Number of Alberta child welfare deaths increased last year

Thirty-three children died while in care or receiving support from Alberta child services last year, equalling a post-2009 high set four years ago.
Youth deaths in the 2017-18 fiscal year rose by seven over a year earlier. Sixteen of the youths were aged five or younger. Eight were older than 18.
For the first time since 2009, most of them were not Indigenous.
Six deaths were deemed accidental (compared with seven last year), two were suicides, five weren’t investigated by the Office of th