Rescued from conditions that left them ‘feral,' 3 B.C. kids now require ‘astronomical' levels of care: guardian
Warning: the content of this story may be disturbing to some readers
They used to be scared, even of each other.
Now three young B.C. children, who relatives said suffered years of neglect before finally being taken into care, have learned to play together.
And they've grown in other ways as well.
'To see them wanting the hugs and snuggles, to see them wanting to touch your face and your hair, and laughing and giggling with them, is the best out of all of this,' said their guardian, who is also a relative.
But she also said that because of what the children, who are Indigenous, went through, their healing journey may never be complete.
'I do believe these are life-long issues that they will have forever,' said the guardian, who can not be named to protect the identity of the children.
'The conditions were horror'
CTV News first reported on the children last year.
At the time, relatives described the siblings, who are now between five and six years old, as 'feral'.
A probe by B.C.'s Office of the Ombudsperson found six documented reports of possible neglect made to authorities over almost four years, before the children were taken into government care. Relatives said this finally happened when the parents contacted the ministry themselves in December 2023 and said they couldn't look after the children.
But by then, relatives said, the damage was already done.
'The conditions were horror. That's all I can describe it as. They were living in feces, eating feces, they were (suffering from) malnutrition,' another relative told CTV News.
'I used to work with special needs kids, and I've never seen children like this in my life,' she explained.
'I sometimes wish we would have just took them illegally,' the emotional relative said.
'Astronomical' amount of care, support required
The children's guardian said they believed that the kids could have been 'next-to-normal' had there been some kind of early intervention.
She said the children still rock back and forth to sooth themselves. They are not potty trained and one of them will eat feces or vomit if not constantly watched.
The guardian also said the children smash walls and hurt themselves and others.
'Scratching, biting themselves, just flailing their arms and legs. Kicking things, slamming their head against the floor if they can,' she explained.
She said if someone tries to intervene, the children may attack them.
'I've had caretakers horrifically bitten,' she said.
The guardian said it takes a team of caregivers to support the children.
'It's astronomical what it's taking to take care of these kids,' she explained.
Additionally, they have seen countless medical professionals including psychologists, pediatricians and occupational and behavioural therapists.
'We do have a trauma counsellor that not only has seen the children, but that I see on a weekly basis because of the things that we deal with,' she explained.
Struggling to access services
The guardian said the oldest child is repeating words and trying to speak. The other two remain almost entirely non-verbal.
Despite this, she said it's been difficult to get them into speech therapy because of years-long wait lists.
'These kids just don't have that time,' she explained.
The guardian also said they have been waiting about eight months since referral to get into a highly specialized program at B.C. Children's Hospital where they will be more thoroughly assessed.
The children are not in school, and the guardian doesn't believe it's an option for them yet.
'I don't think the schools are equipped to handle (them). I think they would be turned around 20 minutes after they got there,' the guardian explained.
She also said that its worrisome that getting ongoing therapy and supports for the children leaves her at the mercy of the very ministry that failed them.
But she said her love for the children keeps her fighting to give them the best life possible.
Ministry touts changes
The Ministry of Children and Family Development would not comment on the specific case, citing confidentiality rules.
However, the ministry said it has updated its policy so that when the ministry receives multiple calls of concerns, it prompts supervisor to get involved.
The ministry also said it has increased its workforce by almost 20 per cent, meaning more child welfare workers to help children.
The province said it is also taking steps to strengthen oversight and accountability including creating a new Indigenous child welfare director position.
Additionally, the ministry said that it is using new digital reporting to ensure children in care and in out-of-care placements receive regular in-person visits to assess safety and well-being.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
26 minutes ago
- CBC
'No plans' to renew safer supply funding after federal support quietly runs out
Social Sharing Dozens of safer supply pilot programs lost federal funding earlier this year and Ottawa says there are no plans to re-up its financial support. Starting in 2020, Health Canada provided financial backing to 31 programs across the country that offered "prescribed alternative" opioids to people with addictions. The overdose crisis has rocked Canada over much of the past decade. Health Canada reports that more than 52,000 people have died of an apparent opioid overdose since 2016. Almost three-quarters of those deaths involved fentanyl. According to Health Canada, it only takes a few grains of fentanyl to kill someone. The goal of safer supply programs is to offer prescribed, safer alternatives to illegal street drugs like fentanyl. In recent years, reports have also indicated that illicit opioids have become increasingly laced and contaminated with other substances — including drugs never meant for human consumption, like the animal tranquilizer known as xylazine — making the street supply even more dangerous. Federal funding sunset at the end of March, but Health Canada told CBC News in a statement that "there are currently no plans to resume previous projects or fund new [prescribed alternatives] projects." The federal government is still providing funding for a number of other harm-reduction and treatment initiatives. Rob Boyd, CEO of Ottawa Inner City Health, told CBC News that his organization's prescribed alternative program was able to maintain support for most of its clients. "We knew that the program was about to end, that the funding was about to end. So we had a mitigation strategy in place," he said. But the lack of funding has meant that the program hasn't been able to take on new clients. "We really do need to scale up harm reduction rather than to pull back," Boyd said. Beyond prescribed alternatives, Boyd's organization provides access to other health services and housing supports. "It really is about providing access to physical, mental and substance use health care for people," he said. "Sometimes that includes medications, and sometimes it doesn't." When asked if the Liberals are considering further funding for safer supply programs, a spokesperson for Health Minister Marjorie Michel didn't directly answer the question. But they suggested there are "many ways" the government is addressing the overdose crisis. "We are using every tool available to connect people to care, address urgent local challenges and keep our communities safe, including measures at our border to detect and disrupt the fentanyl trade and other toxic drugs," Guillaume Bertrand, Michel's communications director, told CBC News in an email. Even if the federal government renewed its funding, Ottawa Inner City Health and other Ontario programs wouldn't be allowed to apply without permission from the provincial government — a new rule in Ontario's Community Care and Recovery Act that took effect this spring. Safer supply — and harm-reduction programs in general — have been a point of attack for the federal Conservatives against the governing Liberals in the past year. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has repeatedly called on the government to dial back harm-reduction policies and instead focus more on treatment. Katy Merrifield, a spokesperson from the leader of the Official Opposition's office, told CBC News in a statement that a Conservative government would end "drug liberalization experiments." "Liberals disproportionately fund programs focused on stigma, harm reduction and vague references to 'wrap-around care.' Their reckless choices have destroyed countless families and made our communities unrecognizable after years of crime and decay," Merrifield said. One of the concerns around prescribed alternative programs is that the drugs get diverted to the street supply. British Columbia changed its program earlier this year — to require people to take the prescription in front of a pharmacist — in an effort to clamp down on diversion. But NDP health critic Gord Johns argues prescribed alternatives can save lives. He said it is "heartbreaking" that the government hasn't reintroduced funding. "This is not leadership, it is neglect. People are dying and this government is choosing politics over evidence, and ideology over action," Johns said in a statement. Boyd pushed back on the idea that the prescribed alternative program hasn't been helpful. "It's unfortunate that right now there has been this anti-harm-reduction and anti-safer-supply narrative that's out there that is not really consistent with what the evidence is showing," he said. "If the water is contaminated, you bring in clean water. [If] lettuce is contaminated, you pull it off the shelf and then you source lettuce that is not going to harm people." The latest report published by Ottawa's safer supply program suggests that it was having some success — 85 per cent of clients surveyed reported a decrease or halt in their fentanyl use. "We've demonstrated that they are actually very effective programs and they should be part of the toolkit," Boyd said. "We never said it was going to solve every problem because we're not naive enough to think that."
CBC
4 hours ago
- CBC
Can virtual care services solve the health-care staffing crisis in rural B.C.?
On Monday, a peer-reviewed study found that an initiative called the Real-Time Virtual Support network helped improve access to health care in rural B.C. Lead author Kendall Ho, a professor at the University of B.C.'s department of emergency medicine, said it was important to pair virtual care with an increase in in-person health facilities. Dr. Gavin Parker, president of the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada, argues that while virtual care programs are beneficial, there are also opportunities to increase funding to rural communities.
CTV News
6 hours ago
- CTV News
Study shows impact of free birth control in B.C
New data shows more women opted for IUDs when the province began providing free birth control – findings researchers say should send a message to Ottawa.
