Warning that Canada faces “urgent and escalating risks” to children, the Canadian Council of Churches is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to create an independent Children’s Commissioner to confront rising sextortion and online luring by predators.
Council President Rev. Amanda Currie sent a formal letter Sept. 8 to Carney on behalf of the churches.
Developed by the Commission on Justice and Peace, Ending Sexual Exploitation Working Group, the letter advocates the appointment of a commissioner in light of “urgent and escalating risks facing children and youth today.”
An urgent appeal circulated by email from the council said the rise in online sextortion cases and the luring of children and teens by predators “has reached a critical point.”
In the letter to the prime minister, Currie said churches represented by the council had a “shared conviction rooted in our faith” of the “collective responsibility to protect and uplift the most vulnerable among us — our children.”
“We call upon the federal government to establish an independent, nonpartisan Children’s Commissioner for Canada,” Currie wrote, calling it both a moral and practical imperative.
“A Children’s Commissioner would serve as a dedicated advocate, giving voice to children across our country and to those who speak on their behalf,” she added. “This office would help ensure that children’s interests are considered in all matters of public policy — whether related to education, housing, food, healthcare, online protection, or child safety.”
Currie referenced the 2025 International Summit on Children’s Rights, saying every child has a legal right to protection and care.
“As Christian faith communities, we are guided by the belief that every child is a precious gift,” Currie told Carney. “Children have the right to a family and are deserving of care, dignity, and opportunity. Scripture reminds us to prioritize children’s well-being: ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these’ (Mark 10:14). Our faith compels us to act in love in the best interests of children, protecting their well-being and nurturing their potential.”
UNICEF data for Canada quoted in the letter showed the country trailing behind other wealthy nations for children’s well-being, a situation Currie called “troubling.” She cited high rates of child poverty, food insecurity and gaps in access to healthcare and mental health support.
She said creating a commissioner’s office would also help meet the specific needs of Indigenous children, highlighting a recommendation from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls calling for accessible, continuous support for Indigenous women and girls.
“We call upon the federal government to establish a National Child and Youth Commissioner who would also serve as a special measure to strengthen the framework of accountability for the rights of Indigenous children in Canada,” Currie wrote.
The council said the appointment would help Canada meet its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which it ratified in 1991.
“The United Nations Committee on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, along with UNICEF and other Canadian organizations, has consistently encouraged the government to establish a Children’s Commissioner to help ensure all children are safe, cared for, and valued regardless of background or circumstance,” Currie added.
