Bill that protects identity of children in care even after death passes third reading | CBC News
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A bill that will cloak the identity of children who die while in the care of the province has passed third reading in the Nova Scotia Legislature.
Bill 201 will extend the existing publication ban on identifying a child in care, keeping it in place even if the child dies.
The bill passed third reading on Wednesday night at the legislature and is expected to become law on Thursday afternoon.
Some observers have said they are concerned the bill will limit scrutiny of the child protection system, and could prevent parents from speaking publicly about their children if they die in care.
Speaking in the legislature on Wednesday, Social Development Minister Barbara Adams said the legislation allows the minister to publish or consent to the publication of identifying information about a child if circumstances make that necessary.
“Let me be clear. This is about protecting the identity and dignity of children and their families. It is disturbing to me that there is anyone who would not want that,” she said.
Adams said “there are no restrictions on reporting events, including horrific events,” noting that the restriction is solely on identifying the child in care.
“Media can continue to cover issues of child safety and well-being, but they will not be able to identify the child in the middle of it. It is important that we protect children and that’s what this bill is about.”
Recent court case
The legislation also explicitly extends the ban on identifying a child in care to social media.
The bill was introduced in February, after media reported on a case involving a Yarmouth woman who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of her 17-month-old son.
The child had been in foster care and had just been returned to the family home two weeks before the incident that led to his death.
The case raised questions about how decisions are made about returning a child to a family home, and what supports parents receive when that happens. The woman was sentenced to six years in prison earlier this month.
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