Keyword Dpj

Cathy, 6, is taken by a social worker to a foster home in the countryside, where she slowly gets used to the strict rules imposed by her foster mother Réjeanne. Fortunately, her foster father, Reynald, is kind and gentle with the girl and patiently helps her break through her shell. Kayla, 12, is sent to a group home where she gets to know Morgane, a rebellious teenager who’s planning to run away. At about the same time, Manu is released from the system on the day she turns 18, but she finds it difficult to adjust to her solitary existence outside of the system. All four meet up at a reception honoring a foster family with whom they’ve all previously lived.

Every year in Quebec, 25,000 reports of children being beaten, sexually abused or abandoned are retained by the Directorate of Youth Protection. And nearly 40% of babies who die in the province to die because of the violence of their parents. This explains the fact that nearly 30,000 children are supported by the DPJ until the age of 18. But this government agency is in a position to meet the needs of young people? Journalist and documentary filmmaker Paul Arcand presents the testimonies of children and adult victims of abuse of all kinds, and interviews politicians, social workers and members of the judiciary on their perception of the problem. In addition, Arcand denounces the carelessness of a bureaucratic system that does not always seem to be concerned about the well-being of those for whom they are responsible.

Abandoned by her mother in a group home of the DPJ, Émilie (13) tries to flee her new reality. Influenced by the people she meets on her getaway, her ray of hope lies in learning a musical instrument.

A direct, uncompromising look into the complex machinery of Quebec’s youth protection services (known as the DPJ). https://lustitia.com/en/productions/dpj/

An intimate look at five families who take in children removed from their biological homes by the Director of Youth Protection (DYP). Nancy Audet, a journalist and former child of the DYP, guides us through their complex and often trying daily lives, but filled with resilience, courage and kindness.

Follow fifteen young people in their transition to adulthood. They all have very different aspirations and backgrounds, and their journey is unique. To achieve a certain degree of autonomy, they can count on the help of their workers who support them in the steps they take.