Child's rights when Child Services enters school to question child

PaulHughes

RE: Child's rights when Child Services enters school to question child

Does anyone have any insights into a child's rights to a lawyer or to have parents notified when Child Services enters a school to question a child .

The Calgary Board of Education states that a child does not have any rights in this matter.

That just feels wrong.

Thanking you in advance for sharing.

Paul

Peregrinus

I'm not sure you're going to get much useful information about the Law in Alberta on an Irish discussion forum, Paul.

If it's "Child Services", they are presumably looking into a child welfare issue, not investigating an allegation that the child has committed a crime. So their wouldn't necessarily be any right for the child to have a lawyer present. Besides, how is a child going to instruct a lawyer?

In many countries they have protocols in place for child welfare investigations which, if a child is to be spoken to, require either (a) parental consent or (b) stated conditions which must be satisfied before the child can be spoken to without parental consent. In addition, many countries have a protocol requiring the presence, where possible, of a professional child welfare advocate whose job is to identify and defend the child's interests in the process. But whether either of these protections are in place in Alberta I can't say.

PaulHughes

Hi Peregrinus,

Ireland? Completely missed the geographic nature of this board. My aPAULogies.

You did, however, provide some excellent ideas for me to pursue.

Thank you ever so much!

Paul