The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate (OCYA)

The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate (OCYA) is an independent office of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, mandated to work with vulnerable young people. The OCYA provides individual and systemic advocacy for children and youth receiving “designated services” as defined under the Child and Youth Advocate Act. This includes young people receiving or attempting to access services under the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act and the Protection of Sexually Exploited Children Act; or who are involved with the youth justice system. The OCYA also provides access to legal representation for young people receiving child intervention services, offers public education, and conducts investigations in serious injuries and deaths of young people receiving designated services.

OCYA VISION: Young people in Alberta succeed in their lives and communities.OCYA MISSION: We stand up for young people.

LRCY - LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Young people have the right to express their opinion and have their legal interests considered in matters affecting them. We provide legal representation for young people who are most affected by decisions being made under the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act or the Protection of Sexually Exploited Children Act.

ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION

We promote and raise awareness about the rights of children and youth and build advocacy capacity in young people and their communities.We provide presentations and participate in educational events.

INDIGENOUS ENGAGEMENT

We build strong relationships with Indigenous communities and strengthen our capacity to serve Indigenous young people.

INDIVIDUAL ADVOCACY

We stand up for young people receiving a designated service so their viewpoints, rights and what is important to them is respected and considered by decision makers. If a child or youth is unable to express a viewpoint, we work to have their rights and interests respected and considered.

INVESTIGATIVE REVIEWS

We conduct investigative reviews into the serious injury or death of a young person. The purpose of these reviews is to identify opportunities for improving services.

SYSTEMIC ADVOCACY

Our systemic advocacy efforts aim to influence change at a broad level. We collaborate with others to identify systemic issues and make recommendations to improve services for young people