June 9, 2010

CHILD WELFARE IN ‘STATE OF CHAOS’ AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN ARE FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS

CHILD WELFARE IN ‘STATE OF CHAOS’ AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN ARE FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS

 Selinger has an obligation to be open and proactive: McFadyen

The child welfare system is in a ‘state of chaos,’ and change is urgently required, says Progressive Conservative Leader Hugh McFadyen.

“Premier Greg Selinger needs to take immediate steps to address the critical problems in the child welfare system and ensure the sad legacies of Phoenix Sinclair, Gage Guimond, and all the other vulnerable children who have fallen through the cracks, are not repeated,” said McFadyen.

 In October 2006, Family Services Minister Gord Mackintosh feigned outrage at the state of his child welfare system and the death of Phoenix Sinclair. He asked reporters, ‘If it takes a village to raise a child, what the heck happened to this village called Manitoba?’ before promising to fix the broken system. He concluded by vowing to ‘ensure we leave behind the destructive history of child welfare.’

 “Four years later, we’re hearing the system is getting worse, not better, despite the minister’s platitudes and broken promises. That means more vulnerable children are falling through the cracks,” said PC Critic Bonnie Mitchelson. “Yesterday, the minister threw in the towel by blaming a breakdown in too many families for his system in chaos. When will he be accountable for the child welfare system that his government has so badly damaged?”

The Progressive Conservatives are calling on the government to call an urgent public committee of the legislature with the Acting Children’s Advocate to identify the extent of chaos in the system and begin the process of developing solutions.

“It’s time the NDP stop stonewalling so we can get down to business and address this overwhelming problem,” Mitchelson said.