Under the Yukon Child and Youth Advocate Act, a “child” is defined as a person under the age of 16 years.

Children (0 – 16)

Supporting and protecting children between the ages of birth and 16 years is critical to their immediate and long-term health and well-being. Early intervention often leads to better health at a time when children are actively growing. It improves school performance and keeps children on a path to academic success and meaningful, independent lives.

Children in care are particularly vulnerable compared to children in the general population. More than half of all children in care are not school-ready according to the Early Development Indicator, which is more than twice the rate for the general population. As these children grow older, they continue to score 30 or more percentage points below the general population in assessments of their reading, writing and number skills.