Rights of special-needs children were violated at Laval centre

Canada – Jasour – News Desk

An investigation into Le Jardin Unit of the Laval CISSS found that several special-needs youth at the residence were exposed to situations that compromised their security and integrity between March and November 2023. “The rights of several children with special needs were violated,” wrote the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse in an announcement Thursday.

Among the failures identified, the commission found incomplete assessment of the children’s needs, failure to respect the right to appropriate accommodation, failure to meet obligations to report potential situations of abuse, lack of diligence by the Directeur de la protection de la jeunesse (DPJ) at multiple stages of the intervention, and a lack of measures to end dangerous situations and prevent them from recurring. The commission launched an investigation in December 2023 after news coverage on the alleged mistreatment of autistic and special-needs children at the facility, which is now closed.

The commission recommends that corrective measures are implemented within one month by the Laval CISSS to ensure the protection of children. It also recommends that the Laval CISSS ensure that the children are housed in units appropriate to their needs. The children who were housed at Le Jardin are vulnerable children with disabilities. Their safety and development have been compromised. Both the CISSS and the DPJ must ensure that the rights of these children are respected and that the situations they experienced are not repeated with other children,” said Suzanne Arpin, vice-president of the commission, in a statement.

Improvement measures were put in place throughout the investigation, the commission noted. These included staff stabilization, introducing an orientation program for new employees, closely monitoring control measures, introducing nurses, developing a procedure for the Laval CISSS staff to discuss unacceptable conduct toward children, and improving clinical support for staff working with challenging youth clientele.