NEW BRUNSWICK
Book designed to help youths forced out of their homes
Young New Brunswickers with troubled home lives have a new resource at their disposal. A book titled What's My Role: A Youth Guide to Child Protection was launched Wednesday during the Winning Back our Youth workshop in Fredericton.
The book was created through a partnership between the Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick and the Office of the Ombudsman and Child and Youth Advocate. It's written in plain language, gearing it toward children and teenagers. The goal of the book is to answer the wide range of questions young people have when they learn they will be placed in foster care.
Deborah Doherty, executive director of the Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick, said young people are often overwhelmed and confused when a social worker first approaches them. "Right away there are questions," she said. "Often they are related to self-blame: What did I do wrong? Did I make this happen? It's important to let a child know it's not their fault." From there, Doherty said the book goes on to clarify information ranging from where the child will live and whether they can have contact with their parents, to whether they'll go to the same school and if they can have their own room.
She said her organization worked with an advisory committee that included social workers and other child protection employees to discuss the types of questions youth often have. Doherty said a focus group of young people was also formed to offer feedback and suggestions for the guide. "We wanted to hear from young people," Doherty said. "We reviewed the information they provided and filled in any gaps we were missing based on their suggestions."
Stacey Brown, project manager for Public Legal Education and Information Service, said the book took two years to complete. She said there was no comparable resource available to young people in transition and having a physical guide to answer questions is vital. "When young people have a book, they have something they can take away when they're in their placement, so they can go back over information, or look at it when a problem arises," Brown said. "We wanted it to be something they can keep and go back to time and again."
Bernard Richard, New Brunswick's ombudsman and child and youth advocate, said it's difficult to imagine the emotions children go through when they learn they are moving into care, whether they're being placed in foster care, a group home or with a different family member. "They're confused, they're upset and they just want answers to their questions," he said. "They want to know what they can bring, how long it will last, where will they be placed. Hopefully this will help."
Richard said the guide will be available in schools, through non-profit agencies, through social workers and online.
What's My Role: A Youth Guide to Child Protection can be seen in its entirety at www.legal-info-legale.nb.ca.
Alexandra Davis
13 May 2010
http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/cityregion/article/1050824
