VICTORIA — A report from B.C.'s children's representative and the provincial health officer says vulnerable children in the province start life behind their peers and stay behind.
The Growing Up in B.C. report by Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond and Dr. Perry Kendall says life for vulnerable children, including those in government care and aboriginal children and youth, remains challenging.
Turpel-Lafond says serious gaps in children's well-being remain, including that almost 60 per cent of youth in care don't graduate from high school.
Although she also says the report identifies some positive trends, such as declines in teen pregnancy rates and more aboriginal children graduating from high school.
Both Kendall and Turpel-Lafond say they have concerns about the lack of information around children's welfare because neither the province nor the federal government keep a reliable data bank of information.
More than 200 youth from across B.C. were consulted for the report.
