Opposition Leader Cites Missing Children Data to Demand Nova Scotia Child Advocate
Nova Scotia NDP Leader Claudia Chender is calling for the urgent establishment of a child and youth advocate, citing CBC data showing 491 incidents of missing children in provincial care between August 2025 and March 2026. While legislation passed in 2024 and funding allocated for a January 2027 start, questions remain about the office's independence.
Claudia Chender, the Official Opposition leader in Nova Scotia, has pointed to recent reporting on missing children as evidence that the province must urgently establish a child and youth advocate. According to CBC News, there were 491 incidents of a missing child or youth in the care of Nova Scotia between August 2025 and March 2026.
Chender stated that these findings highlight the critical need for such an office. She criticized the government’s delay in establishing the advocate role as a "massive dereliction of duty," noting that the government acted quickly to create Accelerate Nova Scotia but has not moved with similar speed on child advocacy.
Currently, only Nova Scotia, Ontario, and the North West Territories are without a child and youth advocate role. Legislation enabling the creation of this position in Nova Scotia was passed in 2024. The most recent provincial budget included $300,000 for the office, with officials stating it would begin operating in January 2027.
However, the government has not yet confirmed whether the advocate will be an independent officer of the legislature. This distinction matters to experts like Valerie Heard, interim registrar and executive director for the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers. Heard argued that independent advocacy strengthens accountability and that children need a voice dedicated specifically to their concerns, rather than relying on general services like the ombudsman.