Recent News
Bridging the Gaps: Achieving Substantive Equality for Children with Disabilities in Manitoba
Bridging the Gaps: Achieving Substantive Equality for Children with Disabilities in Manitoba is a special report stemming from a child death investigation and broader systemic research. The Advocate was notified of the death of Emma* in 2017. Emma’s family struggled to navigate disability services in Manitoba and ultimately relied on Child and Family Services for support. Emma died accidentally, just days before an emergency systems meeting was scheduled to discuss an out-of-home placement for her.
In addition to Emma’s investigation, MACY includes findings from a survey of caregivers of children and youth with disabilities; interviews with academic experts, current and former service providers, families, and children and youth with disabilities; and data analysis of Children’s disABILITY Services (CdS) and Child and Family Services (CFS) records. Over 400 people were consulted in the making of this report. The Advocate made nine recommendations for system improvements. *Name has been changed.
Read the report
Read the executive summary
Read the supplemental content
Read the news release
Watch the animated video
Manitoba Advocate Releases New Child Maltreatment Report
Phoenix Sinclair would have turned 21 years old this year. Fifteen years after her death and seven years after the release of the public inquiry into her death, major changes have occurred in the child welfare system. Yet, we are still waiting for the system to consistently support families to keep children safe.
What you will read in this special report is that while large-scale change has occurred and continues to unfold, the needs of children and youth are not always prioritized and consistent and equitable services remain out-of-reach for too many families.
Despite the massive public inquiry into Phoenix Sinclair’s death and the 62 recommendations that were made from that evidence, children are still dying of maltreatment similar to what Phoenix experienced. For example, between 2008 and 2020, there were 19 Manitoba children under the age of five who were maltreated and died. Their lives inspired this special report and five recommendations from the Advocate for policy improvements.
Read the full report.
Read the fact sheet.
Read the news release.
MANITOBA ADVOCATE AND FIRST NATIONS HEALTH AND SOCIAL SECRETARIAT OF MANITOBA PROVIDE JOINT SUBMISSION TO UNITED NATIONS
March 1, 2021 – The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth (MACY) and the First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba (FNHSSM) sent a joint submission to the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) in response to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council 33/25 on the rights of the Indigenous child under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP, 2007). This submission is guided and structured according to the priorities of the Indigenous youth of MACY’s Youth Ambassador Advisory Squad (YAAS!) and highlights Indigenous-led programs and initiatives as they relate to the realization of Indigenous children’s right to health.
Click here to read the full submission.
