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BC government kept kids in unsafe homes: Watchdog

The Campbell administration left vulnerable children in homes it judged unsafe, according to British Columbia's independent child protection watchdog, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond.

The newspaper 24 Hours exclusively learned about the controversy in records obtained via a freedom of information request.

Turpel-Lafond says she's launched an unprecedented audit that will investigative this and related matters. But the Ministry of Children and Family Development says it's already responding to her concerns.

At issue: the government's Child in Home of a Relative program, which will service an estimated 4,767 kids in 2008.

In a three-page letter sent to Lesley du Toit and Cairine MacDonald -- the top bureaucrats at the Ministry of Children and Family Development and the Ministry of Housing and Social Development -- Turpel-Lafond cited four cases where homes have been denied assistance because there was evidence of risk. But the government hadn't taken action to remove the children from those homes.

Among the cases:

A grandmother was denied assistance because her son -- who was "found to have physically abused" the child and had a history of "sexually interfering with another child" -- lived in the same home. The grandmother's spouse had also been arrested for driving drunk while a child was in his car. But a social worker found those risks had been "mitigated" and that funding could be "supported." Turpel-Lafond states "it is not clear what the outcome of this application is" or whether the risk to the child "has been addressed."

A grandmother -- who had an extensive criminal history -- was denied assistance. Her son, who lived in the same home, also had a record. And the home had been the site of a number of violent crimes -- including a domestic assault case where an "unregistered and unsecured shotgun was apparently seized from the child's bedroom." Turpel-Lafond states the child's social worker unsuccessfully appealed the denial. And, at "last report," the child remains in the home -- despite the risk being "extreme."

A grandmother was denied assistance because she lived in the same building as the child's stepfather -- "who is being investigated for sexually abusing the child." Turpel-Lafond states "it does not appear that the issue of risk to the child is being addressed."

An aunt was denied assistance because her spouse had "several past charges for assault, including sexual assault, sexual interference with a person under 14, and he had been convicted of sexually molesting his daughter." The aunt had also been contacted by the government "with respect to instances of physical abuse." But the child "apparently remains in this home."

See today's The Tyee for an in-depth version of this report.

Sean Holman is Legislative reporter for 24 hours. He also publishes Public Eye Online.

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