P.E.I. loses child and youth services commissioner

P.E.I. no longer has a child and youth services commissionerand hasn't had one for more than a year.

Jeff Clow was appointed to the position back in 2010. Last summer the position was quietly eliminated, and Clow became the principal of Three Oaks Senior High School in Summerside.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education says the position was eliminated "as part of an effort to move as many resources as possible to the front line, and was in no way a reflection of the quality of work that was done."

When the position was first created it was included within the Department of Finance. At the time, finance minister Wes Sheridan announced the new position would provide co-ordination of services for children across multiple provincial government departments. The position was later transferred to the Department of Education.

In 2012, Clow delivered a report with a dozen recommendations, including one calling for a detailed strategic plan for dealing with substance abuse among youth. Clow also recommended the province initiate a pilot program to turn a rural school into a "full-service" access point for community services.

According to government, many of Clow's recommendations had been or were in the process of being implemented when the position was eliminated, while work continues on others.