environment.

A responsibility we share

We all play a role in keeping children safe. If you see something that concerns you, talking about it can make all the difference.

For more information, see the Reporting a Situation to Youth Protection page.

The Batshaw Youth and Family Centres are part of our CIUSSS. They provide services to Montréal Island residents wanting English-language services. They also serve Montréal’s Jewish community in both French and English.

Reporting is protecting!

Are you concerned about a child?

Has a child told you about their problems and you don’t know what to do?

Caseworkers will assess the situation using several criteria (such as the child’s safety, development, and well-being).

If the report is verified, Youth Protection may:

propose an agreement to the family with measures to implement
ask the courts to impose measures the parents must respect.

In the case of an emergency, Youth Protection can act immediately to protect the child.

What is the role of Youth Protection’s Assessment and Guidance team?

When the Director of Youth Protection retains a report, the Assessment and Guidance (AG) team are the first to intervene. Their mandate is a vital one: they assess the child’s situation and determine the best approach to ensuring the child’s safety and development.

You can listen to Eva Gabizon, a clinical activities specialist and social worker with the Youth Protection Department’s AG team.

In the video, Eva talks about:

The roles of the AG team.
Why she chose this profession.
A myth about Youth Protection she would like to dispel.

What does the Assessment and Guidance team do?

They assess the situation: The team meets with the child, the parents, and sometimes with other significant people (extended family, school, professionals) to understand the context.
They identify the needs: They determine whether the safety or development of the child is at risk.
They propose solutions: Based on the assessment, they recommend the most appropriate measures, focusing on keeping the child with their family when it is safe to do so. Placing children outside the home is only considered if the safety of the child cannot be ensured otherwise.

A collaborative role

The AG team works with parents and partners to find lasting solutions. Their objective isn’t to judge, but rather to help create a safe and stable environment for the child.