THE MINISTRY HAS A BLACK EYE

Derek is Ayn’s father. He has lived for and served Ayn for these past years as her primary caregiver. That may appear somewhat unusual within the customary context of family structures yet it has most definitely been in Ayn’s best interests. Derek receives some funding for this parenting responsibility since he has two children with autism. His undeniable record provides evidence not of neglect but rather of devotion. An autistic child of any age often presents challenges to parents that other children no longer manifest to fortunate parents. It is regrettable when teachers, social workers and other observers are not cognizant of the complexities and form conclusions about the quality of the parental care being provided. That’s how this sordid story started. Uninformed people with unfettered authority making unnecessary choices leading to yet another illustration of meddling incompetence. Meddling incompetence might also be termed intrusive stupidity.

Now well over one half year has passed since Ayn was removed from Derek’s custody and placed first in hospital care and heavily medicated, drugged, controlled. Derek knew how to care for Ayn. If someone does not know how to care for her, then control her. That appears to be the early logic, although professionals will maintain that this early initiative was a responsible effort to find a balanced medical prescription to assist Ayn. Now for many months it must be assumed that Ayn has been living with dependable foster parents. What choice is there? And then came that image of Ayn with what appears to many viewers to be the traces of a bruised eye. We have all seen a black eye and we can recognize the changing color tones, from the darker blue/black of a broken blood vessel to the green as the injury grows older and healing is occurring. It is something and yet it may be nothing but that’s the point here. Why not candidly explain to Derek and Amie what accounts for this appearance? If what appears as a black eye happened during Derek’s watch, a school employee or someone else would be expected to pass the word along.

So when the Ministry rebuffs parental inquiries about something like this, what recourse is there? Apparently none. Derek has even appealed to the office of the Representative of Children and Youth which has promised to inquire yet acknowledges it has limited facility to become involved. Now time has passed and this matter may have already been resolved or lost focus or gravity. It nevertheless is symptomatic of the incapacity of parents to obtain suitable interaction, disclosure, mediation or anything else that reduces the torture of not knowing what is happening with one’s own child.