Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons says the legislature’s Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth is poised to “get some really important, influential work done.”
Simons, who was a social worker before entering politics and led the investigation into the 2002 death of a 19-month-old Indigenous girl, Sherry Charlie, after being placed in foster care, was tapped by Premier John Horgan to head the committee last summer. Liberal Michelle Stilwell was named deputy chair.
The nine-member committee’s terms of reference were approved in the fall and it started meeting in October.
Simons said he feels the new terms of reference, which include a focus on the specific needs of Indigenous children, youth, families and communities, give the current version of the committee a stronger voice than it had under the previous government.
“It’s an important committee,” said Simons. “We plan on continuing to help inform legislators and the public about the workings of the child welfare system.”
Simons also said the committee is already making its mark. “I was really impressed with how informed members were and how serious they took the report [at their first full meeting] on educational outcomes for kids in care,” he said.
“We have our work cut out for us,” Simons said. “We’re going to be discussing recommendations about how we could change the Representative for Children and Youth Act – it’s a statutory review, required to be completed by February, so the committee’s anxious to get that done.”
The committee will continue working on that review when it reconvenes Jan. 26 after the Christmas break.
