Good morning, colleagues. It’s a pleasure and an honour to rise on behalf of Bill 188, the Supporting Children’s Futures Act, 2024, now under consideration by this House for third reading.

Thank you and congratulations to my colleagues and to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services for his comments today. This minister has really just been such a voice for so many children who felt like they were forgotten, making sure that we are not leaving any child behind. And also, thank you to all of the people who worked on this bill.

Madam Speaker, I used to work in the sector for a long time and have worked with many children who have been really hard struck by some of the things experienced in their lives. Knowing that we are making the changes and making it possible for them not to feel like they are condemned to details written in a file; that their lives are not going to be hindered by the things they experienced when they were growing up in such a challenging time, where their parents have had to make difficult decisions to release them to the care of children’s aid, where they felt lost, where they felt like everyone has abandoned them—this is such a great change, and I’m just very thankful to see that we are making these changes. Thank to all of you who have been able to do this.

Speaker, we are here today because of our government’s vision to ensure that no child is left behind and that they have every chance to thrive, to succeed, regardless of their circumstances. At its heart, that’s really what Bill 188 is about, and I must say that it resonates with me deeply, not only in my role as Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity, but because of the experience I’ve had working in children’s mental health for almost 20 years as a behavioural consultant, multisystemic therapist and counsellor. Working with families, especially when I was working with families who were being supported by children’s aid to manage and understand the aggressive behaviour in the homes, knowing that they are going to try to do everything they can to keep the families together but understanding that sometimes that decision or that possibility can’t happen. And when a child would be in care, especially now with the licensing requirements and also making sure that we are holding bad actors accountable, it’s going to make such an impact to those families who have to relinquish their child in care. To know that their child is still going to be taken care of is so important.

Bill 188 is just one of the ways we’re working to ensure that all children, youth and families, including those getting support through the youth services sector, get the resources and supports they need. The children and youth services sector supports a wide range of individuals with diverse needs, as well as their families and caregivers, in every corner of our province.

For example, the sector supports children and youth in need of protection who may have experienced trauma or have been or are at risk of being abused or neglect. The sector supports children with complex needs, as well as children who may be medically fragile. And I’m also talking about youth who are involved in the youth justice system, including those admitted to custody or detention, who also need support to walk a better path in life and to make sure their future, again, is not condemned to their past.

Ensuring timely support, care and intervention can also mean supporting the family or protecting a child from an abusive caregiver. It can mean encouraging a child to break through barriers to their future goals. And it can mean helping a youth involved in the justice system find their way so that they can engage with their families, friends and community in a positive way.

Bill 188 includes reforms to the child welfare system that aim to deliver better outcomes for young people and their families and caregivers who are receiving support from the children and youth services sector. A critical part of this work is collaboration, which is a theme I’d like to pick up. I listened to the minister’s remarks with great interest and noted his comments on noted his comments on collaboration and valued input of those with lived experience with the children’s aid sector. This work builds on collaboration with children’s aid societies and other service providers, as well as First Nations, Inuit, Métis and urban Indigenous communities from across the province.

I too pass on my sincere thanks and appreciation to the many individuals, stakeholders and partners who have taken time to share their feedback and their experiences. If I may, I’d like to share some of the public feedback we’ve received since Bill 188 was introduced.

From Mohamed Firin, Ontario’s advocate for community opportunities, ACO: “I want to applaud the government for introducing the Supporting Children’s Futures Act, 2024. This legislation will complement the mission of the ACO to empower young Ontarians by ensuring that all young people, in particular those in foster and group homes, receive the safest and highest quality of care so they can succeed and unlock their full potential.”

From Ingrid Palmer of the Child Welfare Political Action Committee: “The Supporting Children’s Futures Act is a significant move in the direction of enhancing the well-being of children and youth with child welfare experience. One’s time in care should never be a source of harm or discrimination years afterwards. Protecting the personal histories of this vulnerable community must be a high ... priority.”

Now, of course, feedback like this is great for us to hear, not just because it makes us feel good, but because it confirms that our proposed legislation is hitting the mark. And in that same spirit of continuing collaboration, our ministry is working with First Nations, Inuit Métis and urban Indigenous communities to help reduce the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in care. We recognize that the approach to supporting Indigenous children and families must reflect the primacy of First Nations, Inuit, Métis and urban Indigenous communities in the well-being of their children and families. That’s why supporting services that integrate Indigenous cultures, heritage and traditions is central to our work to achieve better opportunities and outcomes for children, youth and their families.

To support these goals, in March 2022, the Legislature passed amendments to the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017. The amendments, once in force, are intended to:

—increase access to customary care, helping Indigenous children and youth to remain connected to their culture and traditions;

—establish circles of supportive persons;

—improve access to updated complementary services; and

—strengthen the role of prevention-focused Indigenous service providers.

We carried out engagements on the draft regulatory proposals for the prevention-focused regulations in early 2024, and we continue to engage with Indigenous representatives to further this process.

Madam Speaker, another part of this work involves important discussions and negotiations with Indigenous communities pursuing models of child and family services under Indigenous laws.

For example, Wabaseemoong Independent Nations, Ontario and Canada signed a trilateral coordination agreement regarding child and family services. That was the first coordination agreement signed in the province and the second in Canada since the federal legislation, An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families came into force in 2020. The agreement supports the implementation of the Wabaseemoong Independent Nations’ Customary Care Code, which acquired the force of federal law in January 2021.

On March 31, 2023, a coordination agreement between KI, Ontario and Canada was executed to support the implementation of KI’s child and family services law, which came into force the following day—the second such agreement in Ontario and the first in Treaty 9 territory.

And just last month, the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation became the third Indigenous governing body in Ontario to have its own child and family services law take effect. Their new child and family well-being law provides a foundation for a system specifically designed to meet the needs of the children, youth and families of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation. We’re incredibly excited to keep continuing to work with the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation and Canada to support the implementation of the new child and family well-being law.

These are important accomplishments, and it’s reflective of our government’s approach and our commitment to ensuring we’re communicating with and making sure that we are having their voices in every step of the decision-making process—something that I feel very strongly about.

It was just last term that our government created the Indigenous Women’s Advisory Council, and it has been an honour to work with the many women of our First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities around the table to discuss the challenges and to discuss and come up with solutions with Indigenous women. This has been important—being able to say, “I’m not going to speak. I’m going to let you speak because you can communicate the needs that you have better than I can.” Having IWAC represented at the federal-provincial-territories meeting and—it’s Ontario. We advocated to make sure the women who are around that table are the ones communicating the needs, and we’re here to support and implement the strategies that they’re putting in place.

Bill 188 is another important step towards achieving our government’s vision where no child or youth will be left behind in Ontario. We’re building a province where all children, youth and families have the resources and supports they need to succeed and thrive. These new proposals build on the work the government has undertaken over the past several years, but there’s no way we’re going to stop there. We can never rest. We have to keep moving forward, and we have to keep making sure that we’re making improvements and committing to our ongoing collaboration with individuals, advocates, stakeholders and partners. Healthy parents raise healthy children who become healthy adults, and again, those healthy adults become healthy parents who raise children to become healthy adults. That’s cycle that we are working to establish here in Ontario, and that should not be any different for children who are being raised in the system of care through children’s aid.

I’m really honoured to be working with this government to make these changes. It’s one of the reasons why I made the shift from working in children’s mental health to becoming a parliamentarian and getting involved in this electoral system, because I’ve worked very intimately with families who’ve been stuck in a system that wasn’t working for them, and knowing that there are changes we can be making to make lives better, and again, making sure that children are not being condemned to the things written in a file—that shouldn’t be the determination of their future. That’s why we’re making these changes.

I encourage many to read and look at what our government is doing because we are making things better for a system that needed support and changes for many years.

I want to again thank everyone who took the time to share their insights and their experiences with us. As we continue to take steps forward together, we will strengthen families and communities across the province, and I will continue in my role to work with women and the girls who have been impacted by a life that has been filled with trauma, making sure that they have opportunities and pathways to their success.

With that, I would now like to turn things to over to my colleague the member for Markham–Thornhill to continue on the remarks.

I’m proud to rise today to speak to the Supporting Children’s Futures Act, 2024. I’ll be sharing my time with the member from Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock, my neighbouring riding.

Speaker, let me start off by saying that regardless of where you sit in this House, I believe that we can all agree that absolutely no child should be left behind, and the fact of the matter is, there are children who may be left behind or are in need of protection because they’re at risk of abuse or neglect in Ontario.

This is why this act is so important. It is about protecting children and youth in Ontario’s care today through new measures for safety, service, oversight, accountability and privacy, and providing better opportunities for children and youth who are in care in Ontario today to thrive as adults tomorrow.

Madam Speaker, we all have an obligation to protect children. We all have a responsibility to give children the best possible chance for a bright and productive future.

This bill, if passed, will protect children and youth in care and provide them with a better future by strengthening oversight and enforcement tools for out-of-home care, protecting privacy of youth formerly in care, and updating the Child, Youth and Family Services Act with lessons learned since it became law. The changes proposed in this bill will improve safety and independence for children and youth in care and moving on from care.

Speaker, isn’t it in the best interests of all Ontarians to give all children and youth the best opportunities and protection to set them up for successful and bright futures?

Our government has invested $1.5 billion into children’s aid societies this year, which is steady to previous years despite a drop in children in care over the last several years. This is significant, Speaker. Children’s aid societies are funded primarily by the province, but they make their own staffing and placement decisions independently without government interference based on the needs of each unique child and the services and supports available in each community.

Another investment, Speaker: Our government is increasing investment in child protection this year by approximately $14 million, in addition to last year’s $76.3-million increase and $109 million for children and youth services. This is on top of last year’s $92.4-million increase.

Now, this isn’t just about the money. We are caring for young lives that deserve our best efforts to ensure there is a system in place that not only offers protection but guarantees them protection from the evils we know are out there. That is why I was proud to be part of the changes our government made when I was the Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues. The now-Minister of Energy, Minister Todd Smith, and I worked to update the Child, Youth and Family Services Act to better protect youth in care from human trafficking.

Madam Speaker, I was recently speaking to a service club in my riding about being the local member and why I got into politics and what interested me and some of the things I was most proud of to this point. One of the things I mentioned was being the Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues and working on the file of child welfare. I visited many children’s aids throughout the province and met with some incredible young people, some incredible families who shared their stories: kin members like aunts and uncles who were looking after their nieces and nephews and who really wrapped the supports from their family around those young people when they needed them to.

Part of that system, with the modernization of child welfare, was to ensure that there were supports in the family, because we all know that a child is best raised with their parents, when possible, and providing the supports in the community for mental health services, addiction, health care services was key to ensuring that as many kids as possible were raised by their family members, whether it was their parents or grandparents—supportive family members. A lot of work was done in that area, and I was very proud to be part of that. It’s something I reflect on, meeting those children. I look at my own children—I have three daughters—and the support they have from our own family, and you want that same love and support for all children out there.

The changes that we made at that time made the role of the children’s aid societies clear, so that they could intervene in situations where a child is a victim of sex trafficking or at risk of being trafficked. It allowed child protection workers and police to remove 16- and 17-year-old victims of child sex trafficking, to voluntarily access protective measures and supportive resources. It also increased penalties for traffickers who interfere with or harbour children who are subject to an order of supervision or care by a children’s aid society.

These changes strengthened children’s aid societies’ ability to intervene in child sex trafficking cases. It made the role of societies in these cases more clear and promoted consistent responses across the province. All of these measures have improved the quality of child welfare in Ontario and made life better for children in out-of-home care. With the Supporting Children’s Futures Act, we’re continuing to build on what our government has achieved to date and moving forward towards an Ontario where no one is left behind.

Speaker, making a difference in the lives of children and youth does not happen overnight, especially when the goal is to ensure that no one is left behind. That is why I want to thank Minister Parsa for leading the way to bring this bill to fruition. Our government consulted extensively across the child welfare sector to develop the measures that are in this bill, and the most important stakeholders we consulted were the youth themselves, as there is no better source of insight than those with lived experience.

I look back to my time working in the child welfare system through the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. At that time, we were consulting with youth about youth aging out of the system, and one of those organizations we worked with was Youth in Care Canada. Conner Lowes, who was president at the time—we’ve still stayed connected over the past few years. I want to congratulate him now. He’s a summer associate at a Toronto law firm. He will be going into his final year of law school and articling. The work that he did at that time with his group and some of the other youth really informed the decisions that we made moving forward.

I want to congratulate the ministry after my time on the Ready, Set, Go Program that they brought forward. This was launched in April 2023, and it provides youth transitioning out of care with the life skills and supports they need to pursue post-secondary education, skilled trades, training and employment opportunities. Starting at age 13, they will begin learning practical life skills and planning educational goals. At age 15, the emphasis will expand to financial literacy and preparing for the workforce, including managing personal finances, setting up a bank account, grocery shopping, résumé building, and how to access social services and other supports. The Ready, Set, Go Program will also allow youth to remain in care until the age of 23, up from the age of 21. Monthly financial support will also increase to provide youth a better quality of life and shelter and housing opportunities so that they can focus on their studies or working.

This was something that was very important. We saw, during the COVID times, the moratorium on youth leaving care ended, so that youth had the supports during that difficult time of COVID and continued on. I have three daughters. I think of my own daughters being 18. No child is an adult at the age of 18; it’s just an age. But the work that we did with the former youth in care to look at programs like Ready, Set, Go was really important, and I want to thank Conner and congratulate him on his success—someday, one of our future lawyers.

Speaker, it cannot be said enough that all children and youth deserve safety, stability and access to resources to help them succeed and thrive. Our government is taking decisive action to ensure that those who provide care are truly fit to offer the high-quality services our youth deserve.

This bill proposes a significant enhancement in accountability, a measure we can all agree is not only responsible but essential. No one should dispute the importance of a thorough application process for care providers. This bill would empower us to refuse licences on several grounds, ensuring that only those capable of delivering top-tier care are entrusted with such responsibilities. This is clearly in the public interest, and most importantly, in the best interests of our children and youth. And to guarantee that every child and youth in care receives safe, high-quality services, this bill mandates increased accountability for operators. These measures will serve as a strong deterrent against negligence and misconduct, fostering a safer and more accountable care environment.

I’d like to thank you for my time today, and I will now pass it to my colleague.