Infant Mortality in BC

Infant Sleep Deaths
CKNW, (July 06, 2005).

VICTORIA(CKNW/AM980) - Some advice to parents
of infants from the BC Coroners Service today: Don't sleep
with your babies and make sure they sleep on their backs.

Coroner Colin Harris has just issued a report that found
unsafe sleep practices were linked to the deaths of 25
babies in BC during an 18 month period beginning in
January 2003.

Harris says infants should not sleep on soft surfaces or
with their parents and they should be supine rather than
prone.

"So that they're not find themselves in a situation where
they're rebreathing their own carbon dioxide and with
infants what you have to remember is that when they're
very small and they have very little neck control in their
muscles with their head and if they find themselves in a
compromised position they're not always able to free their
airway."

And Harris says cribs should be free of bumpers, quilts
and comforters.
**************************************************

Many sleep-related infant deaths preventable
CBC News, (July 6 2005).

A new report by the B.C. Coroner's office says putting babies
to sleep on adult beds and couches is the leading cause of
infant sleep-related death in this province.

• Coroner's Child Safety Bulletin (78 MB .pdf)

Coroner Colin Harris, who headed the study into the deaths
of 47 babies, says more than 40 per cent of the sleep-related
deaths were cases where the infants were not sleeping in cribs.

• Coroner's Infant Death report (153 MB .pdf)

Harris says more education about safe sleeping practices is
needed reduce the number of unnecessary infant deaths in
B.C. The study was carried out between January 2003 and
June 2004.
********************************************************

Child and Youth Mental Health Saved from the Axe right now

Dix Flip-Flop
CKNW, (June 29 2005).

VICTORIA(CKNW/AM980) - The NDP is crowing
over a Liberal government flip-flop.

Two days ago, New Democrat critic Adrian Dix raised
concerns about a planned transfer of Child and Youth
Mental Health Services from the Children and Families
Ministry to the Health Ministry.

Today, Health Minister George Abbott cancelled the move.

"I think it shows that the premier was being extremely
cavalier in making a very important decision about mental
health services in the government that he hadn't thought
the decision through and he caused as a result a lot of
anxiety for people who depend on those services."

Dix says the government should apologize for causing
that unnecessary anxiety.
***************************************************
Liberal Flip Flop on Mental Health Services for
Children Demonstrates Need for Consultation.
June 29, 2005 - NDP

VANCOUVER – After pressure from the Opposition and
community stakeholders, the Premier and the Minister of
Health have reversed their decision to move Child and
Youth Mental Health services from the Ministry of Children
and Family Development to the Ministry of Health, said
NDP Children and Family Development critic and MLA
for Vancouver-Kingsway Adrian Dix today.

“The Premier’s plan contradicted the recommendations
of the Gove Report that insisted all child welfare services
operate under a single body to minimize the risk of children
and youth slipping through the system,” said Dix. “The
government made the initial decision without consulting
the public or those affected by the changes. They made
sweeping changes behind closed doors, without discussing
it with experts and stakeholders in the field.

“Yesterday, the Minister of Health was cavalier in his
defense of the decision and the Minister of Children and
Family Development was nowhere to be found. Today,
the Campbell government flip flopped. Clearly, this
decision was rushed and the result of a flawed process.

“The Campbell government continues to bring uncertainty
and disruption into the children’s ministry. To date, they
have failed to maintain stability in the ministry and today’s
reversal shows that they still don’t get it.

“Children, youth and their families receiving support need
consistency from government. If Gordon Campbell and
his ministers had consulted stakeholders, they would
have heard that message loud and clear.

“I hope the government has learned an important lesson
today. The new NDP Opposition will work with stakeholders
to hold the government to account and represent the interests
of British Columbians.”
********************************************************
Gov't Flips on Child Mental Health Services
Jun, 29 2005 - 11:00 AM

VICTORIA(CKNWAM980) - Mental health services
for children and youth will be kept with the Ministry of
Children and Families, after all.

The BC Government yesterday announced that division
would be moved to the Ministry of Health, but today,
Health Minister George Abbott announced an "about-face",
saying the services will now be kept with the original
ministry.

"Government has heard from several stakeholders and
stakeholder groups that were concerned with the transfer.
Senior officials in government have discussed this matter
with these stakeholders and with other interested parties."

The NDP had complained the change would go against
the recommendations of the Gove Inquiry, which included
the advice to keep all services for children and youth with
the same Ministry. Just yesterday, Abbott defended the
move, saying it would increase efficiency.
*************************************************
NEW CROWN TO DELIVER, IMPROVE COMMUNITY
LIVING SERVICES.
Ministry of Children & Family Press Release

VICTORIA – On July 1, Community Living British Columbia
will begin delivering all provincial services to British Columbians
with developmental disabilities and working toward better meet-
ing their individual needs.

Hagen states: “Community Living BC is ready to deliver stable,
quality services now, through the same staff and locations as in
the past. Over time, it will implement a new service-delivery model
that provides more services and delivery options, better supporting
the hopes and dreams of individuals with developmental disabilities
and their families.”
************************************************************
Hmm, I'd like to hear Mr. Hagen tell the public about the readiness
of CLBC to take this task on. What's the infrastructure, or leader-
ship of CLBC looking like as in the services to THE most vulnerable
people change in such a drastic way. See some of my former posts
for links to some of the many readiness reports done leading up to
this.

You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't
fool all of the people all of the time, Mr. Hagen and those behind this
privatization. By no means is Hagen the mastermind behind this
scheme, he's just the mouthpiece, that's pretty clear, since all the
plans keep rolling with each change of minister. I wonder though
if they give MLA's and ministers receive education and training
in the values of ministerial responsibility to the public interest.
I'd put money on it that Gordon Campbell wouldn't waste time,
nor money on a thing like that. Some of his new MLA's might
actually get some ideas of their own about their responsibilities,
obligations and accountability to the public.

And, surprise, surprise, no press releases at all about the child and
youth mental health decisions from the government website. You'd
think with the well-paid flotilla of communications people in the
BC government they'd be able to get the news out to the people who
pay their salaries.

Youth crime court cases down

OTTAWA (CP) - The number of youth crime cases
coming to court fell dramatically last year in the first
year under the new Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Statistics Canada says the annual case load declined
by the largest annual amount in more than 10 years.

Judges heard 70,465 cases in the 2003-2004 fiscal year,
down 17 per cent from the previous year.

It was the single largest annual decline since 1991-1992,
the first year national figures were available.

The case load has been falling gradually, mainly because
of a steady drop in cases involving property crimes.

The new youth justice act emphasizes keeping less
serious cases out of court, dealing with them less formally
and telling youths of the consequences of their crimes.
****************************************************
While I certainly agree that youth should be given access
to diversion and rehabilitative and supportive programming,
what isn't part of this article is the fact that a good portion
of youth, including high-risk offenders, have learnt that
the YCJA has no teeth. Kids know that they won't get
charged, or breached, that any orders they might actually
receive aren't going to be enforce. They are learning that
frankly there are few consequences for their criminal and
often risky behaviour.

There has always been this small percentage of criminally
involved youth that have acted recklessly in that way, especially
youth with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and other cognitive/intellectual
deficits, however I've definitely observed a real awareness
on the parts of youth to create more mayhem, with the
knowledge there will be few repercussions. I've also
observed that youth probation, Crown counsel and youth
court judges are not recommending as serious consequences,
or enforcing the orders in place. While I will always view
myself as an advocate and voice for children and youth,
I also have the capacity to understand that some youth
are a danger to themselves, others and society and must
be reined in, stabilized and separated from peers who influence
their behaviour in the community. Sometimes that can only be
done during a brief stay in jail. Sounds harsh, it is. But some
of these youth wouldn't blink twice about doing what they
want in the moment. Right and wrong, caring about others is
abstract for some youth. There is only the present moment
and need, or desire.

These YCJA changes were implemented, in part, as a result of
the fact that Canada had an even higher youth incarceration
rate than our jail happy neighbours, America. While I don't
agree that this is the way to go, especially for those with invisible
disabilities (the saying goes FAS boys get locked up, the girls get
knocked up). The reality is that there is a larger generation of
youth who are growing up to have no fear, or respect for the
safety of themselves, or others, nor respect for the law.

Of course a cynical person might also think that this policy and
practice shift might also reduce the overhead that goes into
funding the youth criminal justice system and all of its attendant
community sector programs, such as probation schools, forensic
and/or mental health services and residential resources and
one to one workers (intensive supervision and support workers
[ISSP].

Privatization and Ministry shifting of Child & Youth Mental Health

Child Mental Health
CKNW, (June 28 2005).

VICTORIA(CKNW/AM980) - Community groups
that provide services to children across BC are concerned
but BC's Health Minister says his ministry's take-over
of child mental health services will be a good thing.

Craig Meredith with the Federation of Child and Family
Services says other provinces have been following BC's
example of combining child welfare services into a
single ministry as recommended in the Gove Report
nearly a decade ago now he says the government is
moving backward with no consultation.

"It was quite a shock to ministry staff and service
providers."

But Health Minister George Abbott says his ministry
will now offer all mental health services, increasing
efficiency...

"We believe it's gonna be a success and I'm looking
forward to seeing some great results from this."

As for who was consulted, "I can't, I can't speak to
that, I'll have to check into that."
***********************************************
I bet once he does check around that he will find many
people are happy child & youth mental health is going
over the health authority. No-one in their right minds
would want to be part of the Ministry of Children and
Family Development, what with the funding cuts,
organizational chaos and toxic work environment.
There is just no leadership to help the integrated model
really work in this province. It really is a big loss for
child & youth mental health to go, there will be an
increase in service gaps and other issues no doubt.

It's called privatization my friends and foes. MCFD is
rapidly divesting itself of anything to do with child welfare.
By the end of this week Community Living BC (a nightmare
in the making for those it purports to serve and those who
will be doing the serving), is supposed to be up & running.
Hmmm, missed the public, open announcement on that one
anywhere in the media, or even on the government website.

The continuing silence from the supposed advocates,
such as the BCACL, BC Coalition of People with Dis-
abilities, and Family Net etc. speaks volumes about
what we can expect from these organizations in terms
of real advocacy and voice for those affected by this
privatization. Still no news on the government website
either. If this CLBC plan is such a great thing, why aren't
they tripping over themselves to announce the
much waited for shift to community governance.
What are they afraid of and what are they hiding?
***********************************************

Privatization takes new form

NEWS, VIEWS & ATTITUDE

By Bill Tieleman, (June 28, 2005). 24 Hours.ca.

Maximus, the controversial U.S. corporation that has
already taken over administration of B.C.'s Medical
Service Plan despite privacy objections, is now poised
to take over the BC Nurseline, the province's telephone
healthcare service, 24 Hours has learned.

The BC Nurseline employs 100 registered nurses and
handles about 900 calls a day.

"I don't know what the motivation is but it seems
unnecessary to sell out the sanctity of Canadian medical
information," BCCLA president Jason Gratl said in an
interview. "The obvious alternatives are to hire a Canadian
company or not privatize and lower costs internally."

"We don't see the steps taken by the B.C. government
as adequate to prevent the U.S. government from having
access to confidential information," he said.
*************************************************
Another major issue in this is the absolutely crappy job
that "MSP" now does in responding to citizens inquiring
about ANYTHING to do with accessing health care.
I know I've e-mailed, or tried to contact them and have
family members who have mailed in very important
documents never to hear anything from this incompetent
monolith.

Manufacturing Children's Lives and Deaths

Coroner Adopts New Child Death Review Process
CKNW, (June 21, 2005).

VANCOUVER(CKNWAM980) - The BC Coroner's Service
is adopting a new process for reviewing deaths of children,
after the investigation into the death of 2-year-old Chassidy
Whitford.

Chassidy was accidentally smothered by her father while
he was drunk, and he was later convicted of criminal
negligence causing death.

Assistant Deputy Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe says Chassidy's
family, members of her native band and other community
representatives took part in the review, "and that resulted
in some recommendations to the coroner which the coroner
adopted, and it allowed everybody to be heard and to have
some control over the outcome, some sense that their issues
were considered and were considered to be important."

The recommendations include better training for hospital staff
and police when it comes to identifying and assessing child
abuse and better information sharing among community
agencies.
******************************************************
Ministry of Children and Family Development.
Review Findings Released in Death of Child: Chronology

Summary of the Director's Case Review Into the Death of CW.
(October 22, 2003).
************************************************************************
CBC, (February, 2003). Saving the Native Children.
News in Review.
****************************************************
Foster parent says Sto:lo system is flawed
By Kevin Gillies,(December 09, 2003). Abbotsford Times.

The Sto:lo child welfare program Xyolhemeyhl has failed
children in several instances, including the case of Chassidy
Whitford, according to a woman who has fostered several
First Nations kids for the program.

Xyolhemeyhl [pronounced heoth-meeth] has come under public
scrutiny since two-year-old Chassidy was discovered dead on
the Lakahahmen reserve Sept. 21.]
*********************************************************
Critical report ignored
By Lisa Morry, (December 09, 2003). Chilliwack Times.

In particular, the report, by CS/RESORS Consulting, Ltd., Elizabeth M.
Robinson, Inc. and Gordon Blackwell, states that 73.2 per cent of
child protection and guardianship files reviewed did not have a plan
of care on file. Of those files, 83 per cent did not have a safety
assessment on file and 83 per cent also did not have a risk assess-
ment on file.

"While the number of files overall is small (41), the findings have
particular strength because of their uniformity. That is, the rate
of sheer absence of records or of lack of currency of those records
that exist is very high indeed; or, put another way, there is a very
low proportion of activities for which information is current or even
present at all," the report states.
**************************************************
Commentary:

It's outrageous that the Liberals think they can water down
and cover up the reality that Chassidy Whitford, a child who
was barely two, lost her life due to the failure of the child
welfare system. As reported by CKNW and no-where to be
found on the government website, the BC coroner's autopsy
report suggests more training for police and hospital staff,
and increased information sharing are the answers to how
this child did not receive the protection and intervention
she deserved from the child welfare authorities, her family,
community and other professionals. If people are taking
the "hands off" turning a blind eye approach to protecting
children, then they also get the blame and the accountability
for children being hurt.

Hmm, no mention of the "notable gaps in the investigation
process," some of which included staff who investigated did
not recognize the nature of the risk to the child. The investi-
gator did not seek consultation, or receive it, the proper case
process and documentation was not performed and people
who may have been important to interview were not sought
out about the circumstances and safety
of the child"
(MCFD, Summary of the Director's Case Review).

Further audits of the agency found issues of accountability
and documentation, including a high majority of children's files
with no plans of care. Other conditions that impacted practice
included the complexity of the work and "the appalling social
conditions and an overwhelming caseload," (CBC, February,
2003).

Now, to be clear, this isn't an attack on Xyolhemeyhl, who
I'm sure were doing the best they could with the human and
other resources available. I'm afraid that those delegated to
provide protection to children can't play things loosy-goosy.
There are policy and practice standards for a reason. And to
be fair, BC has its share of good ones.

Leaders within Aboriginal agencies and others must help
train staff in learning policy, model and teach good practice
themselves and encourage staff to be involved in training.
All of this will assist workers in developing better skills, know-
ledge and assess the safety of children and the needs of them
and their families more accurately.

Another key to child welfare organizations and improved practice
is that there must be appropriate staffing levels. I fully believe
that those working strictly with Aboriginal children and families
must have lower caseloads. The complexity and intensity of the
problems facing First Nations families and communities cannot be
underestimated. The rich relationships and work that can be
created with families cannot occur when workloads, or caseloads,
are too high. An organization cannot develop an experienced,
competent work force in child protection if they keep burning
staff out. There is no social worker tree. They're not as expendable
as I've been led to think government believes. Sometimes I wonder
if the Liberals also think the populations being served in child
protection are expendable too?

The messy part of child protection is that sometimes in spite of the
best interventions tragedies happen. Child protection isn't an exact
science and the organizations are serving higher-risk individuals and
families. But the bottom line is that ethical, competent and knowledge-
able leadership and supervision is what is needed in any child welfare
organization. Sadly, this appears to be lacking in many. The only way
things are going to change, or improve, is if the Liberals realize that the
more fiscal constraint Treasury Board imposes the less focus is given
to the safety and well-being of children and youth.

I'm urging that there be no more cuts to the Ministry of Children
and Family Development. I have a hunch they are happening, even
separate from the impending devolution of CLBC and the money
that goes with them. The children's bodies are stacking up
and even in their deaths children's realities are being manufactured
by the very state that is responsible for their well-being.

United Nations, (2 September 1990).
Convention on the Rights of the Child

Article 3 1. In all actions concerning children, whether under-
taken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of
law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best
interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.

2. States Parties undertake to ensure the child such protection
and care as is necessary for his or her well-being, taking into
account the rights and duties of his or her parents, legal guard-
ians, or other individuals legally responsible for him or her, and,
to this end, shall take all appropriate legislative and adminis-
trative measures.

The Privatization of Community Living Services

Parents pan transfer of disabilities services:
'People not aware of what's happening, the
implications,' mother of autistic son says

Brad Badelt, (June 18, 2005). Vancouver Sun,
p. B1 & 4.

An independent authority will take over responsi-
bility for providing disability services across BC
from the provincial government in early July, but
parents of disabled children say they have been
left in the dark about the changes.

The transfer of services to Community Living BC
(CLBC), a Crown agency with government-appoint-
ed directors, marks a major step in the govern-
ment's long-standing plan to decentralize the
Ministry of Children and Family Development.

CLBC chair Lois Hollstedt said the official hand-off
is expected July 1st. "There is a letter that will be
going out to all the people we serve," Hollstedt
said. "To make certain people are fully aware of
the change."

But Dawn Steele, who has a 12-year-old son with
autism, said she is frustrated by the lack of
consultation. "The first issue, in my eyes, is this
is all going to happen July 1 and there's been no
public announcement, or discussion," Steele said.
"People are not aware of what's happening and
the implications."

Barb Laird's daughter has Down Syndrome, but
she said she has not received any formal notifi-
cation about the changes. "I've heard it's happen-
ing," said Laird, who receives an electronic news-
letter from CLBC every month. But she didn't
know it was going to be July 1, and she is worried
about how it will work.

(Continued: New agency will control $600 million
in funding)

The transition will move $600 million in funding -
provided to about 15,000 individuals and families
across the province - to the authority of CLBC.

"The great motivations to move outside of govern-
ment are more flexibility, more independence from
government and more ability to really put the person
to be served in the centre, rather than the system,"
Hollstedt said Friday.

The province has been planning to overhaul the ministry
since early 2002, but has been delayed several times,
most notably with the resignation of former restructuring
coordinator Peter Wall (should be Doug) amid allegations
of scandal in early 2004.

One change expected within the next two years is indivi-
dual funding, which Hollstedt said would allow individuals
or families to shop for their own services rather than rely
strictly on those provided by government.

The new funding mechanism, which will be voluntary,
would also make it easier for disabled people to move from
one region to another, Hollstedt. "One of the biggest com-
plaints about the current system is you can't take your
money across regional boundaries. You can't even take it
from city to city," she said.

But Steele is worried about whether CLBC - formed on an
interim basis in late 2002 - has enough experience to
provide such widespread services.

"They're saying they're going to increasingly rely on comm-
unities and families to provide the needed support," Steele
said. "That basically assumes that there is capacity in the
community and among families to do more than they're
doing now. It's an insult."

Laird, who likes the idea of being able to choose services for
her daughter, said she is concerned about where the money
will come from, particularly with a growing population of
disabled adults.

"I'm hopeful with CLBC I'm going to have more of a say as
to what my daughter's going to have [for services]," Laird
said, "because what's out there [right now] isn't necessarily
what I want for her."

***************************************************
Commentary:

The bottom line that people really don't want to hear is
that this entire process to devolve Community Living
Services is tarnished and flawed due to the fiscally driven
motivations and influence of Doug Walls. Despite the input
of many, one has only to read the reports from the initial
phases of the plan to realize that anything that Mr. Walls
was part of must be suspect.

The PriceWaterhouseCooper audit is really clear in stating
that Mr. Walls was able to insinuate himself into the Interim
Authority and the Community Living Transition Steering
Committee, as the driving force and chief architect to the
plan that has seen many leaders come and go, in efforts to
meet dangerous, poorly conceived deadlines and plans.
Mr. Walls was clearly reported to have

Okay, strike 1, Ms. Hollstedt. The fact that the parents of
those receiving supports and services through MCFD have
not even been informed about the impending "devolution"
of the services they are no doubt quite in need of for their
children, speaks volumes about who will really be at the
"centre" of this service delivery system.

I've been scouring the various organizations devoted and
funded(some with untendered government and foundation
contracts) by the BC government for any mention, update,
sneak peak at the news of the rapidly approaching devolution
and have found not a bit of news. This really speaks to the
climate of communication, collaboration and oversight that
can be expected of an organization that has political appointees
on it's Board of Directors and the people they will appoint to
sit on the regional micro-boards.

The Community Living BC Business Plan 2005 was
only just released in June. Considering the subtitle “Building
the Foundation for the Future” it seems a little late to release
this document only two weeks before the most significant
and risky change and service re-organization in the area of
developmentally disabled and special needs children, youth
and adults in a decade.

Having conducted a lot of research over the last while about
the history, background and process for the devolution of
CLS to CLBC, I’ve discovered that there are no less than at
least eight (8) consultation reports about the readiness of
CLBC to devolve (see below for references). Most point out
significant problems related to funding for devolution and
infrastructure development, organizational capacity, potential
for ongoing funding problems and concerns about possible
cuts to service in communities as a result of expected budget
shortfalls, and readiness and stability of leadership.
*****************************************************
References

Advocate for Service Quality


The BC Coalition of People with Disabilities

BC FamilyNet, (June 18, 2005). Letter to Premier Campbell.

BC Government and Employee Union, (May 30, 2005).
Memorandum of Agreement reached on employees
transferring from government to Community Living
B.C.

Boyd, B., (May, 2004). Devolution of Services to Community
Living BC:Updated Assessment of Readiness.

CBC News, (May 12 2004). Bad management, but no fraud in Walls
affair: report.

CBC News, (2004, January 23). Hogg resigns over audit.

CBC News (2004, January 19). RCMP recommended charges in
car dealership case.

CBC News, (2004 May 12). Report on Doug Walls due Wednesday.
CBC News, (2004, Mar. 4). Shake-up at Community Living B.C.

Ministry of Children & Family Development.
Chronology of Events:Transition to Community
Governance for Community Living Services.

BC Association for Community Living.

Community Living Coalition

Community Living Society

Milowsky, Fred, (September 30, 2004). An Operational
Examination of the Community Living Service Delivery
Model.

Minister of Finance, (May 6, 2004). Auditor’s Investigation
of CareNet Technology Society and the Provincial
Government's Dealing with Douglas F. Walls.

Sage Group Management Consultants, (Sept. 24, 2003).
New Governance - Some Considerations.

Homeless Plan Passed, Show Us the Money

Vancouver homeless plan gets green light
CBC News, (Jun 15 2005).

VANCOUVER – Vancouver city council has given its
unanimous approval to a Homeless Action Plan, which
recommends the construction of 8,000 social housing
units over the next 10 years.
****
Jill Davidson, the city's homeless policy co-ordinator,
says support for the initiative is widespread throughout
the community – providing a consensus to move forward.
"We've had Tourism Vancouver, the business community,
the Board of Trade come to us and say they are in support
of this plan," she says.
***
There's no official estimate of how much the Homeless
Action Plan will cost the city. But each new suite carries
a price tag of $130,000.

Justice for children abused in care?

Sex abuse settlement
CKNW, (June 13, 2005).

VANCOUVER/CKNW(AM980) - The victims of a
former foster parent who sexually assaulted children
in his care now have the power to sue the BC government
for damages.

A BC Supreme Court judge has approved a settlement
stemming from a 2001 class-action lawsuit involving
up to 30 victims of convicted sex offender Alan Walter
Winter. Between 1959 and 1986, the one-time Surrey
school trustee abused children as young as 11 years
old in Surrey and Langley.

Terms of the settlement have not been released, but
over the next five months, his victims can start filing
individual claims.

Winter --who's now in his 60's-- was deported to
Britain after serving one-third of his 16-year sentence.

He was designated a dangerous offender when he was
convicted in 1987.

MCFD News

Child Beater
CKNW, (Jun, 11 2005).

VANCOUVER(CKNW/AM980) - Vancouver Police have a
woman in custody, accused of attacking her own daughter yesterday.
Police say the woman was on a supervised visit with her 4-year-old
girl at the Ministry of Children and Families office on Kingsway.
She was left alone briefly but that was all the time needed to try to
smother the little girl.Staff managed to stop her and the woman was
arrested.The little girl is in stable condition.
***************************************************
Girl allegedly attacked by mother
The Province, (Sunday, June 12, 2005), p. A10.

A young mother is in custody after allegedly trying to smother
her four-year old daughter during a supervised visit at a govern-
ment office on Friday.

Vancouver police say the incident took place in the 3600-block
Kingsway Road at a Ministry of Children and Family Develop-
ment office.

During the visit, the mother was alone with her daughter and
tried to smother the little girl, say police.

Jeremy Berland, assistant deputy minister, said the assault
was a complete surprise to staff and it remains unclear how it
happened. He said at one point, the person supervising the
visit was knocked down while trying to intervene. Two other
staff members who heard the commotion also rushed to stop
the assault, said Berland.

"It's deeply disturning to us," said Berland. "We're very
concerned about the condition of the child."

The little girl was in stable condition yesterday.

Berland said he could not comment on whether the mother
has a history of violence, or what initially led the ministry
to take custody of the child.

Supervised visits are ordered by the court to ensure that
a child in the custody of the ministry is able to have contact
with it's parents.

"We supervise visits when there's a concern about something
a parent might say, or do, but in this circumstance, there was
no indication of violence," Berland said.

No charges have been laid.
******************************************************
Working group for family justice strays away from legal aid dispute
CKNW, (Jun, 10 2005).

VANCOUVER/CKNW(AM980) - A new report out tackles reform
to B.C.'s family justice system, but don't look for any action on legal
aid funding.The report recommends a move away from an adversarial
approach, and more towards mediation.

Its findings were put together by a working group made up of govern-
ment, lawyers, and judges. Its chair -- Jerry McHale - says it deals with
system changes.While the report aims to make a system that is more
accessible, it does not tackle government cuts to legal aid.
Feedback is now being sought on the report's recommendations.

Children's Rights and Agendas

CHILDREN'S 'C8': Children Meet to Place their
Issues on the G8 Agenda

Date: 3-5 July 2005
Location: Dunblane, Scotland

UNICEF Adolescent Development and Participation Unit,
Programme Division, HQ and the UK Committee is
organising a 'C8' children's summit due to take place
just before the G8 meeting of leaders, from 3rd to 5th
July 2005 in Scotland, United Kingdom. Young people
from eight of the world's least developed countries -
Bhutan, Cambodia, Moldova, Yemen, Republic of Guinea,
Sierra Leone, Bolivia and Lesotho will be joining young
people from G8 countries, Russia, France, Italy, Germany
and the UK to debate, discuss and firmly place their
issues on the agenda of the G8 leaders.

As part of C8, UNICEF is holding a webchat for young
people in association with UNICEF's Voices of Youth
Website. This webchat started on 1 June 2005 and will
last for one month. This is a chance for young people
from across the globe to debate issues which they think
the G8 leaders should address.

Their views will form part of a report which will be given
to the G8 leaders.

For more information, contact:
Nina O'Farrell, C8 Project Manager
Tel: + 44 20 7312 7667;Fax: + 44 20 7405 2332
Email: ninao@unicef.org.uk
Website: http://www.c8forum.org

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=5665

To access the webchat.
*****************************************************
SEXUAL EXPLOITATION:
US Law Fails to Protect American Victims

[NEW YORK, 27 April 2005] - ECPAT-USA just released
an investigative report, "Who Is There to Help Us?
How the System Fails Sexually Exploited Girls in
the US," to call attention to the disparity in treat-
ment between American and foreign girls who are
trafficked for sexual exploitation. This report is
a major stepping-stone, which serves as an "Amber
Alert" as it brings attention and calls for reform,
and services to over 300,000 American children,
whose lives are at risk of commercial sexual
exploitation.

While in theory the Trafficking Victims Protection
Act of 2000 (TVPA), that the US Congress enacted,
provides protection for American girls who are
coerced into sexual exploitation, the report
explains that in practice the TVPA falls short.
American girls are practically ignored while
foreign girls receive federal assistance.

According to the report, the difficulty in
child trafficking and exploitation cases is
the invisible nature of the crime and lack of
hard data. The report, which was primarily based
on personal interviews, provides a regional
perspective in its coverage of four American
cities: New York, Atlanta, Minneapolis,and
San Francisco.

The report strives to make readers aware that
although these children are technically breaking
the law because of prostitution, they are victims
and should be treated as such. ECPAT-USA continues
through research, monitoring, and public awareness
to be the leading US organisation combating child
prostitution, pornography and trafficking for
sexual purposes.

For more information, contact:
Carol Smolenski, ECPAT USA
157 Montague Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 US
Tel: + 1 718 935 9192; Fax: + 1 718 935 9173
Email: csmolenski@ecpatusa.org
Website: http://www.ecpatusa.org

Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=5679
**********************************************************
Commentary:

This report is a perfect example of what some of my other
posts have been getting at: the authorities are devoting
much time, energy and funds to fighting the international
and  global sex trade, while ignoring the sexual abuse, 
violence and exploitation that is happening to the
children on our very own streets of our city, province
and country. There is very little funding that goes toward
supports, resources, or interventions for children at a local
level. It is hypocritical, ignorant and short-sighted to be
so wilfully blind to our own problems and the rights of
our children.

 

Adoption Issues in BC

To Rescue a Child from Foster Care, Adopt:
Why go overseas to adopt? The risks in BC
are overblown.
Mary Glasgow , (June 3, 2005). The Tyee.

Excerpt:

For the last five years, the Ministry of Child and Family
Services has been focusing on adoption, but with little
success. The list of people wanting to adopt is long, and
the list of kids in foster care and on adoption lists even
longer. But in BC, there are few adoptions, and many
would-be-adoptive parents go out of the country.

In fact, last year, there were nearly a thousand kids
wanting for families in BC, but only 350 kids actually
got adopted. That means most kids languish in foster
care where “the outcomes are pretty dismal,” according
to Anne Clayton who’s the adoption manager at the
Ministry. “There’s a recognition that kids with a
permanent family, or at least a life-long commitment
to an adult seem to have a better outcome in their adult
years.”
*************************************************
Child Becomes 'real to you':
Foster Kids Online: Supporters argue photos
boost adoption rates
Elaine O'Connor, (June 5, 2005). The Province, p.A25.

B.C.'s adoption organizations are lobbying Victoria to
adopt a pioneering, online foster-child photo-listing
database that has proven successful in increasing the
number of successful adoptions in other provinces.

It's been more than two years since Alberta launched
a web-based gallery of foster children. The site, the
only one of it's kind in Canada, boosted adoptions
among 4,700 foster kids by 30% between it's launch
in February 2003 and October 2004.

Anne Carin, clinical director of CHOICES, a B.C.
private adoption agency, says that as the success of
the Alberta Children's Services program becomes
increasingly apparent, advocates are frustrated by
the Ministry of Children and Family Development's
delay in trying it.

"Alberta's seen enormous success. A picture's worth
a thousand words - people see a child and fall in love
with a face and they are willing to parent that child,"
Carin told The Province.

She said prospective parents are often intimidated by
thick assessment files detailing demands of special-
needs children with behavioural issues, abuse histories,
pre-natal exposure to drugs and alcohol, or medical
problems.

"With a photo, a child is real to you. Maybe they have
some learning challenges or special needs, but you see
it in context when you've got an actual child there," she
said.

Intimidated by a child's history, or fed up with a lengthy
process, B.C. parents often go stateside or look at inter-
national adoptions.

CHOICES has been putting pressure on the ministry to
take steps to implement the program here, but has met
with little success, since privacy laws governing adoption
in B.C. are stricter than those in Alberta.

"The ministry is not necessarily opposed to photo-listing,
but there is a lot of debate about the issue," said Jeremy
Berland, provincial director of adoption for the Ministry
of Children and Family Development. "We're concerned
about Internet predators and we're concerned about
privacy."

Berland said the ministry has studied the Alberta model,
but noted that legislative changes would be needed before
photo-listing could be done in B.C. He said the ministry
would also like to hold focus groups.

As it stands, the ministry's success rates are low. There
are 1,300 children in care in the average year, of whom
about 300 get adopted.

"We'd like to place more," Berland said." But before we
go down that path, we have to make sure that it's the
right thing to do."

On Alberta's website more than 100 children are up for
adoption, ranging from one to 13 years of age. Profiles
include photos, background information and in some
cases, videoclips. Families can make contact via e-mail
link.

In B.C., by contrast, the ministry posts written profiles
of children. All photos are withheld and the more than
230 children are listed under pseudonyms. Interested
families are directed to call a hotline for more inform-
ation about adopting. There are books of profiles and
pictures available to serious prospective parents in
ministry offices.

The Adoption Council of Canada maintains a photo
listing, but requires password issued after the council
obtains personal infomation and approves use of the
site.

eoconnor@png.canwest.com

***************************************************
Commentary:

Adoption is a topic close to my heart, as an adoptee I think
the issue is an important one, wherein much thought should
go into the ethics and implications of how to increase the
number of children who receive permanent families.
I don't agree with Jeremy Berland on much, but I think he
is right that we need to look at the issue of confidentiality
and privacy rights of children in care in a very serious way.
The general public may not be aware of this, but in general,
children and youth in care are discriminated against, stigma-
tized and subject to different standards than other young
people in society. Children in care are also much more likely
to be labelled and excluded from participation in school,
which often continues a life of rejection and failure to
provide the support a child needs to process and

The Adoptions department of the Ministry of Children and
Family Development have worked very hard over the last
few years to develop innovative plans and more awareness
about the many children in care who are waiting for perma-
nent, or "forever" families. They also deserve credit for
helping 300 children find permanent homes, because that
is meaningful for each of those children and families.

The discussion about adoption numbers is incomplete
without mentioning the situation of First Nations children.
There are many barriers to the adoption of Aboriginal children,
who are then relegated to foster care and it's problems, of
which there are many. I'm deeply concerned at the
number of Aboriginal children who are denied the right
to a permanent family for political and cultural reasons.

I also think it is awfully ironic that the Ministry is so concerned
about the privacy rights of these children in care, when it isn't
nearly so vigilant when it comes to the other rights of children
in the care of the state. For the most part, children in care live
and die in invisibility. Other posts in this blog go into detail
about the failure's of the Liberal government to publically
report on the death's of children in government care, or children
who die out of care, who are, or have been involved with the
Ministry. It is a fact that under the Liberals the street youth
population has increased because the Ministry is routinely failing
to protect and provide safety to youth as young as 14. This failure
is a neglection of legislated duty under the Child, Family and
Community Services Act and the UN Convention on the Rights
of the Child, of which Canada is a signatory.

Now, as I mentioned above, the issue of adoption is close to me,
because I'm representative of the kind of person who received a new
life, with a new family, opportunities, enduring connections and love.
All children deserve these things and more, and especially children
in care. They've often already gone through things that most adults
can't even imagine and they deserve to be safe, well taken care of,
integrated in a family and community and loved beyond belief.

The Rights of Children and Their Parents

Ontario, families agree on return of severely
disabled children
CBC News, (June 3, 2005 ).

More than 100 families in Ontario are going to get
custody back of their severely disabled and autistic
children.

Lawyers for the families and the government reached
an agreement on Friday afternoon on how it will be done.

The parents have been forced to put their children in
the care of the province in order to provide them with
the costly specialized care they need. But they fought
that measure in court and won.

The province has since promised that whatever
agreement is reached on restoring custody it will not
restrict the parents' right to sue over how their families
have been treated.

The parents are suing but the province has decided to
appeal.

The government had promised to reunite the families,
but one of their lawyers said that was delayed because
there was no guarantee the children would keep the
services they are currently getting.

An aide to the minister of children's services says the
parents will start getting their custody rights restored
on Monday.

The Child Sex Trade Flourishes in Vancouver

Grandview Pimps
May, 30 2005 - 4:10 PM

VANCOUVER(CKNW/AM980) - Vancouver Police
are again warning parents to better communicate
with their daughters --to keep them from getting
lured into the sex trade.

Constable Tim Fanning is responding to a warning
about First Nations girls as young as ten being recruited
by pimps outside Grandview Elementary.

"Parents are the first educators, so everybody has to
be involved. you know, it takes a community to raise a
child --whether you live in the West side of Vancouver,
the East side of Vancouver-- anywhere in the city--
we go back to what we just talked about which is you've
got to educate your kids."

Fanning says the girls most likely to fall into this trap
are those with low self-esteem and trouble at home.
*************************************************
Pimp problem at elementary school
May, 30 2005 - 3:00 PM

VANCOUVER/CKNW(AM980) - It's not news to them.
That's how Vancouver Police are responding to a warning

Constable Tim Fanning says school liaison officers are
doing their best to protect vulnerable children.

"We have a program in place --that we work with the
schools. If they have any sort of problems, we are all
over it. If there's a specific incident, we investigate it.
Anytime we're given the information, we act on it."

The principal at Grandview Elementary says drug
traffickers and sex-trade recruiters are bold enough
to come right onto school property.

Fanning admits those pimps often trick the girls by
pretending to be their boyfriends.
***********************************************
Commentary:

Have the police lost their minds? This deplorable
attitude is why 67 women, mostly First Nations women,
have gone missing from Vancouver and an estimated
500 First Nations women are missing from across
Canada. Placing the onus onto parents to "communicate'
with their children" is absolute classist and racist crap.
You tell me if pimps were circling the privileged little
white children of the upper, or middle class on the Westside
whether this kind of classist, dangerous nonsense would
be the response from the police?

This "blame the victim" mentality is shocking and what
I want to know is how many of these recruiters and pimps
have been arrested, charged & convicted? Last I heard
sexual abuse and exploitation of children were indictable
offenses under the Criminal Code. Last I knew, children
deserved the right to go to school without having to run a
gauntlet of people waiting to sexually exploit them openly,
with police issuing bulletins, instead of doing their jobs to
stop these parasites.

I believe that school liaison officers probably are trying
to do the best they can, but the problems are embedded
in the Vancouver police department and society frankly.
First Nations girls and women across Canada are the
most marginalized citizens in this country. And this kind
of statement by the police contributes to the fact that
First Nations women are treated as though they are not
deserving of the protections other citizens receive and
in fact that they can be abused in any way from cradle
to grave. Many First Nations women don't even enjoy
the same rights as other women such as matrimonial
rights to property. When is this city and province going
to move away from our racist and classist treatment of
First Nations girls and women? Who is going to take
leadership on this issue and challenge the authorities,
such as the VPD, to provide the same rights to First
Nations girls and women in this city and province?

Something that also hasn't been mentioned in this
discussion is that other young women and men are
used as recruiters by adult pimps. This is done for
different reasons. Adults know that the watered down
Youth Criminal Justice Act and the authorities are not
particularly inclined to enforce too many breaches of
the Criminal Code, or even if they do, young people
will get away with that proverbial slap on the wrist,
in the guise of diversion. Youth know it too and some
of them are taking full advantage, because they know
there are no consequences to their behaviour. Adults
also use girls to befriend and recruit other girls into the
sex trade. They pick girls who themselves are vulnerable
and who may have been victimized, make them feel
special, give them drugs & alcohol, buy them some pretty
stuff (clothes, jewelry and other things) and then it's
pay back time. These girls in turn groom other girls
into the sex trade. And children are valued by pedophiles,
because they believe they are "clean" from disease and
they will pay more for that and unprotected rape (that is
what it is) of these children.

The fact that Vancouver has an open, thriving and
internationally known sex trade in children, filled with
First Nations girls, says to me that no-one in authority
cares enough to seriously tackle this problem. I have
worked with these girls and women, they need our love,
our care, our support to exit this shadow world of pain,
addiction, abuse and death. The younger they are when
they are introduced into the sex trade and the street life,
the earlier they are addicted, the earlier they develop
HIV, Hepatitis B & C, the earlier they die. They also have
babies, continuing the cycle of government care, broken
attachments, cognitive/intellectual issues and marginal-
ization through government intervention. Even if they
want to escape the life, the shame, humiliation and
guilt of the life they have been forced to lead leaves them
outside the margins of the mainstream, standing at the
window looking in, but lacking the skills and knowledge
how to be on the other side of the glass. We are the ones
who should feel shame, guilt and humiliation for the fact
that every day in Vancouver we are sitting by while children
are being raped and destroyed on our streets.
*****************************************************
Sex trade a 'reality' say experts
By Irwin Loy, 24 hours

Sex-trade recruitment is a reality at schools in all areas
of the city, says a support agency for sex-trade workers.
"Recruiting is happening in every school," said Kyla Kaun
of PEERS Vancouver. "We need to realize this is really
happening. Children are being targeted by predators to
get into sex work."

Kaun's comments come after the principal of East Van's
Grandview elementary last week told Vancouver city
council children in Grades 6 and 7 were constantly
targeted by sex-trade recruiters. Kaun says the average
age for entering prostitution is only 12 - and it's not just
restricted to lower-income neighbourhoods.

"Predators have absolutely no respect for social class.
It has nothing to do with poverty," Kaun said, adding
both parents and their kids need to get educated.

Former Child Care Worker get 4 and a half years for child abuse

Cathy Matteau gets 5 years

Montreal Gazette, (May 26, 2005).

MONTREAL --A woman found guilty of severely
beating two infants in her care was sentenced on
Thursday to 4.5 years in jail on aggravated assault
charges.

Cathy Matteau, who's in her mid-20s, has been in
jail since Feb. 23 when she was found guilty of
aggravated assault on the two baby girls in 2003.
The infants were seven months and 10 months old,
respectively.

The first infant suffered a skull fracture, six crushed
vertebrae and symptoms of shaken baby syndrome.
The baby is likely to suffer permanent damage from
the assault at the at-home day care Matteau operated.

The second baby suffered two cranial fractures but
is likely to escape permanent damage.

Matteau's lawyer had argued that a maximum
sentence of three years for the former child-care
worker should be sufficient.

© Canadian Press 2005
********************************************
Commentary:

I think the public would be amazed and horrified
at how many people who have histories of abuse
and neglect of their own children can work in child care
with other people's children. I'm not saying this is
the case with the woman who has been convicted,
but it put me in mind of this. I have had many women
I have worked with tell me they were going to
school to become child care workers, many time before
they had resolved their own parenting issues in their
own family. Even though people have to usually at least
have a criminal record check, privacy laws would protect
child protection authorities from disclosing whether
someone has a history with child protection
involvement. It's also so scary how many people
are operating child care out of their homes with
no licenses, no oversight, or awareness of what
their backgrounds might be. As a parent, it is
so difficult to find affordable, high-quality child
care. I hope BC gets on board with the Feds
quick for the $5 billion child care funding, before we
head to the polls again. BC's kids and families need
and deserve a much, much better child care system
than we currently have.
**********************************************
Educational Reform Must Include Transparency
and Competition
By Nancy Salvato, (Wednesday, May 25, 2005).
Canada Free Press.

While it was somewhat surprising to read that preschoolers
are being suspended from school at alarming rates, that
teachers were having great difficulty managing these young
children did not catch me unawares. For all the media
coverage given to funding and accountability in the public
school system, in general very little attention is paid to
early childhood education. Private preschool centers are
forced to hire the least qualified to instruct those under
their care for the simple reason that they cannot afford
to properly compensate their teachers.

Head Start is one of the only early childhood programs
that requires education certification of instructors and
compensates at the level of other professional teachers.
Yet the one oasis where professional instructors are given
care of our youngest children has suffered from serious
financial abuse and irregularities. Lobbying from the
Head Start community has impeded "greater transparency
in the program" which would "enable the public and the
media to more closely examine the ways in which federal
Head Start funds are being spent" according to John
Boehner, Chairman of the Committee on Education and
the Workforce.

How many men are charged for giving HIV to Women?

HIV-positive mom charged

HAMILTON (CP) - Police have arrested and
charged an HIV-positive mother who allegedly
failed to alert hospital staff to her condition
during childbirth so they could protect the
newborn from infection.

The mother faces one count each of failing to
provide the necessaries of life and criminal
negligence causing bodily harm. The baby has
tested positive for HIV.

Hospital staff who met with the pregnant woman
in early 2004 recommended the newborn baby
be given the drug AZT and secured an agreement
that the mother would not breastfeed her child,
police said.

But the accused stopped taking her medication
during the pregnancy and delivered the baby at a
different hospital, where she denied having had
any prenatal care. Police said that when she was
specifically asked about her medical history,
she denied her HIV status.

The mother was diagnosed as HIV positive prior
to the birth of her first child in 2003. She followed
medical advice to ensure the safe delivery of that
child, who does not have HIV.

Both children are in the care of the Catholic
Children's Aid Society.
*********************************************
Commentary:

I really don't know what these people are thinking.
It seems like a very poor decision to charge this
woman criminally. Perhaps they might think about
getting her some assistance and support instead.
What was the child welfare system doing while this
situation was going on? Was she offered high-quality
pre-natal care and support? Were she and the other
child being monitored and supported by the child
welfare system?

I have worked with women in these types of situations
and generally their families, community and society have
failed them in the first place. To me this condemnation,
punishment and criminalization will not help address the
marginalization, fear and pain this woman, and many
like her experience, at the hands of those in authority.
Yes, her children deserve intervention, safety and
protection, but this mother also deserves compassion,
support and care. This just smacks of sexism, classism
and continuing victimization by the state. I hope the
Crown sees this and acts in her best interests.

Child's Death Report Not Released

NDP MLA Nicholas Simons says he filed his report
on Sherry Charlie in March 2004
By Nicholas Read, (May 27, 2005). Vancouver Sun, p. B5.

Port Alberni. The author of a report into the violent death
of 19-month-old Sherry Charlie in September 2002
wants to know why that report hasn't been made public by
the provincial ministry of family and children develop-
ment.
Nicholas Simons, newly-elected NDP MLA for Powell-
River Sunshine Coast, was commissioned by the ministry
to investigate the events that led to the death of Sherry
at the hands of her foster father, Ryan Dexter George, in
Port Alberni.
George, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter and rec-
ieved a 10-year prison sentence for killing the girl, had a
lengthy criminal record and was on probation for spousal
assault when Sherry was put into his care.
Simons, a former independent social work consultant,
filed the final draft of his report into the death to the
ministry in March 2004. Two weeks ago, the ministry
sent him it's version of the full final report, a draft preci
and a summary version. He was told then that all three
were awaiting signing by deputy minister and director
of child protection Jeremy Berland.
As of Tuesday, however, the report still hadn't been
made public, and Simons would like to know why.
"That's a fair question," he said in an interview. "It's
a fair question that should be asked loudly."
Simons says until the report is released, he isn't at
liberty to discuss its contents. But he added that without
attaching blame to anyone, it does contain information
that could be helpful to social workers and the ministry
in the future - information that could help a similar
tragedy occurring again.
"To me, it's about the best practices in child welfare,"
Simons said. "Should social workers know what will help
improve that practice and protect children? Should that
information be released? You tell me."
Ministry spokeswoman Kate Thompson, said she
couldn't say when the report would be published. "We
don't have an exact time frame for it. We want to make
sure everything's dealt with."
But she rejected any suggestion that its release was
being deliberately slowed.
When you're dealing with matters like these, it can
take weeks and months to conclude everything that
needs to be done, not just days."
But Simons said he believed that if the now disband-
ed children's commission were still operating, the report
would have been released long ago.
"Whether or not the children's commission would
have changed things, I can't say, but they would have
had a report by now," he said.
Established in 1997 in response to public outrage
over the beating death of Matthew Vaudreuil after a
lifetime of neglect, it was the commission's responsib-
ility to investigate deaths such as Charlie's and to
measure ministry performance in looking after child-
ren like her. In June 2002, the year the B.C. Liberals
abolished the commission for economic reasons, it
found that the ministry had acceptable plans for only
half the 9,700 children in its care.
In January 2003 the Liberals shifted responsib-
ility for investigating deaths such as Charlie's to the
provincial coroner's service, but on Tuesday they
said the case was "still open."
***********************************************
B.C. man sentenced in foster-child death
Globe and Mail. Wednesday, October 6, 2004,
Page A8

Port Alberni -- A man who killed his two-year-old
foster daughter has been sentenced to 10 years in jail.
Ryan George, 32, had pleaded guilty to manslaughter
in the death of Sherry Charlie in 2002.
***********************************************
Responsibility for children is a big commitment,
says Paul Willcocks. The mishandling of a ministry
By Paul Willcocks, (April 7, 2005).

VICTORIA - The Gove Inquiry, looking at the horrific death of a
little boy who should have been saved, was clear.
"Death and serious injury reviews should proceed promptly . . ."
The Liberals and the NDP both supported Judge Thomas Gove's
recommendations for children and families' reform.
***********************************************
2005 Legislative Session: 6th Session, 37th
Parliament HANSARD. (Wednesday, March 9th,
2005).

Oral Questions: INVESTIGATION OF CHILD DEATHS
AND INJURIES, (page 12397).

Hon. S. Hagen: I can assure the House and all British
Columbians that children in care continue to be safe.
We have not experienced a rise in child-in-care-related
fatalities. Every fatality of a child in care is thoroughly
investigated with accompanying recommendations. I'm
confident we are well served by the coroner's office,
the child and youth officer and the ombudsman, in
addition to the work done by our ministry to track
significant cases and review practices.

J. MacPhail: By the minister's own information,
the number of fatalities of children in care rose from
the last year reported from the previous year. They
rose by 33 percent. So I don't know what the minister
was just doing to this House when he made that statement.

We're not just talking about children in care here.
As the former children's commissioner said yesterday,
measuring success by the number of children in care tells
us nothing about whether kids are safer. All it tells us is
that there are fewer children in care. Why? Because the
province now has no way of independently investigating
the deaths and injuries of children.

Again to the minister: the coroner, by admission,
doesn't have the teeth to investigate the deaths of children.
If the government's child advocate doesn't have that power,
then how can this minister have any confidence that he is
telling the facts that fewer children in care improves the
safety of at-risk kids? What evidence does he have of that?

Doug Walls will be tried on fraud charges

Walls to be tried by judge alone
May, 26 2005 - 8:00 AM

VANCOUVER/CKNW(AM980) - Former BC Liberal Party
Riding Association President Doug Walls has chosen to be
tried on fraud charges by a judge alone.

The case deals with a money shuffling scheme perpetrated
as a car dealership Walls was co-owner of sank into bankruptcy.

A preliminary hearing won't be held until January of next year.

Walls also worked as a consultant for the Children and Families
Ministry. An audit that included a review of the ministry's dealings
with him found evidence of bad financial management but no sign
of fraud.

The audit led to the resignation of cabinet minister Gordon Hogg
and the firing of his deputy.

Homelessness in the GVRD

Executive Summary.

Research Project on Homelessness in Greater Vancouver.
July, 2002. Greater Vancouver Regional District.
*****************************************************
Growing Homelessness in Greater Vancouver,
(May, 2005). Columbia Journal
CPPNews - Recent research commissioned by the Greater
Vancouver Regional Steering Committee on Homelessness
shows that rates of homelessness are increasing in the region
and the number of households living at risk of homelessness
in the region remains high.

Preliminary figures from the homeless count on March 15th
reveal that the number of homeless people in Greater Vancouver
has increased by over 100% since the homeless count in 2002. "
This doubling of the number of homeless counted on March 15th,
2005 reflects both an actual increase in the number of homeless
people in Greater Vancouver and improvements in the ability for
the volunteers to find the homeless" said Michael Goldberg, Research
Director at SPARC BC and coordinator of the 2005 Homeless Count.
The preliminary figures show that 2,112 homeless people were
counted during this year’s count compared to 1,049 in 2002. "
The increase in the number of homeless people, and especially
street homeless, is of great concern to all of us," said Bernie
Whiteford, Chair of the Aboriginal Homelessness Steering
Committee.

Recent research based on data from the last Census indicates that
over 126,000 people in over 56,000 households are at risk of home-
lessness in Greater Vancouver. At-risk households and the people
who live in them are highly vulnerable to losing their housing. The
data is based on the 2001 Census of Canada and provides the most
up-to-date information currently available on the at-risk population.
This data will be updated following the completion of the 2006 Census.

"While the rate of households at risk of homelessness has not
changed much from 1996 to 2001, we must remember that
there was little volatility in the cost of housing during that time"
said Daniel Garrison, Senior Planner at the GVRD Homelessness
Unit. "Given the rapid increase in housing prices over the last few
years, one could expect that the rate of risk of homelessness will
increase".

“This new research information will be quite helpful in planning
and developing strategies to prevent homelessness in the region,
said Cheryl Prepchuk, chair of the Regional Steering Committee on
Homelessness. The Greater Vancouver Regional Steering Committee
on Homelessness (RSCH) is composed of people and organizations
operating and funding facilities, services or programs targeted to
people who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness in the region.
The Aboriginal Homeless Steering Committee is composed of people
from aboriginal organizations serving the homeless population.
Both are dedicated to working with communities in developing
solutions to homelessness in Greater Vancouver.
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Draft Housing Plan for the Downtown Eastside.
Report to Vancouver City Council, May 6, 2005.
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The Homelessness Research Virtual Library.
University of British Columbia.