New Brunswick’s child and youth watchdog says teens at risk are facing troubling delays in getting help.
Kelly Lamrock explained the Youth Engagement Services program — known as YES — is intended to support youth aged 16 to 18 who cannot safely live at home.
He said his office has seen a rise in cases where teens faced long waits or were denied support altogether.
“It really should be an effort to get every kid who’s at risk into this program,” Lamrock said.
“Instead, there are barriers being put in their way.”
Report outlines cases of teens left without support
Lamrock released a report detailing several cases he says show systemic problems in how the YES program is being applied.
One case involves a pregnant teen who was left homeless for seven months while waiting for her application to be processed.
Another describes a youth told to move to another province to live with a parent who had previously abandoned her and was living with someone facing sexual assault charges.
The report also highlights the case of a teen who asked for help after being hospitalized for a drug overdose.
Lamrock said the teen was denied YES support because he was homeless and could not be assessed. He died months later from a second overdose.
“These are hard cases to read,” Lamrock said. “I did feel it was time to signal to the legislature that something seems seriously wrong here.”
Lamrock highlighted that his office has handled between 30 and 35 YES‑related files in the past year.
He said he believes the true number of youth denied or delayed access is higher, because the Department of Social Development does not track overall refusals.
Lamrock explained the delays point to broader problems within the department, including inconsistent decision‑making, long processing times and a lack of accountability.
He said some youth wait months for assessments, receive little or no communication about their applications, or are told to reapply even when their circumstances have not changed.
In some cases, he said youth age out of eligibility before their applications are processed.
Lamrock also added that the YES program is often the last chance to help teens who have been repeatedly failed by adults and the system.
“When we don’t get help to older teens who are at risk, they are at a higher risk for homelessness, unemployment, justice system involvement and mental health issues,” he said.
“It can be a very fleeting window when a teen who’s been let down repeatedly by adults says, ‘Okay, I’m willing to accept some help.’”
Lamrock calls on MLAs to act
Lamrock is asking MLAs to review the YES program and hold the Department of Social Development accountable for delays and inconsistent decisions.
He is recommending a third‑party review of eligibility rules, a results‑based accountability framework for regional offices and legislative committee hearings within 30 days to examine the issues raised in his report.
“I’m hoping MLAs will come together, engage with this issue and push the department to start delivering on what was supposed to be done by now,” Lamrock said.
He said his office will continue reviewing YES cases and plans to release further findings later this year.
