Quebec's new children's rights commissioner launches three investigations

Quebec has a new watchdog for children's rights. Marie-Eve Brunet Kitchen officially launched the Commissioner's office Thursday in Montreal, announcing three immediate investigations into systemic failures in child protection.

The position was created following the Laurent Commission, which investigated the 2019 death of a seven-year-old known as the Granby girl. That inquiry and subsequent coroner's report exposed gaps in how government bodies communicate when a child is at risk. The commissioner's role is to receive testimonies from children and adults who witness or experience violations of their rights, and to support them through necessary procedures — distinct from the Director of Youth Protection, who handles child welfare cases directly.

The three investigations announced Thursday target major gaps. The first will assess the availability of care for children across Quebec. The second examines accommodation resources for young people under 25 with autism or intellectual disability. The third directly addresses the Granby case: assessing the risk of similar tragedies recurring, particularly through failures in communication between the bodies that intervene when a child is in danger.

As HighOnCity reported in July, three children died in one month under care of Montreal's anglophone youth protection agency, signalling ongoing strain in the system. The coroner's report on the Granby girl and the Laurent Commission have issued recommendations; less than half have been implemented to date.

The commissioner's office mandate, powers, and operational budget have not been announced.