Health and Social Services Minister Pauline Frost is encouraging anyone with concerns about Yukon government youth group homes to come forward.

“Let us know, and we will trigger a reaction. In no way are we trying to suppress anything; we’re being absolutely open,” she told local media Wednesday afternoon.

Her comments come on the heels of an investigation by CBC Yukon reporter Nancy Thomson, aired yesterday, into instances of violence and neglect, reported by youth and staff, in the government group home system.

Frost acknowledged that a young man brought concerns about group home care to her attention. CBC reported that the two met last month.

“He brought ... some serious allegations and that means that we need to take those things seriously, and that’s exactly what we’ve done,” Frost told reporters.

After an internal assessment, she said, the department reached out to the Yukon Child and Youth Advocate’s office.

In a Monday press release, the Yukon government announced its “co-operation” with the advocate to conduct a systemic review of the transitional support services program.

“This process will include the views of previous and current youth residents and their families to help identify areas of focus for this review,” Frost stated in the press release.

“We want to know what concerns there may be throughout this area of service.”

A Star request for an interview with Annette King, the Child and Youth Advocate, was not returned.

As for why this review announcement came weeks after Frost’s meeting with the youth, she said, “We made the announcement because the announcement was due, we’ve been working on it for a while and putting in motion the process to allow for the independence of that.”

The minister spoke to “systemic issues” in the group homes and her desire to “provide transparent opportunities for children and members of our staff to come forward and speak their truth and speak about what they’re experiencing, so that will align with perhaps policy changes going forward.”

The Yukon government operates six child and youth group homes.