P-34.1 - Youth Protection Act

Updated to 25 September 2023

This document has official status.

chapter P-34.1

Youth Protection Act

AS Québec has declared itself bound by the Convention on the Rights of the Child by Order in Council 1676-1991 dated 9 December 1991;

AS the interest of the child is the primary consideration in any decision made in the child’s regard;

AS, under the Charter of human rights and freedoms and the Civil Code of Québec, every child has a right to the protection, security and attention that his parents or the persons acting in their stead are able to give to him;

AS the protection of children is a collective responsibility that requires the mobilization and collaboration of all the resources in the community in order to limit the State’s authority intervention in the lives of families under this Act to exceptional situations;

AS a child’s perception of time differs from that of adults because he is still developing;

AS the emotional stability and security of a child are major determinants in ensuring the child’s healthy development;

AS the child and his parents have the right to have their voices heard and as their participation in decisions that concern them and the consideration of their opinion have the effect of further empowering them to act;

AS it is important to facilitate a child’s transition to adulthood;

AS it is important to recognize the specificity of children who belong to minority groups, such as children belonging to ethnocultural communities;

AS Indigenous persons are best suited to meet the needs of their children in the manner that is the most appropriate;

AS cultural safety is essential to the well-being of Indigenous children;

AS interventions in respect of an Indigenous child must be carried out taking into account the circumstances and characteristics of his community or of another environment in which he lives so as to respect his right to equality and foster cultural continuity;

1977, c. 20; 2022, c. 11, s. 1.

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