One day in the life of a Quebec youth protection social worker
Most days, Zoe Hurtado is in her car more than she's at her desk.
As a social worker in Quebec's overburdened youth protection system, she's often driving her young clients to and from appointments to visit family, to the hospital or to court.
“Often we'll get our biggest disclosures and most important discussions in these car rides,” she said.
Building trust is a key part of her job, but finding the time necessary to do so isn't always easy. Hence, the importance of the car rides, not to mention of flexibility.
“I could have everything scheduled and I go to the first meeting and there's a crisis,” she said. “Well, my day just went out the window and then I need to reorganize.”
When she isn't on the road, Hurtado works out of her office at Batshaw Youth and Family Services, which primarily serves Montreal's English-speaking community. She works for the Evaluation and Orientation department, which is responsible for investigations after a call is placed to report a child who could be at risk.
“Anyone who has concerns for a child's safety and wellbeing can call us,” she said. “It could be a family friend or a neighbour.”
Calls also come in from mandatory reporters such as teachers who suspect a child is being mistreated or neglected.
Hurtado and others like her handle situations that fall under Quebec's Youth Protection Act, such as neglect, physical, psychological or sexual abuse or abandonment.
The system has been under scrutinty since the death of a seven-year-old girl in Granby in 2019.
To find out what a day in the life of a social worker in Quebec's youth protection system is like, watch Angela Mackenzie's report above.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6977053.1721909931!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
'Sick to my stomach': People grieve Jasper National Park by sharing favourite photos
As an out-of-control wildfire roared through Alberta’s famed Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday, many are fearing the worst as officials warned of 'significant loss' within the area.
LIVE UPDATES 'Hopefully it's better than what we're thinking': Jasper wildfire damage details anxiously awaited
Officials are waiting to learn Thursday morning the extent of wildfire damage in the Jasper townsite of Jasper National Park, which flames began to eat away at the night before.
Canadian women's soccer team staffer given suspended prison sentence over drone incident, prosecutor says
A Canada women's soccer team staffer has been given an eight-month suspended prison sentence after flying a drone to film the closed-door training session of the New Zealand team on Monday, the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
Sale of envoy's NYC condo 'expected to exceed' $9M: government
The current official residence for Canada's representative in New York City is 'being readied for sale,' according to a spokesperson from Global Affairs Canada.
Jasper wildfire burns buildings, while poor air quality forces some fire crews out
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on social media that Ottawa has approved Alberta's request for federal assistance after a fast-moving wildfire hit Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday.
'I'm so broke': Two Toronto women speak out after losing $76,000 in romance scam
Two women from the Toronto area are speaking out after losing thousands of dollars to a romance scam, including a single mother who lost $62,000.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Loblaw to settle class action over bread price-fixing for $500 million
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and its parent company George Weston Ltd. say they have agreed to pay $500 million to settle a pair of class-action lawsuits regarding their involvement in an alleged bread price-fixing scheme.
EXCLUSIVE One address, 76 foreign currency dealers: Inside Canada's money service business 'clusters'
An IJF and CTV News investigation has found dozens of cases across Canada where multiple money services businesses (MSBs) are incorporated at the same address, sometimes without the knowledge or consent of the location's actual occupant. One money laundering expert calls it an 'abuse of the system.'