Manitoba Advocate releases 2021-22 Annual Report, Child Death Data
Press Release
The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth enters its’ 30th year of working to advance the rights of children, youth, and young adults in Manitoba
TREATY 1 TERRITORY, WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, HOME OF THE RED RIVER METIS – November 29, 2022– The Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth, Sherry Gott, has released her office’s annual report, which summarizes the work of the office during the 2021-22 fiscal year.
The Advocate’s role was first established in 1992 through an amendment to The Child and Family Services Act, which created the Advocate’s role and established the Office of the Children’s Advocate, now known as the Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth (MACY).
“The establishment of our office was one of the outcomes of the landmark Kimelman Report on the Sixties Scoop,” said Ainsley Krone, who served as the Acting Manitoba Advocate from January 2021-October 2022. “Our journey also included the Phoenix Sinclair Inquiry Report in 2014, which was the impetus for the enactment of our current enabling legislation, The Advocate for Children and Youth Act.”
On Oct. 17, 2022, Sherry Gott was appointed as the new Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth. “In my role as the Manitoba Advocate, I plan to continue to amplify the voices of children, youth, young adults, and their families,” said Manitoba Advocate, Sherry Gott. “I look forward to building strong relationships with youth-serving organizations in the province. I will also continue the work to engage and create relationships with Indigenous communities and organizations throughout Manitoba.”
The Manitoba Advocate’s annual report highlights important numbers from the past year, including the number of children, youth, and young adults who accessed MACY’s programs, or joined the office’s initiatives and events. The executive summary, available in English, French, Cree, Ojibwe, and Oji-Cree, highlights these key statistics:
- 2,721 requests for advocacy services
- 966 complex advocacy cases opened
- 1,255 children, youth, and young adults supported with complex advocacy supports
- 196 Manitoba child death notifications received
- 32 child death reviews completed
- 15 child death investigations completed
- 4 special reports completed, including:
- 1 report card on government compliance
- 1 report based on the investigations of 45 boys who died by suicide and homicide
- 1 report on the use of segregation and solitary confinement in youth custody facilities o 1 report summarizing the voices and priorities of young Manitobans
- 1 submission to the Manitoba Homelessness Strategy
- 1 peer-reviewed article published
- 5 formal recommendations issued to public bodies, based on concerns arising from child death investigations and systemic research on children’s rights issues
- 323 children and youth received educational boxes with rights-based activities for National Child Day
- 32,144 Thrival KitsTM delivered to students in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association – Manitoba and Winnipeg
“I want to acknowledge and thank Ainsley Krone, for her work as Acting Advocate this past year, and the staff at MACY for all of the work they have accomplished,” said Gott. “I look forward to leading our team as we continue to do vitally important advocacy for young people in the province.”
To read the Advocate’s 2021-2022 annual report in English or French, visit
www.ManitobaAdvocate.ca/annual-reports/
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About MACY: MACY is an independent, non-partisan office of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly. It represents the rights, interests, and viewpoints of children, youth, and young adults throughout Manitoba who are receiving or entitled to public services, including child and family, adoption, disability, mental health, addictions, education, victim supports, or youth justice. The office does this by advocating directly with children and youth, or on their behalf with caregivers and other stakeholders. Advocacy also involves reviewing public services after the death of any young person when that young person or their family was involved with a reviewable service as defined in The Advocate for Children and Youth Act (the ACYA). Additionally, the Manitoba Advocate is empowered under provincial law to make recommendations to government and other public bodies, conduct child-centred research, disseminate findings, and educate the public on children’s rights and any other matter under the ACYA.
Media contact:
Allen Mankewich,
Manager of Public Education, MACY
204-451-6111
amankewich@manitobaadvocate.ca
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