Our Role

Terms of Reference

BACKGROUND

In May 2020, the Province of Prince Edward Island announced the creation of the PEI Children and Youth Table, comprising of adults, children and youth, to promote and protect the rights of children and youth during COVID-19 while the province awaited the formal appointment of the independent Child and Youth Advocate and enactment of the PEI Child and Youth Advocate Act.

On July 15, 2020, Marv Bernstein was sworn in as an independent officer of the PEI Legislative Assembly as PEI’s first independent Child and Youth Advocate.  The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate (OCYA) officially opened on the same day.

During the first year of the OCYA, the Child and Youth Advocate identified limitations with the PEI Child and Youth Table. The Table included many adults, from government and from the community. The Child and Youth Advocate felt the group should prioritize the voices and participation of children and youth and reflect the independence of the OCYA. The new group emerged, with youth only membership. Youth members voted on the title of the group, which became the Child and Youth Advisory Committee of the OCYA. The Child and Youth Advisory Committee of the OCYA reports directly to the Child and Youth Advocate to help inform the work of the OCYA on matters of importance to children and youth.

OBJECTIVES

The goals of the Child and Youth Advisory Committee are to:

  • Amplify the voices of children and youth, with a view to advancing the rights, interests and well-being of all PEI children and youth;
  • Identify needs and priorities for children and youth to contribute to informing the work of the OCYA;
  • Identify and advise on gaps and areas of concern related to reviewable programs and services to PEI children and youth;
  • Identify and advise on supportive structures and processes for child and youth engagement to ensure their voices are heard and considered in matters impacting them;
  • Create a balanced constituency approach to ensure that as wide a range of perspectives as possible are brought forward;
  • Support public awareness and education on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as it affects children and youth, specifically with a peer-to-peer approach.

SCOPE

The Child and Youth Advisory Committee (“the Committee”) of the OCYA will operate and function under the statutory independence of the Child and Youth Advocate to include authority over the scope, membership, roles and functions of the Committee. The Committee will serve as an advisory body to the Child and Youth Advocate to help inform the work of the OCYA and act in a manner that is consistent with the independent, impartial and non-partisan statutory authority of the OCYA.

Child and youth membership of the Committee, which consists exclusively of children and youth, aims to reflect a rich diversity of lived experience, Indigenous and cultural traditions, and other child and youth-sensitive perspectives.

The functions and activities of the Committee will be guided by the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

MEMBERSHIP

Membership consists of up to ten Child and Youth Members. Child and Youth Members will be within the age range of service for the Child and Youth Advocate Act at the time they begin their term, meaning that members can be up to the age of 18 years and up to 25 years if they are a former child in care and in receipt of extended services through Child and Family Services.

Applications for membership are received by staff members of the OCYA who filter successful applications to then be shared with the Committee members. Committee Members make the final determination to accept or reject applications for membership. 

Membership activities are supported by staff of the OCYA. Committee members are guided by the Role Description - Youth Member.  

TERMS OF SERVICE

  • Committee members may serve a Term of three (3) years
  • Orientation will typically be a duration of one (1) month at which time Committee members can make a decision to continue
  • There is an expectation of attendance at monthly meetings. Members who demonstrate a pattern of non-attendance will first be contacted for an explanation, and if the explanation is  insufficient, may be removed by the Committee
  • There will be an understanding that life circumstances may affect the ability to continue; breaks away from serving will be considered as needed
  • Upon completion of the three (3) year Term, Committee Members may request to serve for one (1) additional year
  • Committee Members who wish to request an extension at the end of their second year must send a written request to the Child and Youth Advocate, highlighting the reason for their request and providing information about the contribution they have made to the Committee. The Child and Youth Advocate will make the final decision regarding requested extensions and communicate their decision to the Committee member
  • Exceptions can be considered to all elements of Terms of Service upon a consensus of current Youth Members. Final decisions regarding all exceptions will be made by the Child and Youth Advocate.  

ROLES & FUNCTION

Membership roles of the Committee include:

  • Participation to help meet the Committee’s objectives (noted above)
  • A focus on leadership opportunities including yet, not limited to: Chairing meetings, authoring position papers, facilitating consultations, participating in stakeholder meetings, and making public presentations under the guidance of staff of the OCYA

Staff of the OCYA are responsible for providing support to the Committee to include, but not limited to:

  • Engaging child and youth members, including children in care and children or youth placed in facilities, to meet the committee objectives;
  • Facilitating recruitment and retention – through a child and youth rights-based lens – to support membership; and,
  • Supporting an approach to diversified constituency of membership; receiving all inquiries and applications for membership consideration; screening and approving potential applications prior to engagement with current members.

CHILD AND YOUTH CONSULTATION

Public bodies and community organizations can request a consultation with the Committee, via the Child and Youth Advocate. The purpose of consultations is for Committee members to provide child and youth perspectives on matters affecting children and youth. Committee members make the final determination to accept or reject consultation requests.

Consultations with the Committee are informed by the OCYA Consultation Requests policy.

CODE OF CONDUCT

The Code of Conduct was developed by members of the Committee in October 2023.

The Code of Conduct is displayed in the OCYA Boardroom.

  • I will respect those around me
  • I will respect other people’s opinions
  • I will give my full attention
  • I will respect the confidentiality of our meetings
  • I will use respectful body language
  • I will stick to the meeting agenda
  • I will wait my turn to speak
  • I will not interrupt others
  • I will give everyone a chance to talk
  • I will keep phone use to a minimum

GENERAL

Agenda Items

All agenda items will be forwarded to staff of the OCYA by close of 3 business days prior to a meeting. Agenda items must be related to the objectives of the Committee. The Child and Youth Advocate will make final decisions about meeting agendas.

Expenditures

All expenditures related to the Committee shall be pre-approved by the Child and Youth Advocate and approved expenditures must be submitted directly to the Child and Youth Advocate for payment authorization.

Frequency of Meetings

Meetings shall be held once per month, where practicable and pending availability Committee members.

Honorarium

Honorarium payments of $75 per meeting will be paid to Committee members in recognition of engagement with Committee meetings.

Leadership Roles

Members will have the opportunity to engage in leadership roles at meetings. For example: notetaking, welcoming visitors, introducing the Committee to visitors, leading discussions, time keeping, providing mentorship to new members, tidying the boardroom after meetings, and other roles as identified at meetings.  

Minutes

Staff of the OCYA and/or Committee members will capture action items needing further attention. Formal minutes will not be taken in order to allow for safe space for Committee members to discuss complex and challenging topics. However, members may take notes during brainstorming sessions and consultations to capture discussions for later review. All notes are confidential and must not be shared beyond the membership of the Committee.

Staff

Staff of the OCYA will work collaboratively with Committee members to schedule meetings, set agendas, and support facilitated discussion. 

*Approved by consensus of Child and Youth Advocacy Committee Members March, 2026