OCYA_AB: Investigative Reviews Update: April 1, 2024 – September 30, 2024

Terri Pelton, provincial Child and Youth Advocate, has provided an update to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly on her office’s investigative reviews spanning from April 1, 2024 to September 30, 2024.

Reviews were completed and publicly released for 38 young people who were receiving child intervention services at the time of or within two years of their death, and for six young person who was receiving child intervention services when they were seriously injured.

Investigative reviews for an additional 15 young people are on hold due to police investigations and court proceedings.

The findings of these reviews will inform a consolidated investigative review report, which will make recommendations to government to improve the circumstances of young people in similar situations.

The individual investigative reviews for each of the young people can be found here: ocya.alberta.ca/individual-investigative-reviews

The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate is an independent office of the Alberta Legislature. It represents the rights, interests, and viewpoints of children and youth receiving designated government services.

Media inquiries:

Stephanie Shantz
Manager, Communications
Office of the Child and Youth Advocate
780-218-9429
stephanie.shantz@ocya.alberta.ca

Backgrounder

44 Reviews Released

• 38 deaths
• 6 serious injuries
• Reviews were completed for 28 Indigenous and 16 non-Indigenous young people
  • 23 of the 38 young people who passed away were Indigenous
  • 5 of the 6 young people who were seriously injured were Indigenous
• 9 young people were in care, 20 were receiving child intervention services, and 15 had previously received child intervention services.

Ages of the young people
0-5 years old	9
6-11 years old	2
12-17 years old	13
18+ years old	20
Total	44

Manner of serious injury
Accidental	4 (1 drug and alcohol related)
Attempted Suicide	1
Victim of Violence	1
Total	6

The most common cause of death among the 38 young people who passed away was drug toxicity and the youngest child to pass away from drug toxicity was 19 months old.

Manner of death
Accidental	22 (21 Accidental drug and alcohol – 18 Confirmed; 3 suspected)
Suicide	3 (2 Confirmed; 1 suspected)
Medical	3
Undetermined	4
Victim of Violence	1
Pending	5
Total	38

Date published: 06-Nov-2024

NT4