23 child deaths reported in 2014: Sask. Children's Advocate

Youth suicide and self-harm continues to be a major concern in Saskatchewan, with three deaths and 18 critical injuries reported in 2014, the province's children's advocate says.

Advocate Bob Pringle's annual report, released Thursday, noted that there were 23 deaths of children and young people who werein the province's care or receiving government services.

That's down from the 26 deaths recorded in 2013.

However, the number of critical injuries has gone up to 41 from 34. Of the critical injury reports, 44 per cent were suicide attempts or self-harming incidents.

"Notably, suicide and self-harm continues to remain persistent themes that carry over from 2013,"Pringle'sreport said.

"Of the total number of critical injuries, four were youth who had incurred more than on criticalinjury and all four of those youth had attempted suicide more than once."

Of the 41, 38 were receiving services from the justice ministry or the corrections and policing ministry.

"Our office ... will continue to closely assess and evaluate the delivery of services to youth in the youth justice system to ensure that the Ministryof Justice, Corrections and Public Safety is adhering to its policies," the report said.

Pringle said he was "deeply concerned"with the planned closures of open custody programs such as Yarrow Youth Farm and Orcadia Youth Residence.

Those facilities are betterable to provide more "therapeutic environments" needed to address suicide-related behaviours than closed custody facilities, like Kilburn Hall Youth Centre, he said.

Read Children's Advocate Bob Pringles annual report.