To the member: Bill 188 contains a number of great initiatives to ensure the quality of care and the quality of services provided for children and youth in care. The creation of new offences and the introduction of administrative monetary penalties are all important tools to increase and enhance oversight of out-of-home care. Similarly, updating who has a duty to report to include early childhood educators and increasing information-sharing with professional colleges will keep children safer. The privacy provision contained in the bill could help level the playing field for youth formerly in care.

So my question to the member: What are the steps this government has to support children, youth and families?

It’s my honour to speak on Bill 188, the Supporting Children’s Futures Act, 2024. Before I begin, I would like to thank my colleague the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services for bringing forth this crucial bill. This bill, if passed, would significantly enhance the safety, security and well-being of children and youth in care across our province.

Speaker, our government stands firm in its commitment to ensure that no one is left behind. We are working towards a province where all children, youth and families, including those getting support through Ontario’s children and youth services sector, have the resources and support they need to thrive. This bill is all about stepping up to better protect the rights of children and youth, enhancing the quality of services and improving the accountability of service providers.

Since 2022, our government has been working hard at redesigning Ontario’s child welfare system. We’re focusing on early intervention, improving outcomes for children and tearing down barriers to support. We did that because every child and youth deserves a decent start in life and a safe and stable home, regardless of their circumstances.

This bill is packed with initiatives aimed at ensuring quality care and services for children and youth in care. We are talking about introducing new offences and administrative penalties to boost oversight of out-of-home care. We’re expanding who is responsible for reporting concerns, with better information sharing to keep our kids safe. Plus, we are levelling the playing field by strengthening privacy provisions for youth formerly in care.

Since launching the comprehensive redesign of child welfare in Ontario, we have put many new measures in place. This includes, just to name a few, developing a new framework for what out-of-home care looks like; increasing and enhancing oversight and accountability for out-of-home care, and supporting that oversight by adding 20 new positions across the province to support the management, inspection and oversight of out-of-home care for children and youth; and launching the Ready, Set, Go Program, which provides youth in the care of children’s aid societies with the life skills they need, starting at 13, and financial support when they leave care up to the age of 23.

Speaker, transforming child and family services is a significant undertaking, and it takes time. Many of the reforms proposed in this bill are designed to better support youth and provide the skills and knowledge that will help them transition to adulthood. The changes also build on the Ready, Set, Go Program, which we launched back on April 1, 2023. This program represents another significant step coming out of the Child Welfare Redesign Strategy. The Ready, Set, Go Program provides youth transitioning out of care with life skills and supports they need to pursue post-secondary education, skilled trades training and employment opportunities.

Under the new program, children’s aid societies will begin focusing on helping children plan for their future at an earlier age. Starting at 13, they will begin learning practical life skills and planning education 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 is a game-changer for youth transitioning out of care. We have increased the financial assistance, raising it from $850 to $1,800 a month at the age of 18, gradually decreasing to $1,000 by age 20. Those staying in care at 21 receive $1,000, and at age 22, $500. Plus, they can work up to 40 hours a week without losing support. And for those pursuing education or training, we are providing an extra $500 monthly from age 20, ensuring they have the resources to thrive. These monthly financial support increases will provide youth better quality of life and safer housing opportunities so that they can focus on their studies or work. By extending care until 23 and increasing financial support, we are giving these youth a solid foundation for their future.

The Ready, Set, Go Program, developed with input and advice from former youth in care, child welfare advocates, partners, and informed by research, has a three-year, $170-million funding commitment from the government. In addition, we are expected to support more than 4,000 youth this year as they prepare for adulthood. It’s a great start to support the transition from being a youth in care to becoming a young adult.

Speaker, at its core, the Supporting Children’s Futures Act, 2024, is all about looking out for the children and youth in Ontario who need our support the most. It’s about putting measures in place to make sure they’re safe, well cared for, and have the opportunities they deserve to succeed. If this bill passes, it’s going to make a real difference. We are talking about strengthening oversight and enforcement tools for out-of-home care, ensuring that our kids’ privacy is respected, and updating our laws based on what we have learned since they were first put in place.

These changes aren’t just about the here and now; they are about setting our children up for success in the long run. In the short term, it means safer and more consistent services for those living away from home. But in the long term, it means preparing them for adulthood and giving them the tools they need to succeed.

Our government is committed to making life better for all children and youth in Ontario, especially those in care. Some examples of these measures include:

—mandating information-sharing between children’s aid societies and the ministry about specific health and safety risks to children in licensed out-of-home care settings;

—requiring children’s aid services to visit children placed in out-of-home care more frequently: every 30 days, instead of every 90 days;

—requiring unannounced, in-person visits by children’s aid societies in certain circumstances; for example, if a visit cannot be scheduled because the society was unable to contact the child or the caregivers, or if there are concerns related to the well-being of the child; and

—requirements that give youth in children’s residences and foster homes greater guarantees of privacy.

These measures may seem small, but they add up to big changes that will make a real, tangible difference in the lives of our most vulnerable youth. And that is something worth fighting for.

In closing, the passage of Bill 188 would bring us closer to our vision of an Ontario where every child, youth and family has the resources they need to thrive. Our children and youth are the future, and it is our responsibility to ensure that they have the support they need to succeed. I urge all the members of this House to support this bill as we continue to strengthen families and communities across this great province.

On the contrary, I think it is telling me that the NDP speaker’s priority seems to be giving their defeated candidate from Don Valley West a job. I’ve also noticed that she said of this bill’s privacy provisions, there are positive changes in this announcement.

From 2008 to 2019, the office of the children’s advocate wrote 79 reports that total 4,644 pages. It is just for one source. It should have been the spur of the Liberal government to act, and it should have made the NDP demand action from them, from the previous government.

In fact, it’s our government that knew the time for more reports was over. It was our government that took action and redesigned the children’s welfare system. The child advocate’s investigative function was folded into the Office of the Ombudsman and continues to this day.

The changes also aim to better protect children and youth with a history in the child welfare system that would further restrict access by others to their welfare records.

These changes—