Laurent Commission Watchdog Committee to Be Created - An Important First Step in the Process

MONTREAL, Feb. 21, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - The Collectif petite enfance is taking the initiative to set up a task force of experts and researchers from various disciplines to create a watchdog committee in order to monitor the progress made on the recommendations set out in the report tabled by the Special Commission on the Rights of the Child and Youth Program, more commonly referred to as the Laurent Commission. 

The main purpose of this task force will be to determine which organizations should be included in the watchdog committee, which represents the first step in this collective undertaking. The goal will be to ensure the committee has the necessary breadth and depth of expertise and experience to critically and impartially assess the status of the 65 recommendations and the over 250 proposed courses of action outlined in the Laurent Commission report. The task force will submit the findings of its deliberations in mid-March.

Members of the task force:

• Camil Bouchard, PhD in psychology, retired Université du Québec à Montréal research professor
• Annie Bérubé, PhD, professor, Département de psychoéducation et de psychologie, Université du Québec en Outaouais
• Sylvana Côté, PhD, professor, École de santé publique, Université de Montréal, and researcher, Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine
• Carl Lacharité, PhD, professor, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
• Julie Poissant, PhD, professor, Département d'éducation et formation spécialisées, Université du Québec à Montréal
• Nibisha Sioui, PhD, psychologist and lecturer, Université du Québec à Montréal
• George Tarabulsy, PhD, Scientific Director, Centre de recherche universitaire sur les jeunes et les familles

"Although the government has tabled Bill 15 and a plan to implement the Laurent Commission's recommendations, there is no clear timeline in place. The members of the Collectif petite enfance are unequivocal in their conviction that a watchdog committee, formed through a diversified group initiative, is a decisive solution for ensuring the report continues to have an impact over the longer term. Several decades of thought are behind this consensus to leverage the pooled knowledge of the various stakeholders and civil society organizations involved. So of course we want to do everything we can to ensure the report isn't shelved and forgotten. Our children are the future of our society, which makes this a shared responsibility for us all!"

Elise Bonneville, Director, Collectif petite enfance 

A number of former members of the Commission have decided to actively back this initiative and advise on the efforts of both the task force and the watchdog committee. They will provide support in their capacity as an advisory body with a view to ensuring the recommendations and the spirit of the report continue to inform the work done moving forward. Their insights will be a considerable asset, and their participation speaks volumes about the hope they have for the outcomes of their report. Each of these former commissioners has an impressive track record in helping and protecting young people in the social services, legal, and health and wellness fields: 

Gilles Fortin	André Lebon
Jean-Simon Gosselin	Jean-Marc Potvin
Lesley Hill	Danielle Tremblay

About the du Collectif petite enfance
The Collectif petite enfance is made up of 24 partners and expert allies, together representing thousands of early childhood development advocates who are determined to make this issue a priority for Quebec. The Collectif petite enfance is committed to taking the lead on various matters central to the future and well-being of young children across the province, from the womb through to preschool years.

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SOURCE Collectif petite enfance

Josée Massicotte, [email protected] / 514-388-0169 / cell. 514-915-0511