For Montreal's most vulnerable children, the pandemic and its reverberations are not over. A continuing surge in calls for youth protection has authorities scrambling to help.
"There’s an increase in the amount of reports we receive," said Linda See of Batshaw youth protection agency.
It's 16 per cent up from last year, she said -- which wasn't an easy year in itself.
That was four per cent higher than the provincial average, and much of the increase can be attributed to lockdowns, said Tania Charron of AJOI, a nonprofit serving West Island youth.
"Definitely the family dynamics have changed with the pandemic," she said. "Families are all trapped in the same house. Youth are suffering with isolation."
Youth protection officials said in their recent annual report that more children and teens are dealing with anxiety and are showing signs of distress.
But maybe people are also more aware of where to turn for help, which could be a good thing, said See.
"I think that sensitizing the public to situations that they’re not sure about, shows that," she said. "It’s not a bad thing."
But a staffing shortage means that youth protection agencies can't send all the help that's requested. For instance, Batshaw has 40 social worker positions but has only filled 12 of them.
"Definitely we’re struggling with a manpower issue," said See. "It’s something that’s made worse by the fact that our staff needs to be bilingual."
"We have the same struggle when it comes to outreach street workers," added Charron. "Of 13 positions, we have six filled at the moment."
That's prompting them to send a reminder to the public -- pay attention to youth protection, and try to see it as a shared responsibility.
