Ray Ferris is talking about HEROES

Ray Ferris is a frequent contributor on this blog. He's a friend. I trust him. He's also outspoken about injustice, specially the kind that confuses the best interests of children.

Sidney Crosby

"What do you think about when we use the word hero? What sort of hero comes to mind first? Is it a war hero, a sports hero, a fireman, a mythical hero, a rescuer or a fighter for justice? I am sure that some of you might first think of Jamie Benn, Sidney Crosby and Carey Price all coming home from Sochi in triumphal splendour.

When I look back on life, I have not had very many heroes.

FOSTER PARENT ABUSE by Ray Ferris

Sunshine Coast of B.C.

Ray Ferris wrote this following letter to foster parents on the Sunshine Coast who consulted Ray for help. The parents heard about Ray from his posts on this GPS blog site. Ray has submitted this letter in the hope that it may help other foster parents and interest readers.

First Ray wrote to me, “I know some of your more opinionated readers like to see all foster parents as greedy mercenaries, but there are many wonderful people. This couple was a well-paid level three home, but then they did give two of the kids good care for ten years and the other 8. The girl was very disturbed and I doubt that you or I would want her in our homes for very long.” Wait until you read the rest.

case of MINISTRY FOR CHILDREN SIDING WITH ABUSIVE FATHER

This is a highly informational post. 

If you want to catch up on the significant case that has been going on for months, here is the blog site written by PAPA INBC. The author has attended court sessions and been giving a running summation of the case in which the incompetence of certain aspects of the Ministry of Children and Family Development is being exposed. Besides the website there is a blog site dedicated to the trial.

For readers not familiar with this lawsuit, you may want to refer to a few past articles. (there is a lengthy series following)

MCFD SIDING WITH ABUSIVE FATHER

The following post is a comment made by a knowledgeable source and critic of the Ministry of Children and Family Development, and is known online as Papa Inbc, standing for 'People Assisting Parents Association.' The author follows numerous cases closely, particularly when parental rights have been trampled unjustly by bureaucratic thoughtlessness and deliberate malice. 

The closing argument *may* be over by the end of April according to the schedule I heard just today. From that point, the judge studies the evidence and takes a few months to write his ruling.

JUDGE PAUL WALKER AND LAWYER JACK HITTRICH

Ray Ferris is continuing his comments on the Hittrich case that is ongoing now. He is a retired Ministry of Children child protection worker and supervisor yet because of what he is seen in recent years, he is an irrepressible critic of bad child protection work and a frequent contributor on this blog site. He is the author of the book entitled, ‘The Art of Child Protection.’ 

Jack Hittrich, lawyer

He anticipates that the court case will be over by the end of this month, but how long it will be before judgement is anybody’s guess. You have to see a CBC video interview with Jack Hittrich who argues for an investigation of MCFD because of this case. 

See as well an earlier post I wrote in August 2013, 'Justice Paul Walker Stunning Judgement.'

Here he writes:

"I have read the full judgement on the case now before Mr. Justice Walker . One is not allowed to name the case for good reasons. I think I can walk your readers through it. The mother filed for divorce and custody. She recorded her children giving detailed and specific information that there father had sexually abused them on several occasions. She also complained to the police about this. The father claimed that she was mentally unstable and that she had coached the children to make their statements.

WHEN SOCIAL WORKERS TURN A BLIND EYE TO NEGLECT & ABUSE OF CHILDREN

Drama of life & death of Matthew Vaudreuil

Ray Ferris is a retired Ministry of Children child protection worker and supervisor and is also the author of an important book entitled, ‘The Art of Child Protection.’ He is an irrepressible critic of bad child protection work and a frequent contributor on this blog site. 

A children’s minister once told me that 30% of cases are over-investigated and 30% under-investigated. Looks like he was unintentionally saying that his staff got it wrong 60% of the time.

To anyone who has had dealings with that ministry, this will come as no surprise. This GPS blog has been primarily concerned with the cases of over-investigation. Those cases where a family has been persistently pursued and harassed when there was no good reason to do so. I want to write about cases on the other side of the coin. Those cases where the social workers turned a blind eye to neglect and abuse and left children to live in misery for years.

RECKLESS CHILD PROTECTION – IN UK AND CANADA by Ray Ferris

Ray Ferris is a frequent commentator and occasional post writer here. Ray is the author of 'The Art of Child Protection'. 

UNFIT FOR PURPOSE

In Britain child protection legislation is national, but the execution of the work is delegated to local authorities, such as cities and towns, or county councils. Local authorities set up child welfare services, but are subject to accountability to the national government. The U.K. gets its fair share of child protection horror stories, but there does seem to be a difference about how they are handled. Also it is much more possible to have an efficient service in one municipality and a terrible one in the next.

Following the death in two different municipalities of children, in which the social workers repeatedly ignored compelling evidence, a judicial inquiry took place. The Haringey authority and another one were declared to be “unfit for purpose.” That has a nice ring to it and would apply here in B.C., specially with regard to Ayn Van Dyk’s case don’t you think?

ASSESSING SOCIAL WORKERS by Ray Ferris

BASIC PRINCIPLES BY WHICH TO ASSESS SOCIAL WORKERS by Ray Ferris

Ray Ferris is a frequent commentator and occasional post writer here. Ray is the author of 'The Art of Child Protection'.

If you want to assess the social workers properly then you need to go back to basic principles. This is what I always start off with and when you do that the matters usually become quite clear. The basic mandate of child protection is to ensure that a child can be made safe at home, or in alternative care. This principle is firmly embodied in the CF&CSA and there are many admonitions to extend help to parents in making sure their children are protected. If we look at what happened to Derek Hoare in the light of these principles, we can quickly see that the director was in dire dereliction of his duty.

THE NEEDS OF A CHILD - TWO STORIES - Story Two by Ray Ferris

Nova Scotia foster parent training

Yesterday you read about Rosanna who was removed from foster parents Don and Elizabeth. Ray Ferris told the story from his experience with the foster parents and yesterday's blog entry was a Ray's note of support for them and his condemnation of the MCFD Director's action.

But that was one story, and today's story cites an occasion when the Ministry got it right when they did not keep a foster child with a set of foster parents. Ray continues today with "Murderers terminate life. The director destroyed the life of this girl and destroyed her future."

TODAY: MRS. Z AND THE DIABETIC FOSTER CHILD

THE NEEDS OF A CHILD - TWO STORIES - Story One

COURTESY PHOTO

"I am going to tell you two stories because one arose out of the other. Some years ago I had been trying to help two foster parents get back a foster daughter who had been ripped out of their home. I ran into the mother at a demonstration by wronged foster parents outside the parliament buildings. This is mainly about the needs of the child." by Ray Ferris
Ray is my friend. Ray is the author of 'The Art of Child Protection'.
> Consider Rosanna

EVIDENCE BASED MEDICINE & SOCIAL INVESTIGATION CONFERENCE AUG 22-23 2014

Conference 2014 by EBMSI

Evidence Based Medicine and Social Investigation Conference

August 22-23,  2014, Vancouver, British Columbia

See Conference Curriculum and faculty by reading further.