What are my rights as a parent dealing with the DPJ?
Short answer
In Quebec, a parent involved in an intervention by the Directeur de la protection de la jeunesse (DPJ, youth protection) has the right to be consulted and informed at every stage, the right to be represented by a lawyer, the right to refuse the proposed measures — which then brings the file before the court — and the right to access their child's file.
In detail
The Quebec government lists these rights: to be consulted at every stage, to receive clear information about the process and about the proposed measures, to be accompanied by a person you trust, to have a lawyer, and to access the file with psychosocial support offered. A child aged 14 or over also has a right of access to their file, and may have their own lawyer.
The right to refuse deserves an explanation. Voluntary measures are well named: they assume that you and your child agree with the DPJ's finding that the child's security or development is in danger, and with the measures proposed. If you do not agree, the DPJ has to apply to the court, where a judge will decide after hearing the parties. The director must apply to the court if no agreement has been reached within 10 days and the child's security or development remains in danger.
The DPJ also has an obligation to inform you of the protection and rehabilitation measures available and of the steps planned for ending its intervention.
What to document
Every meeting: date, length, place, who was present, what was asked and what was agreed. The documents you sign, with a copy for yourself. The timelines announced and the follow-up dates. If you disagree with a finding, put it in writing and date it at the moment you express it, rather than reconstructing it later.
Put your facts in writing, free. Writing your version down early, keeping your documents dated and preparing your questions for a lawyer: the tool is there to document, never to advise.
Open the application Up to 3 files, no card · see the plans
Official sources
- Gouvernement du Québec — Steps taken by the DYP when a situation is reported
- MSSS — Your child's situation has been reported to the DPJ (official brochure)
- Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse — Making a report to the DPJ
Related questions
- What is the difference between a voluntary measures agreement and going to court with the DPJ?
- Do grandparents have the right to see their grandchildren?
- Do I have to consult the other parent on important decisions even if I have custody?
- Does the parental union change anything about my children's custody and support?
- When does a parental union end?
See all the answers · the full guide collection · Lire en français
What this page is not
This is general legal information about the law of Quebec and Canada, dated and sourced. It is not legal advice, not a strategy, and not a prediction about the outcome of a case. In Quebec, only lawyers and notaries may give legal advice (Act respecting the Barreau du Québec, ss. 128 and 133). Laws and amounts change: the official source always prevails over us.