The advisory committee will host public consultations February 13 at Hernewood School in Woodstock, February 20 at Athena School in Summerside, February 25 at Colonel Grey High School in Charlottetown, March 5 at Montague High School and March 10 at Souris High School. All sessions run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Simultaneous translation services will be available at the February 20 consultation at Athena School and will be open to all residents. The Mi’Kmaq Confederacy of PEI will host a public consultation at 2 p.m. and a youth consultation at 5 p.m. for members of the Aboriginal community on March 3 at Centre Belle-Alliance in Summerside.

Advisory Committee Chair Patsy MacLean said the public meetings will begin with a panel presentation titled “Protecting Our Children and Youth: The PEI Child Protection Act” with the province’s director of child welfare, child and family services director and a former youth-in-care. “The protection of children is a shared civic responsibility among family, community and the Province,” she said. “This review is an opportunity for individuals, families, communities and stakeholders to talk about their views on how PEI’s Child Protection Act is working or not working.”

Individuals or groups can also provide input to the advisory committee through a private and confidential meeting or a written submission. Written submissions can be sent to Patsy MacLean, HRA at cpareview@hra.ca before March 14, 2008. The PEI Child Protection Act and regulations require the Minister to appoint an advisory committee to review the act every three years. The purpose of the review is to report on the operation and administration of the act and to determine whether or not its principles and purposes are being achieved. A report will be provided to the Minister of Social Services and Seniors, Doug Currie, by mid April 2008. The advisory committee includes the following members:

• Ron Stanley, Director of Child Welfare, Department of Social Services and Seniors

• Rona Brown, Maureen MacEwen, Jim Bentley, Josette Losier and Colleen MacDonald, Child and Family Services, Department of Social Services and Seniors

• Cathy Chaisson, PEI Legal Aid lawyer, Office of the Attorney General

• Denise Doiron, solicitor, Office of the Attorney General

• Rachel MacPhee, Brittany Gilbert and Amber Joseph, youth representatives

• Dr. Sandy MacDonald / Adrian Smith, Eastern School District

• Dr Mitchell Zelman / Dr Christine MacNearney, PEI Medical Society

• Chief Darlene Bernard / Chief Brian Francis, Mi’Kmaq Confederacy of PEI

• Patsy MacLean, HRA, Chairperson

For more information or to book a private consultation, contact Wendy Hughes at (902) 368-5294 or 1-866-594-3777 or visit the advisory committee’s website at www.gov.pe.ca/go/cpareview