New Brunswick's child welfare department dismissed repeated warnings about a teen it had cared for, then refused him addiction help before he died.

In May 2026 New Brunswick's Child and Youth Advocate, Kelly Lamrock, reported that the overdose death of a 16-year-old formerly in government care reflected systemic failure and a lack of humanity in the Department of Social Development: at least 15 warnings about his safety were treated in isolation and dismissed, and the department declined his request for help getting addiction treatment months before he died. The advocate learned of the death from a non-profit rather than through government channels.