Yes, I do, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak with the Members of the committee about Bill 22, which proposes changes to the Child and Family Services Act.

The Child and Family Services Act was passed in 1998 to replace the old and seriously outdated Child Welfare Act. As with any piece of legislation, there is always a need to assess issues that arise from implementation. These amendments address several issues that have been identified in the four years since the Child and Family Services Act came into force. They reflect the paramount objective of the act, which is to promote the best interests of the child.

The need for these amendments was identified by department and authority staff, front line workers and individuals or organizations involved in the provision of services to children in care. In addition, the review of child welfare services conducted by the Child Welfare League of Canada supported the need for amendments. The amendments include provisions that:

Provide that voluntary support services agreements may be entered into with persons who are 16 to 18 and who reside with their parents;

Provide that a court order may be made with respect to a person who is apprehended and who attains the age of 16 years before the protection concerns that led to the apprehension have been dealt with;

Expand the grounds on which a child may be considered to be in need of protection;

Clarify the duty to report that a child may be in need of protection and require that all reports be investigated;

Place some restrictions on who can be on a plan of care committee;

Provide for the service of certain court documents on the applicable aboriginal organizations where an application is being made for a declaration that an aboriginal child is in need of protection;

Provide that the applicable aboriginal organization may make representations respecting a plan of care for the child;

Enable a child protection worker and a person who has been granted access under the terms of a temporary or permanent custody order to apply to the court for a variation of the access provisions;

Clarify the provisions relating to confidentiality and disclosure; and

Provide for the appointment of deputy directors of child and family services.

I would like to thank the Standing Committee on Social Programs for their consideration of the bill and, in particular, for their assistance in making some amendments to the bill.

I will be making an additional motion today to amend paragraph 1.2(1)(d) in clause 3 of the bill, proposing a wording which would describe the nature of the court order being referred to in that paragraph. A parallel motion was carried with respect to paragraph 1.2(1)(g) at the standing committee's clause-by-clause review of the bill.

I would now be pleased to answer any questions the committee members may have. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.