This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: In Quebec and across Canada, people working in child welfare do remarkable work to protect children and youth from maltreatment and to support families facing complex challenges. But when tragedies occur, such as the recent deaths of children and youth receiving child welfare services in Quebec, public debate tends to turn to accountability, institutional practice and systemic failure.
We need to understand what happened and whether systems worked as they should have. Yet focusing on these questions alone can inadvertently narrow attention to risk, failure and responsibility. Too easily overshadowed is how well child welfare systems support the broader well-being of the young people in their care.
If child welfare systems are to keep young people safe over the long term, they must attend not only to risks of harm but also to the conditions that support mental health and well-being. Many young people involved with child welfare are living with trauma, grief and loss, family conflict and disruption, instability, discrimination, poverty and mental health challenges. Across our work on youth mental health recovery and child welfare, a common theme has emerged.
Young people benefit from services that foster hope, recognize their strengths, involve them actively in decisions that affect them and create meaningful opportunities for connection and participation. These insights call for a broader understanding of protection. While child welfare systems are often judged by how well they prevent harm, young people themselves frequently describe a broader set of needs and interests.
One of the most consistent findings in youth mental health research is that young people want their views to matter. Young people's right to participate in matters concerning their care is written into child welfare laws and policies. Nevertheless, a significant gap remains between listening to young people and genuinely incorporating their knowledge into decision-making.
A recent study by one of this article's authors into clinical encounters in youth mental health services suggests that participation can sometimes become symbolic rather than meaningful. For example, some young people participating in the study appeared to agree with proposed care plans during therapy meetings. But they explained that they had not felt comfortable expressing disagreement or were unaware that alternative options were available to them.
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