Whatever informed expertise there is within MCFD, it has not been communicated to front line workers and their supervisors who are making unreasonable decisions about autistic children.
Taking a child away from an attendant and proficient father as MCFD have done with 9 year old Ayn was pointless, reactionary, excessive and injurious. The adjectives are entirely appropriate for this stupid social worker action.
Instead of the Ministry providing practical, actionable information and financial assistance and affirming support to parents like Derek Hoare, the Ministry disciplines with severity when an autistic child does what comes naturally – wanders. And the manner by which the Ministry manages that tendency consists of seizing the girl and pumping drugs into her. The enormity of this offense defies expression with words. For the first eighteen days of her captivity she has daily wept. A nine year old girl should not be subjected to that. That is not in her best interests. If she cried every day while in the care of her dad and the Ministry heard about that, it would assume abuse or neglect. The reading public of this blog and of other news sources that carry the story readily associate the Ministry’s actions as abuse of their mandate. Citizens should be able to assume that Ministry personnel are intelligent, copiously prepared and fully informed about autism before they interfere with parental care of autistic children who are loved and cherished within their families. We are regularly supplied with reasons for disbelieving that. Not least of which is this distasteful harm done to a sweet girl who must now cling to a photograph of her dad holding her in his arms.
She should be in his arms.
Hon. Mary McNeil and Hon. Christy Clark, you must give attention to this case certainly, but beyond this single case, to the conduct of this Ministry challenged with responsibility for which it appears at so many levels to be incapable of satisfying. You have to turn this around for the sake of the people who have elected you to serve and to help us.
Please contact Derek Hoare directly at
Derek Hoare iconoclast_ensues@yahoo.co
when a system becomes above the law and fails to protect the most vulnerable to the point where it
ReplyDeletebecomes the abuser, then it is time to change the law. as elected officials they must now that.
the system is borked they can no longer turn a blind eye.
4:00 PM today:
ReplyDeleteF.A.C.E.S. Of Hope Radio: Abducted by Autism Ayn Van Dyk's Story
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=249247775086439
Here is the website link to the Representative for Children and Youth.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to write to them, you can fill out the following confidential form. (cut and paste the link and then scroll down)
https://www.rcybc.ca/content/contact/sendatip.as
You do not need to reveal personal information or even identify yourself; however, RCY requires an e-mail address and a phone number if you want RCY to respond to your note "as quickly as possible."
If you would rather phone, call toll-free, leave a message, tell them you want Ayn back with her father now, as she is being damaged more every day while in state custody:
1-800-476-3933
This office has claimed that they won't provide an advocate for Ayn because MCFD says her needs are being met. I guess that's why she is on 3 drugs (at least one of which she is getting double the "normal" dose), and is crying for days on end. If this child was with a biological parent, it would be deemed abuse. But it's the government, and they act like they can get away with anything.
Contact the RCY and let them know this is completely unacceptable.
If you prefer to write, fax, or visit the office of the Representative of Children and Youth, here is the contact info:
ReplyDeleteHead Office - Victoria
Suite 201, 546 Yates Street
Victoria, BC V8W 1K8
Telephone: 250-356-6710
Fax: 250-356-0837
Northern Office - Prince George
1475 10th Avenue
Prince George, V2L 2L2
Phone: 250-561-4626
Fax: 250-561-4624
Lower Mainland Office- Burnaby
M12-4277 Kingsway
Burnaby, V5H 3Z2
Telephone: 604-775-3213
Fax: 604-775-3205
Ron, or anyone, if you have time, many people would like to write I am sure, but just can't get around to writing a letter. If someone could write a form letter and post it here, then people can either copy and paste it (or personalize it) and email/fax/mail it to the RCY, media, politicians.
I would be interested in how those who have talked to representatives have been responded to.
ReplyDeleteI personally have found RCY ineffective.
On individual who did encounter a person who really went to bat for the children of concern, was 'shut down' and no longer heard from the employee.
The thing that I find so horrifying is the total lack of accountablity. If there is not even a presentation hearing, for two months, this is such a cynical abuse of the intentions of the act and the legislature as to make a sham of the law. This is not just an abuse by the ministry and its counsels, but an abuse by the judges. One wonders if they are totally illiterate. The law clearly intends to hold the director to some accountability within a reasonable time frame. Whatever evidence he has should be tested under due process within six or seven weeks. One does not have to spend days of hearing to do this. It could all be done under a voire dire. The judges need to use their powers of discretion much more freely, but they seem to lack the courage. This means that directors like Bruce McNeill can just about get away with murder. Look at the atrocious Bayne case and the enabling judge.
ReplyDeleteAs for the child advocate, I find her hard to understand. What I know is only hearsay, because we have not heard from Derek what was actually said or written to him by the advocate's office. At least they did not seem to use the excuse this time that the case was before court and therefore untouchable. She seems to have said that they would not provide Ayne with an advocate because the ministry said she was OK. Really? So after all the recent furore about unreported injuries to foster children, she now seems to say that she can take their word for everything. Well why does she not just shut her her office down and take their word for everything. Everything is fine unless the kill the kid. Great.
Ray,
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts exactly re: the RCY. What a sham this office must be if they give that kind of response - "oh, we are just going to take MCFD's word for it that Ayn is okay, and her needs are being met." What?! Apparently, Ayn has been put on THREE dangerous anti-psychotic drugs, at least one of which she is taking twice the usual dosage. It sounds too as if she is in great distress, as she has apparently been crying non-stop (hence the request from the social worker to Derek for his photo). I guess now that she has the drugs and the photo, her "needs have been met!"
These people - and I include the RCY - are worse than incompetent. They are liars and are wasting, abusing taxpayers and taxpayers money.
Here's the number to call, if anyone wants to call RCY complain about this abominable conduct on the part of RCY:
Representative's Office toll-free at 1-800-476-3933.
http://www.rcybc.ca/Content/Contact/ContactInfo.asp
RCY is designed to give the illustion there is accountability to MCFD's willful incompetance.
ReplyDeletePhone RCY and record the person you are talking to and ask advice as to how the concerns can be escalated. Get as much information as possible.
The worker won't be able to help, but at least the resulting information can be put on youtube and help others understand the hurdles.
Children should be assigned lawyers who act in their best interest because parents lose their rights completely. They have no more right to complain than a neighbor has any say on how I parent my children as long as it is within the law and acceptable community standards.