November 28, 2025
RED FM News Desk
A report from the Alberta Office of the Child and Youth Advocate reveals that 60 children died and nine others were seriously injured while receiving government care or intervention services between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025.
The report states that the children and youth — ranging in age from just 10 days old to 23 years — were either receiving “designated” supports at the time or had been involved in child intervention services within the previous two years.
Of the 69 affected young people, 45 — or 69 per cent — were Indigenous.
Mental health and substance use challenges played a significant role, impacting 70 per cent of the children and youth. Nearly half experienced multiple placement disruptions: one child was moved 15 times between ages 12 and 17, while another had 20 separate placements.
“Many of these young people faced significant adversity that profoundly impacted them,” Child and Youth Advocate Terri Pelton wrote in the report. “These challenges altered their development, and in their adolescence, many had difficulties with their mental health and substance use.”
Pelton also noted that more than half of the cases involved assessments that failed to fully evaluate caregiver capacity, risk factors, or the emotional toll of disrupted relationships.
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