Latest news with #MinistryofChildrenandFamilyDevelopment
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
One year after scathing report into 11-year-old's death, watchdog says not enough has changed
One year after the province promised a 'new vision' for child welfare following a scathing report into an 11-year-old boy's death, the B.C. Representative for Children and Youth (RCY), says not enough has been done to fix the system. Jennifer Charlesworth says some progress is being made one year after she released Don't Look Away on July 16, 2024 — but expressed concerns about 'fiscal limitations' and other challenges standing in the way of advancement. 'For some reason, it's very difficult to shift a system in the way it needs to shift,' said Charlesworth during a media event on Tuesday. 'So we're committed to keep reminding the sector that we can do so much better for children and families.' Don't Look Away tells the story of 'Colby,' an Indigenous boy — whose real name and specific community have been withheld to protect his identity — who was failed by multiple systems meant to keep children safe. The report outlines how those failures, rooted in long-standing patterns of colonial oversight, led to his untimely death at the hands of extended family caregivers in a 'Fraser Valley' foster home in 2021. The mistreatment of Colby and his sister was called 'incomprehensible' by a provincial court judge who sentenced their two caregivers to 10 years in prison in 2023. 'One of the most heartbreaking findings of this report was that this beautiful child's many critical injuries — and his death — could have been prevented,' said Charlesworth in a July 15 press release. 'I want to acknowledge the incomprehensible grief and loss that this child's family, those who loved him, and the communities he was connected to continue to experience. 'I want to be able to tell them that we have learned and that things are better for children and families in B.C., but I need to see more change on the ground before I am able to do that.' The report centred Colby's story to examine what went wrong — not just in his case, but as a lens to interrogate the broader system of care. It offered detailed recommendations to prevent similar tragedies and called for a fundamental overhaul of 'B.C.'s' child welfare system. Of the 50 main recommendations made in Don't Look Away, Charlesworth says 'a good half of them' are being addressed, but noted that the data is still currently being pulled, so couldn't confirm any specific numbers. The same day that the RCY spoke to media, the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) released a statement providing an update on the steps it has taken since the report was released one year prior. The statement referenced the development of a 'child and youth well-being action plan and outcomes framework,' with several other ministries, including Education and Child Care, Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation and Social Development and Poverty Reduction, among others. This collaboration follows criticism that ministries were working ineffectively in silos to address issues experienced by children, Youth and families. But Charlesworth added that she is only seeing collaboration at the senior level. 'On the ground, it really depends on the players at the local level,' she said, noting that ministries such as Health, in many cases, contract out mental health and substance-use services. 'So it's not just the ministries, but the agencies who are involved in service delivery,' she said. 'It's fragile and community dependent.' Charlesworth noted that she hasn't received a timeline for the completion of the plan, nor has she seen a first draft. 'We've seen what they would like to include in the plan, but no timeline on when this is going to be available,' she said. According to Jodie Wickens, Minister of Children and Family Development, 'the work is already well underway, and a draft plan is developed,' she wrote in an email to IndigiNews. 'The plan introduces fundamental, systemic changes that will take time to implement.' 'In the meantime,' said Wickens, 'we have already taken several actions to improve child safety and wellbeing, and the RCY acknowledges we have made progress on 65 per cent of the recommendations from various reports, including Don't Look Away.' But when IndigiNews asked Charlesworth about the percentage, she hesitated. 'Yes, there is progress on many of our RCY reports,' she said. 'But of course, progress exists on a scale — from none, a little, some, significant, to complete — and many are still only at the 'some' stage.' Charlesworth also raised concerns that 'fiscal limitations' will restrict any good intentions the government has, and delay on-the-ground improvements for young people and their families. With the current unstable state of the economy, Charlesworth says more families will be dealing with poverty, 'which we know has an impact on child wellbeing,' she said. Additionally, Charlesworth added, the government is currently under a fiscal deficit, 'and we know from the past that what gets cut is social programs — we've seen it many times,' she said, adding that it's social programs that help support and stabilise families, particularly those facing poverty and experiencing disabilities.' Charlesworth argued that by limiting early support for families often leads to 'very expensive services' down the line — like staffed group homes, which she says can cost the government up to $100,000 per month. 'Surely if we backed up the bus, we'd be able to save money,' she said, noting that while early intervention would require upfront investment, it could lead to 'significant financial, emotional, and spiritual transformations.' Among positive steps the MCFD has taken, more than 90 per cent of young people are now being seen within 90 days, as per the ministry's policy — Colby was not seen by his social worker for seven months. 'Information is being collected and monitored in real time,' the RCY added in its media release. Additionally, new training has been delivered to more than 800 child welfare workers to ensure that they are better prepared to work with nations resuming jurisdiction over child and family services. But the MCFD says it has also increased staffing levels by 20 per cent, a figure which is disputed by Charlesworth. 'Our observation is that 20 per cent is not something we're seeing,' she told reporters. According to Charlesworth, MCFD has focused on filling pre-existing vacancies, of which there are many. But this doesn't account for a 20 per cent increase in the total workforce. '20 per cent seems inflated to us,' she said. In a response from Wickens, she said that 'these jobs are some of the hardest and complex in B.C., and the ministry is working hard to strengthen our workforce.' Another area MCFD needs to address, according to the RCY, is supporting families with regards to basic income and housing support. When IndigiNews asked Wickens about whether the government will be stepping up to provide these supports, she did not specifically answer the question, but noted that MCFD has 'clarified with staff how they can use discretionary funding to provide timely, family-centered, needs-based and practical assistance to families in crisis situations,' and that they're improving resources for kinship care providers. Charlesworth also believes the province has not done enough to 'tap into the knowledge, wisdom and creativity of nations, other sectors and community services to find better ways to support children, youth and families,' focusing on internal, cross-ministry collaborations. Wickens' responded that 'B.C.' is 'leading the country with First Nations' as they reclaim jurisdiction over child welfare; that it has appointed Jeremy Y'in Neduklhchulh Williams as an Indigenous child welfare director to advance 'meaningful reconciliation including a focus on the overrepresentation of Indigenous children and youth in care;' and that it is committed to working 'in lockstep with First Nations' as their work unfolds. According to the Our Children Our Way society, on Wednesday the RCY hosted a ceremony and gathering with community leaders, Elders, matriarchs, Indigenous child and family agencies, and ministry representatives to coincide with the anniversary of the report. 'We know from past experience that many reports end up sitting on the shelf,' said Charlesworth. 'We owe it to Colby not to look away.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
B.C. child watchdog urges more progress 1 year after report into 11-year-old boy's torture and death
One year after a landmark report into the horrific death of an 11-year-old Indigenous boy in foster care called for a "complete overhaul" of B.C.'s child welfare system, the province's child watchdog says the NDP government has a long way to go in improving conditions for the most vulnerable. "We can do so much better for children and families," said B.C.'s representative for children and youth, Jennifer Charlesworth. Charlesworth says she's worried that as the province faces a $10.9 billion deficit, key social services that keep families out of poverty and children safe will be cut. "What we worry, because we have seen it many times … is that what gets cut are social programs. What gets cut are the very things that help stabilize and support families through those difficult times," she said. "Poverty has a direct impact on child well-being." Charlesworth was speaking one year after the report into the 2021 death of an 11-year-old boy, who was beaten and tortured by the foster parents who were meant to care for him. That report, Don't Look Away, included recommendations to fix what Charlesworth calls an "outdated, siloed, discriminatory" child welfare system that requires "a complete overhaul." The report detailed the many missteps by the Ministry of Children and Family Development and a number of other agencies that contributed to the child's death. Charlesworth called on the government to create a new child welfare strategy which includes more accountability for child welfare workers and helps First Nations take responsibility for child welfare in their communities. The government has not yet completed the new child welfare strategy and provided no timeline for when it will be done. Charlesworth says action is still needed on providing support to vulnerable families, including preventative services such as a basic income and housing. The report also calls for more work on preventing violence within the home and providing more resources to extended family caregivers. "In the absence of doing the preventative services, we see very expensive services needed to be provided when a child is older, when the family is in a significant state of crisis or when the child has come into care," Charlesworth said. She says, for example, staffed group homes can cost up to $100,000 a month per child. "Surely, we can do much more and much better for many families, with $1.2 million that might [be the] cost [of] the housing of one child with very significant needs, if we backed up the bus." Short-staffing must be addressed, Charlesworth says Charlesworth also says the government must address the short-staffing among child welfare workers that can allow children to fall through the cracks. She says demand outstrips the current workforce capacity in the child welfare system. Jodie Wickens, the minister of children and family development, says her office has added tools for oversight and tracking to make sure social workers are visiting children and youth at least once every 90 days. According to the report, social workers had not visited the 11-year-old or his sister in seven months before he was found badly beaten in February 2021. The child was flown to a hospital in Vancouver, where he later died. The identities of the boy and his sister are protected by a publication ban on children in care, but he is referred to as Colby in the report. Wickens said her ministry has increased its workforce by almost 20 per cent in the last two years to address short-staffing concerns. However, Charlesworth says those numbers seem "inflated" because the government is filling vacant positions, not increasing the overall staffing level of front-line social workers. "So staffing has increased ... but too many workers say they can't fulfil their responsibilities to children with their current caseload," Charlesworth said. First Nations child welfare agreements Wickens says the government has hired a new Indigenous child-welfare director, Jeremy Y'in Neduklhchulh Williams. "He is the first of this kind in the entire country," Wickens told CBC News. He is helping facilitate agreements with First Nations who want to reclaim jurisdiction over child welfare. The province has signed agreements with 12 Nations, and dozens more are being negotiated. Charlesworth says none of those 12 First Nations have consented to oversight from her office. She says she's concerned about the possibility of children falling through the cracks during the "transitional period" when First Nations communities are taking over jurisdiction from government agencies. The Indigenous child-welfare director's role includes ensuring that doesn't happen, says Wickens, and "ensuring that there is communication and co-ordination and that roles and responsibilities are clearly outlined." Charlesworth says new training has been delivered to over 800 child welfare workers to ensure that they are better prepared to work with Nations that are taking over child and family services from the government. Charlesworth also says the government has not done enough to tap into the knowledge of First Nations communities and other community services to find better ways to support children and families. Colby was a member of a First Nation in the Fraser Valley. Colby and his sister were placed in the care of his mother's cousin and her partner. This was despite the mother asking that the kids stay with their grandmother, and despite recorded allegations of sexualized violence involving the cousin's partner. According to the report, Colby asked several times not to be sent back to the home. In 2023, the foster parents were sentenced to 10 years in prison for aggravated assault of the boy and his sister, and manslaughter.
CBC
4 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
B.C. child watchdog urges more progress 1 year after report into 11-year-old boy's torture and death
One year after a landmark report into the horrific death of an 11-year-old Indigenous boy in foster care called for a "complete overhaul" of B.C.'s child welfare system, the province's child watchdog says the NDP government has a long way to go in improving conditions for the most vulnerable. "We can do so much better for children and families," said B.C.'s representative for children and youth, Jennifer Charlesworth. Charlesworth says she's worried that as the province faces a $10.9 billion deficit, key social services that keep families out of poverty and children safe will be cut. "What we worry, because we have seen it many times … is that what gets cut are social programs. What gets cut are the very things that help stabilize and support families through those difficult times," she said. "Poverty has a direct impact on child well-being." Charlesworth was speaking one year after the report into the 2021 death of an 11-year-old boy, who was beaten and tortured by the foster parents who were meant to care for him. That report, Don't Look Away, included recommendations to fix what Charlesworth calls an "outdated, siloed, discriminatory" child welfare system that requires "a complete overhaul." The report detailed the many missteps by the Ministry of Children and Family Development and a number of other agencies that contributed to the child's death. Charlesworth called on the government to create a new child welfare strategy which includes more accountability for child welfare workers and helps First Nations take responsibility for child welfare in their communities. The government has not yet completed the new child welfare strategy and provided no timeline for when it will be done. Charlesworth says action is still needed on providing support to vulnerable families, including preventative services such as a basic income and housing. The report also calls for more work on preventing violence within the home and providing more resources to extended family caregivers. "In the absence of doing the preventative services, we see very expensive services needed to be provided when a child is older, when the family is in a significant state of crisis or when the child has come into care," Charlesworth said. She says, for example, staffed group homes can cost up to $100,000 a month per child. "Surely, we can do much more and much better for many families, with $1.2 million that might [be the] cost [of] the housing of one child with very significant needs, if we backed up the bus." Short-staffing must be addressed, Charlesworth says Charlesworth also says the government must address the short-staffing among child welfare workers that can allow children to fall through the cracks. She says demand outstrips the current workforce capacity in the child welfare system. Jodie Wickens, the minister of children and family development, says her office has added tools for oversight and tracking to make sure social workers are visiting children and youth at least once every 90 days. According to the report, social workers had not visited the 11-year-old or his sister in seven months before he was found badly beaten in February 2021. The child was flown to a hospital in Vancouver, where he later died. The identities of the boy and his sister are protected by a publication ban on children in care, but he is referred to as Colby in the report. Wickens said her ministry has increased its workforce by almost 20 per cent in the last two years to address short-staffing concerns. "So staffing has increased ... but too many workers say they can't fulfil their responsibilities to children with their current caseload," Charlesworth said. First Nations child welfare agreements Wickens says the government has hired a new Indigenous child-welfare director, Jeremy Y'in Neduklhchulh Williams. "He is the first of this kind in the entire country," Wickens told CBC News. He is helping facilitate agreements with First Nations who want to reclaim jurisdiction over child welfare. The province has signed agreements with 12 Nations, and dozens more are being negotiated. Charlesworth says none of those 12 First Nations have consented to oversight from her office. She says she's concerned about the possibility of children falling through the cracks during the "transitional period" when First Nations communities are taking over jurisdiction from government agencies. The Indigenous child-welfare director's role includes ensuring that doesn't happen, says Wickens, and "ensuring that there is communication and co-ordination and that roles and responsibilities are clearly outlined." Charlesworth says new training has been delivered to over 800 child welfare workers to ensure that they are better prepared to work with Nations that are taking over child and family services from the government. Charlesworth also says the government has not done enough to tap into the knowledge of First Nations communities and other community services to find better ways to support children and families. Colby was a member of a First Nation in the Fraser Valley. Colby and his sister were placed in the care of his mother's cousin and her partner. This was despite the mother asking that the kids stay with their grandmother, and despite recorded allegations of sexualized violence involving the cousin's partner. According to the report, Colby asked several times not to be sent back to the home. In 2023, the foster parents were sentenced to 10 years in prison for aggravated assault of the boy and his sister, and manslaughter.
Vancouver Sun
4 days ago
- Vancouver Sun
Advocate says progress being made since B.C. child torture death, more work required
British Columbia's representative for children and youth says some progress is being made to improve the child welfare system, but she's concerned 'fiscal limitations' will prevent timely help from getting to those most in need. Jennifer Charlesworth's statement comes a year after her report on the myriad of failures that ended in the death of an 11-year-old Indigenous boy who was tortured by extended family members who had been approved to care for him by the government. Charlesworth credits the government with making progress on some of the recommended improvements that came out of the report, such as working toward a 'child well-being strategy and action plan.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. She says more needs to be done to support families — including basic income and housing support — and there is still not enough child welfare staff to meet demand. A statement from the provincial government says multiple ministries are working on the action plan which will serve as the 'cornerstone' of the province's strategy to align services. It says the government is working on a 'framework' that will include measurable ways to track children's well-being and that the Ministry of Children and Family Development is working on documentation guidelines for social workers. The statement does not provide timelines for when the work will be complete. 'Every child in our province deserves safety, belonging and love, and we must do better,' Minister of Children and Family Development Jodie Wickens says in the statement. 'We are working with all our partners toward a renewed model of child well-being that focuses on prevention, care and supporting families before they find themselves in crisis.'
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Advocate says progress being made since B.C. child torture death, more work required
British Columbia's representative for children and youth says some progress is being made to improve the child welfare system, but she's concerned 'fiscal limitations' will prevent timely help from getting to those most in need. Jennifer Charlesworth's statement comes a year after her report on the myriad of failures that ended in the death of an 11-year-old Indigenous boy who was tortured by extended family members who had been approved to care for him by the government. Charlesworth credits the government with making progress on some of the recommended improvements that came out of the report, such as working toward a 'child well-being strategy and action plan.' She says more needs to be done to support families — including basic income and housing support — and there is still not enough child welfare staff to meet demand. A statement from the provincial government says multiple ministries are working on the action plan which will serve as the 'cornerstone' of the province's strategy to align services. It says the government is working on a 'framework' that will include measurable ways to track children's well-being and that the Ministry of Children and Family Development is working on documentation guidelines for social workers. The statement does not provide timelines for when the work will be complete. 'Every child in our province deserves safety, belonging and love, and we must do better,' Minister of Children and Family Development Jodie Wickens says in the statement. 'We are working with all our partners toward a renewed model of child well-being that focuses on prevention, care and supporting families before they find themselves in crisis.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2025
