Quebec launches pilot project for free youth protection mediation service

Quebec is introducing a mediation pilot project that the government says could lead to better child protection intervention.

Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette,Junior Health Minister Lionel Carmant and Public Security Minister GeneviveGuilbault announced today in a release Quebec hopes to improve interventions with an independent, free and fast mediation service.

The release says mediation is a possible new avenue before going to court and will be offered after a deadlock or when voluntary agreements are refused.

Jolin-Barrette says the project will encourage parents to find better solutions outside the court, which often can lead to negative repercussions for the children.

The project is a result of recommendations made by the Commission on Children's Rights and Youth Protection, following a two-year investigation that was prompted by the April 2019 death of a seven-year-old girl in Granby, Que.

It will gradually be implemented in the provincial capital judicial district before being introduced in other areas throughout 2022.