Whisper
July 13th, 2009, 12:45 AM
Times like this having duel citizenship comes in handy.This is disgusting and I still cant breathe after reading this.So for this week Im American!
B.C.'s Office of Representatives for Children and Youth released a report this week revealing that in the past four months, 30 children or youth died and 49 suffered critical injuries while they were either in the care of, or receiving services from, B.C.'s child welfare system.
Of the 49 injury cases, 26 are now being investigated by the office to see what role the welfare system might have played in the injury. Twelve of the 30 deaths are also being reviewed by the office, including six on Vancouver Island. The Office of Representatives for Children and Youth is an independent office of the B.C. legislature, mandated to protect and support young people in government care.
"The real tragedy of this is the families and communities and the questions they have surrounding the deaths and injuries," said Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, B.C.'s Representative for Children and Youth.
"The grief they're experiencing and the desire they have to know what's happening -- there's a strong desire to see whether lessons have been learned."
In the past year, 303 critical injuries and 180 deaths of B.C. children and youth were reported to the office.
Mary Polak, B.C.'s Minister of Children and Family Development, was unavailable for comment.
A spokesperson from the ministry, however, responded in writing that many children in ministry care "are medically fragile with ongoing health problems or terminal illnesses. The numbers in the RCY report include those children who succumbed to natural causes."
Particularly illuminating, Turpel-Lafond said, is the number of cases involving aboriginal children and youth. Thirty-four per cent of the critical injuries that are being reviewed by the office involve aboriginal youth.
Three of the six Island deaths under investigation involved aboriginal children. "Aboriginal children are by far the most vulnerable children we're seeing in B.C.," said Turpel-Lafond.
"We need to learn how to support and pay special care and attention to their circumstances. The numbers speak for themselves."http://www.timescolonist.com/news/deaths+children+care+four+months+says+report/1781731/story.html
B.C.'s Office of Representatives for Children and Youth released a report this week revealing that in the past four months, 30 children or youth died and 49 suffered critical injuries while they were either in the care of, or receiving services from, B.C.'s child welfare system.
Of the 49 injury cases, 26 are now being investigated by the office to see what role the welfare system might have played in the injury. Twelve of the 30 deaths are also being reviewed by the office, including six on Vancouver Island. The Office of Representatives for Children and Youth is an independent office of the B.C. legislature, mandated to protect and support young people in government care.
"The real tragedy of this is the families and communities and the questions they have surrounding the deaths and injuries," said Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, B.C.'s Representative for Children and Youth.
"The grief they're experiencing and the desire they have to know what's happening -- there's a strong desire to see whether lessons have been learned."
In the past year, 303 critical injuries and 180 deaths of B.C. children and youth were reported to the office.
Mary Polak, B.C.'s Minister of Children and Family Development, was unavailable for comment.
A spokesperson from the ministry, however, responded in writing that many children in ministry care "are medically fragile with ongoing health problems or terminal illnesses. The numbers in the RCY report include those children who succumbed to natural causes."
Particularly illuminating, Turpel-Lafond said, is the number of cases involving aboriginal children and youth. Thirty-four per cent of the critical injuries that are being reviewed by the office involve aboriginal youth.
Three of the six Island deaths under investigation involved aboriginal children. "Aboriginal children are by far the most vulnerable children we're seeing in B.C.," said Turpel-Lafond.
"We need to learn how to support and pay special care and attention to their circumstances. The numbers speak for themselves."http://www.timescolonist.com/news/deaths+children+care+four+months+says+report/1781731/story.html