Print this pageMeet the Child and Youth Advocate / PEI
Marvin Bernstein, B.A., J.D., LL.M (ADR)
First of all, I am delighted and honored to have been appointed as the first independent Child and Youth Advocate for Prince Edward Island. More importantly, this is an historic and momentous occasion for Islander children and youth, who for the first time have an independent office dedicated to advancing their rights, interests and viewpoints.
I am passionate about child advocacy. It isn’t just a job to me. It is a lifestyle and a driving force in my life. I also have a strong sense of social justice and believe that we can all be agents of positive social change if we are optimistic, principled and prepared to speak out where we see unfairness or discrimination in any shape or form, particularly where it affects our most vulnerable and marginalized youngest citizens.
I am a lawyer by profession with decades of professional experience, having served in a variety of roles over the course of my career. This has provided me with the opportunity to advocate for improved government services to children and youth in many different provinces and territories, as well as at the federal level. I have worked both within and outside of the public sector and am able to view the impacts upon children and youth through different lenses and through the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
During my time as the Children’s Advocate for Saskatchewan, I had one of the broadest mandates in the country. My Office engaged in individual and systemic advocacy, individual and systemic investigations (including child deaths and serious injuries), early complaints resolution, public education and research, monitoring and recommendation tracking, and placed a strong reliance on amplifying and promoting the voices of children and youth. I also advocated for more equitable funding and services to Indigenous children and youth and actively opposed the over-representation of Indigenous children in child welfare care and in the youth criminal justice system.
It is important for young people to see my Office as one that empowers them and reduces stigma. It is part of my Office’s responsibility to raise public awareness and see children and youth as individuals with human rights and voices to be heard. This means that we state clearly that young people cannot be reduced to categories of offenders, victims or the property of others and cannot be defined by their experience of past adversity. They are individuals who are full of promise and potential capable of writing their own successful life story.
I am a substantial sports fan too! Just a few summers ago, I was actually in Toronto on a hot and jovial day when the Raptors were celebrating with a parade for becoming the NBA Champions! It was a day when millions of people filled the streets. I was pleased to share the experience with my wife, son, and son-in-law, who all joined in. I found that the Raptors playoff run and win took the country by storm, bonded our diverse community, and gave us a shared goal - a rallying point. One of my other favourite sports experiences was being in the stadium for ALL of the Blue Jays World Series games in the early 1990s. Now THAT was a thrill! I firmly believe we all need the Right to Play and Recreation! It brings us together and brings us joy in our lives.
Also available, Marvin M. Bernstein, formal professional biography.
Meet Rona Smith, B.A., B.S.W., M.S.W., R.S.W
Deputy Child and Youth Advocate
It continues to be my privilege to serve Island children, youth and their families; a privilege entrusted to me throughout my forty years of public service in PEI; in areas of child abuse and family violence.
As a social worker, my personal and professional worldview, continues to be influenced by my family upbringing and my professional values, both of which are founded on pillars of social justice and advocacy on behalf of vulnerable persons. This helped me choose a professional career devoted to my passion for child advocacy, in the promotion and protection, of all children and youth as human rights holders.
Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to have many opportunities to grow and learn. Children, youth and their families have trusted me to listen carefully and respectfully to their life journeys, often filled with pain, isolation and vulnerability. Throughout my career, I have carried the privilege of these shared personal stories with me in my different jobs, so that I never forget whom I am trying to help, both at an individual level and at a broader systemic and societal level.
As a very young child, my family taught me about the power and influence of unconditional love, respect, humility, and service to others above self. My career, as an adult, has helped me connect with other amazing children, youth and adults, from around the world, who share these same values; both in my paid work with government and my volunteer work in the community. In both government and the community, my contributions in working as a team member with other amazing, kind and caring people, are reflected with different awards and recognitions that I have been humbled to receive.
I love to learn and go to school, and for the past many years, I have had the privilege to teach at our local university. When teaching, I believe I often take away far more learning from the students than I give back to them. The classroom provides safe space for critical thinking, without judgement, as we discuss complex social issues affecting children, youth, families and communities. The shared world vision for peace, respect, and kindness, gives me hope and energy.
Reflecting upon a social work career of frontline and senior management public service to children, youth, families and communities, coupled with decades of collaborative public and professional efforts to give strengthened voice to vulnerable children and help make long-term changes in laws and policies to help other children and youth going forward, the work, at times, was isolating and heavy.
Proclamation of the new PEI Child and Youth Advocate Act and establishment of the new Office of the Child and Youth Advocate brings optimism, hope and illumination of all PEI children and youth as human rights holders. In a career spun over four decades of advocacy and public service, this is a dream come true and now I have the privilege to continue to serve children, youth and their families in my new role with this office, for which I am both humbled and honored.
Meet Penny Woodgate
Office Manager – Executive Assistant
I grew up in Warren Grove, Prince Edward Island, a small, close-knit community where everyone knew their neighbours. We are a small family of mother, father, one younger brother and myself. Many hours of my childhood were spent playing outdoors, over at the neighbour’s farm or bugging my younger brother.
My education started in a one-room school house in the community. During my school years, I was an avid swimmer, obtaining my Bronze Cross and teaching swimming lessons for summer employment. I also received a Duke of Edinburgh award. Following high school graduation, I attended Holland College in Charlottetown and completed the Office Studies program, along with the Retail Management Program.
I spent a number of years in Alberta where I, both lived and, worked as a civilian on a military base. I began my administrative career as a clerk typist in the Supply Depot, CFB Cold Lake, pounding out supply requisitions on a typewriter to the overhead roar of F18 fighter jets.
Upon my return to PEI, I further expanded on my education and completed a Business Administration certificate program. Prior to obtaining ‘the best job ever’ in this office as the Executive Administrative Assistant, I spent 20 years providing administrative services to senior management in a number of departments within the PEI Provincial Government.
My volunteer experiences are closely tied to social issues that are important to me such as poverty, food security and illiteracy. I have spent time volunteering with the local soup kitchen and the StorySacks Program, a literacy project that allowed both volunteers and inmates to contribute to PEI’s cultural life and provided both children and inmates reason to take an interest in literacy.
My personal experience and understanding of the importance of advocacy came about in an unexpected way. The brother I once tormented required a double lung transplant and required a support person to accompany him on this journey. I spent six months between hospitals in Alberta and Manitoba advocating on his behalf when he could not. This experience brought us much closer than we had been. He has since recovered and is able to enjoy a second chance in life all because of the generous gift of organ donation.
Meet Erica Evans, B.A., P.G.C.E., Med, EdD.
Advocacy Representative
In my role as an Advocacy Representative with the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate, I provide individual advocacy to children and youth ages newborn to eighteen years. Individual advocacy includes a range of voluntary support depending on the needs of an individual child, youth and their family or a group of children and youth. Individual advocacy can include education on children’s rights, navigational support to government and community resources, information on reviewable service complaint mechanisms and providing support directly to children and youth receiving, or eligible to receive, a reviewable service.
I am a proud Canadian citizen, returning in 2021 to live on Prince Edward Island after 35 years in England. Having spent many summers with family on the stunning North Shore, I am thrilled to now be a resident of this wonderful province. It is my privilege to work with the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate, amplifying the rights of all children on the island.
My career in education, spanning over three decades, has included roles as a qualified primary school teacher in the UK, an Early Childhood Network Coordinator in local government and a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education and Care at the University of Brighton, England. I feel honored to have spent many years in the classroom, working directly with children and their families. My aim was to create a learning environment where all children felt heard and included.
My interest in children’s rights and the enactment of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child has directed much of my professional work and study over the past two decades. As Senior Lecturer at the University of Brighton I worked with trainee teachers and early childhood education and care practitioners, supporting the development of their practice, with particular emphasis on inclusion, equalities and rights-based education.
In 2021 I successfully completed my Professional Doctorate in Education. My thesis researched the participation rights of babies and toddlers in early childhood education and care centers. Findings highlighted the interdependence of protection and participation rights, and the importance of attuned, responsive care giving that prioritizes opportunities for the voices of the youngest children to be heard and acted upon.
I am co-author of the Amnesty International First Steps resource pack, supporting educators to introduce rights to children aged 3-5. I am a contributing author to Integrated Working with Children and Young People (edited by Dr. Nadia Edmond and Dr. Mark Price) and more recently to The Theory and Practice of Voice in Early Childhood: An International Exploration (edited by Dr Lorna Arnott and Prof. Kate Wall).
I bring my passion for social justice, inclusive practices and the honoring of children’s rights to my role as advocacy representative and a commitment to serving the children of Prince Edward Island with the highest level of respect they deserve.
Meet Kathleen MacNabb, B.A., M.A.
Investigation/Research Representative
I was born in Saskatchewan and grew up in Alberta before moving to Nova Scotia and now Prince Edward Island. I obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Anthropology and Sociology from the University of Alberta and later a Master of Arts in Sociology from Dalhousie University.
I took a round-about path to my role, as I worked in epidemiological and health care research for five years after graduating. This experience gave me the opportunity to hone a variety of research skills and methodologies. It also showed me the importance of conducting research that is both rigorous and guided by social justice values. In particular, my experience with implementing a screening program for sexually transmitted and blood borne infections showed me that research can have a material, positive impact for individuals and vulnerable populations.
I am honoured to work in the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate, to be guided by the interests of children and youth, and to do research through a child rights lens to concretely benefit PEI children and youth.
Meet Merissa Mitchell, M.N., BScN., B.A., RN
Advocacy Representative
In my role as an Advocacy Representative with the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate (OCYA), I provide individual advocacy to children and youth ages newborn to eighteen years. Individual advocacy includes a range of voluntary support depending on the needs of an individual child, youth and their family or a group of children and youth. Individual advocacy can include education on children’s rights, navigational support to government and community resources, information on reviewable service complaint mechanisms and providing support directly to children and youth receiving, or eligible to receive, a reviewable service.
I grew up in Stratford, Prince Edward Island, with my two older brothers, my younger sister, my father who is a retired principal and my mother who is a retired teacher. I now live in Charlottetown with my husband, three young children and two pug-mix puppies.
After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts Degree with the Psychology Honours program I knew I wanted a career helping people, but I was unsure of my next steps. I began work at a community care facility and found a passion providing nursing care. I was fortunate to be accepted into one of the first cohorts of the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at the University of Prince Edward Island. I spent the first part of my nursing career as a critical care nurse working in an intensive care unit, and these years built the foundation of my work ethic, first and foremost by providing patient and family centered care through active listening and open communication.
I later transitioned to public health nursing, providing outreach and treatment to members of a vulnerable population who face adversity due to poverty, lack of social support and education. The ‘go-to-you’ service delivery approach reflects accessible healthcare, health equity and strives for all people to be participants in their own health care decision-making.
Since joining the OCYA team I have completed the Master of Nursing Degree program from Dalhousie University, which strengthened my knowledge on children’s human rights as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. My passion for accessible service delivery, open communication, and informed decision-making now holds a child’s rights lens. It is a privilege to be part of a team that protects the rights of children and youth, by empowering their voice and ensuring they are fully informed when decisions concerning their well-being are being made.
Meet Shannon Bruyneel, B.A., M.A., Ph.D
Systemic Advocacy Representative
In my role as Systemic Advocacy Representative with the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate, I examine the root causes of issues affecting Island children and youth and suggest solutions to address these gaps. I promote the rights of Island children and youth through research, develop content for position statements and submissions, and conduct systemic reviews and investigations.
I was born and raised in the Ottawa Valley. I completed my Bachelor and Master of Arts in Geography at the University of Ottawa. My early academic work spanned a range of environments, from a summer position in the lab analyzing Arctic lake sediment cores for climate change signals, to graduate field work in Kingston, Jamaica researching international legal frameworks for the protection and conservation of the Caribbean Sea. I completed my PhD in Geography from the University of Saskatchewan in 2010. My doctoral dissertation addressed Canada-US cooperation for the conservation and management of the transboundary grasslands’ ecosystem. This research process instilled in me the value of understanding multiple perspectives on issues and in collaborating with multiple stakeholders; it also introduced me to prairie hospitality, and the importance of keeping a full gas tank on rural highways!
I spent a year living in Edmonton, Alberta, before my husband and I moved to his hometown of Vancouver, BC. During this time, I was a sessional instructor in Geography at the University of Saskatchewan and the University of British Columbia. Our three children were born in Vancouver, and I was fortunate to spend several years focusing on my role as a parent. In 2016, our family made the decision to move to PEI. After settling in Charlottetown, I quickly became involved as a volunteer in our school community, and then with the PEI Home and School Federation. I served as the Regional Director for the Colonel Gray Family of Schools from 2020-2022, Federation Vice President from 2022-2024, and briefly as Federation President in the Spring-Summer of 2024. In 2022, inspired by my childrens’ needs in the school system, I began to work as a substitute educational assistant with the Public Schools Branch. I completed my Educational Assistant Diploma remotely from Coastal College of British Columbia in 2023 and spent the 2023-24 school year working as a certified EA in Charlottetown.
I am honoured to bring my skills as an academic researcher and writer, my experiences and passions as a caregiver and advocate for my own children, and my training and experiences as an educator full circle to my role with the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate.
About Advocacy
The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate can:
- Provide information and advice to children, youth and their families
- Represent the rights, interests and viewpoints of children and youth who are receiving or may receive a service from a government funded program or service – this is called a reviewable service
- Assist children and youth to ask for and participate in a case conference, a review of a service they are receiving, a mediation or other process in which decisions are made about a service to a child or youth and their families
- Receive and review any matter that comes to our attention about a government funded program or service provided to a child or youth or a group of children or youth
- Promote and provide education and advocacy on the rights, interests and well-being of children and youth
- Monitor implementation and compliance of recommendations included in reports made by the Child and Youth Advocate
- Promote the rights of children and youth in relation to government legislation, policies, protocols, practices and reviewable services to children and youth
- Work with individuals, families, communities, government and community organizations to support and create opportunities for the well-being of children and youth
- Undertake or collaborate in research related to improving reviewable services
The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate may:
- Receive and investigate any matter that comes to the attention of the Child and Youth Advocate from any source about:
- a child or youth who receives or is eligible to receive a reviewable service;
- a group of children or youths who receive or are eligible to receive a reviewable service; and
- a reviewable service for children and youth
- at the request of a child or youth, or based on the Child and Youth Advocate’s own initiative, assist in appealing or reviewing a decision relating to a reviewable service
- advocate on behalf of a child or youth in relation to a reviewable service
- try to resolve problems by working together
- review, investigate and report on the serious injury or death of a child or youth
- conduct or contract for research on the rights, interests and well-being of children and youth to help the Child and Youth Advocate make recommendations to improve reviewable services for children and youth
- help the Child and Youth Advocate to advise or make recommendations to government or community organizations responsible for reviewable services on any matter relating to the rights, interests and well-being of children and youth
The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate cannot:
- Change a decision made by a program or service
- Act as legal counsel for or provide legal advice to any person
- Change arrangements for children & youth in custody or access
- Exercise jurisdiction over or act with respect to the deliberations and proceedings of the Executive Council or one of its committees
- Exercise jurisdiction over or act with respect to judges, justices of the peace and functions of any court in PEI
Our Vision, Mandate, and Mission
Vision
A province where every child and youth experiences the realization of all their human rights and has every opportunity to reach their full potential.
Mandate
To empower and promote the human rights of all PEI children and youth through advocacy, reviews, investigations, public education, research and child/youth engagement in accordance with the authority and responsibilities set out in the PEI Child and Youth Advocate Act.
Mission
To raise awareness and uphold the child rights principles expressed in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, while amplifying the voices of children and youth, modelling dignity and respect for children, youth and their families in all aspects of our work.
Key Definitions within the PEI Child and Youth Advocate Act
Child - “child” means (i) a person who is under 18 years of age, or (ii) a person under 21 years of age who is receiving a service under section 46 of the Child Protection Act R.S.P.E.I. 1988, Cap. C-5.1;
Reviewable Service - “reviewable service” means a program or service funded by Government and provided to a child or youth or the family of a child or youth by or on behalf of a public body, including but not limited to
- (i) child protection programs and services pursuant to the Child Protection Act,
- (ii) adoption programs and services pursuant to the Adoption Act R.S.P.E.I. 1988, Cap. A-4.1,
- (iii) social assistance programs and services pursuant to the Social Assistance Act R.S.P.E.I. 1988, Cap. S-4.3,
- (iv) early childhood development and child care programs and services pursuant to the Early Learning and Child Care Act R.S.P.E.I. 1988, Cap. E-.01,
- (v) educational programs and services pursuant to the Education Act R.S.P.E.I. 1988, Cap. E-.02, the Early Learning and Child Care Act or the Private Schools Act R.S.P.E.I. 1988, Cap. P-20.01,
- (vi) mental health and addiction programs or services and health programs and services pursuant to the Health Services Act R.S.P.E.I. 1988, Cap. H-1.6,
- (vii) programs and services provided or administered by the Department of Justice and Public Safety pursuant to the Youth Criminal Justice Act (Canada), the Divorce Act (Canada), the Police Act, the Family Law Act R.S.P.E.I. 1988, Cap. F-2.1, the Judicature Act R.S.P.E.I. 1988, Cap. J-2.1, the Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act R.S.P.E.I. 1988, Cap. C-33, section 40 of the Mental Health Act R.S.P.E.I. 1988, Cap. M-6.1 or the Victims of Family Violence Act R.S.P.E.I. 1988, Cap. V-3.2, and
- (viii) a program or service specified in the regulations;
Serious Injury - “serious injury” means an injury that (i) may result in the death of a child or youth, or (ii) may cause serious or long-term impairment to the mental or physical health of a child or youth;
Public Education
The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate has responsibility to promote and provide public education and advocacy respecting the:
- Rights, interests and well-being of children and youth
- United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
- United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as it affects children and youth
Please contact our office to request a presentation or to participate in educational opportunities.
Individual Advocacy
Learn about Individual Advocacy here.
Systemic Advocacy
The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate has responsibility to promote the rights of children and youth in relation to Government legislation, policies, protocols, practices and reviewable services to children and youth, both at an individual level and at a systemic level.
Systemic advocacy involves working towards broad changes in policy, practice and legislation that will benefit many children and youth.
Systemic advocacy happens throughout all roles and responsibilities of the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate to include systemic reviews and systemic investigations.
Systemic issues are issues that:
- Affect more than one child or youth;
- If not addressed, are likely to re-occur; and
- Typically require a change to policy, regulation or legislation to resolve.
Systemic issues come to the attention of our office in many ways, including:
- Individual advocacy casework
- Children, youth and their families
- Professionals
- Government departments
- Community organizations
- Members of the public
- Media
Our Office monitors trends of systemic issues identified by or brought to the attention of our office.
Individual and Systemic Reviews and Investigations
The Child and Youth Advocate may review and investigate individually or systemically any matter that is referred from any source concerning:
- a child or youth who receives or is eligible to receive a reviewable service;
- a group of children or youths who receive or are eligible to receive a reviewable service; and
- a reviewable service for children and youth
These reviews and investigations examine through a child-sensitive lens the rights, interests and well-being of children or youth who are receiving or eligible to receive reviewable services. Generally, systemic investigations will focus on identifying and analyzing a series of recurring circumstances or trends for the purpose of improving the responsiveness and effectiveness of one or more reviewable services.
Child Serious Injury or Death Reviews and Investigations
Learn about Child Serious Injury or Death Reviews and Investigations here.
Child and Youth Engagement
The voices of children and youth are of critical importance in advocacy work. We strive to engage directly with children and youth in a flexible, approachable, and child-lead manner. Our Office is available to connect one-to-one, in groups, and through the membership Child and Youth Advisory Committee of the PEI Office of the Child and Youth Advocate.
How did we get here?
Read our Background, and access all our Background Media.
Our Logo
Symbols matter. The Founding Members of the Child and Youth Advisory Committee of the PEI Office Child and Youth Advocate created the vision for the logo of the Office, its shape, elements, and colours:
The Ribbon Human – a ribbon is a symbol known around the world as a sign of advocacy, of support for a cause. It also transforms into a human shape. The Ribbon Human could be anyone – an infant, a child, a youth, an adult ally, an advocate. It is a radiant gold, shining our shared light and passion as it reaches for every opportunity.
The Leaves – trees and leaves are synonymous with growth. Every small seed unlocks the ability to reach the skies, seeks nurturing and an environment that supports its needs. Children and youth can grow in any direction, reach momentous heights, and have great strength.
The Colours – a community is strong when we are all included in it. Diversity matters. Differences are celebrated. There is a place for all of us. Having vibrant and unique colours reflect our respect for all children and youth. Each colour has varying tones within it – a nod to the fact that we all have shades within us as we grow and learn.
The Words – ‘Prince Edward Island’ in blue represent both the sky and sea. We adore our Island and all that it gives us. It is solid. It stands to show that decisions made here are guided by recognizing where and who we are. ‘Child and Youth’ is an action-oriented forest green. Growth and development – and action – are reflected in the text. ‘Advocate’ is fuchsia, a colour of passion. The text is sound, solid, and rooted. Advocacy takes both a fueled commitment and an underpinned knowledge.
