B.C.鈥檚 representative for children and youth does a difficult but important job. The government has made a fine selection in naming Jennifer Charlesworth to the post.
Charlesworth, former executive director of the Federation of Community Social Services, has four decades of experience in social services that will serve her well in her new position.
As representative, she will be an independent officer of the B.C. legislature, and will advocate for children and families, investigate deaths and critical injuries, and monitor the effectiveness of government services.
Charlesworth knows the system inside and out. She started as a frontline worker and has moved into management. She told reporters she sees herself as an 鈥渁dvocate for child and youth well-being.鈥�
Speaking up for children who too often have no voice is a challenging role. The people who work in the Ministry of Children and Families work hard, but in any large bureaucracy, failures happen. Charlesworth will be there to try to make sure they learn from mistakes.
She understands the issues and the landscape in B.C. She will be able to hit the ground running.
She knows that the overrepresentation of Indigenous children and youth in the child-welfare system is the most pressing problem facing the system.
Children in care need someone to stand up for them. Charlesworth will be that person.
