Ecclesiastes
4:1 says, "I saw the tears of the
oppressed - and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors - and they have no comforter.
Paul and
Zabeth Bayne are friends of mine, Christians, at home with their three
children, two small boys and a 7-week old daughter and that was when their odyssey
of horror began. It was the autumn of 2007. Two small boys chasing one another
in the house and the toddler fell on the infant girl who lay on a blanket on
the living room floor as mom and dad did supper tasks. In the following hours the
baby lost her appetite and slept a lot so the parents took her to the hospital.
After a couple of days of examination, the clinical default diagnosis for her triad
of symptoms was 'shaken baby.' The term itself has intimations. Authorities did
not believe the parents story of a mishap. Reports between medical personnel,
and police, and child protection agency workers resulted in all three children
being removed from them even though there were no criminal charges against the
parents. "I saw the tears of the
oppressed." The Baynes' efforts to recover their family cost them the
mom's grand piano (she a concert pianist), and cost them their home. They began
working night shifts to be available for all the daytime visits and court
appearances. One year, two years, three years passed. The Baynes had an army of
supporters and advocates. A former child protection social worker critical of
some Ministry mistakes advised the Baynes' lawyer Doug Christie, who donated
his time and admirably argued their case. Nevertheless, during the fourth year,
a fourth child was born to them and within hours that child was also removed
from them. "I saw the tears of the
oppressed." They waited and prayed and worked for four years before
they heard a judge's order to return the four children to them (August 2011).
That was an astounding and unforgettable day. Today they are a happy family
living far from the trauma of those years. And the children are thriving and
growing taller and older and smarter and loving.
I wrote this
today, because I remember. For those years, Zabeth and I were in almost daily
contact as I wrote blogs in our concerted campaign to make the public
aware. News networks and newspapers and
finally CBC the Fifth Estate picked up their ongoing story.
Thank you for writing this,"I SAW THE TEARS OF THE OPPRESSED".
ReplyDeleteAnd now, Tears of the Oppressed has now been transmogrified,
into Tears of Joy
Many drops, a Cup
Many cups, a Torrent
... can now open our eyes, and 'let your heart beat again'
and let it be ...
This story is a rare example of a victory against the BC MCFD child protection system. A hard won battle that included skilled lawyer Doug Christie, retired social worker and staunch critic of MCFD Ray Ferris and author of the book The Art of Child Protection, months and years of excellent blogs by Dr. Ron Unruh, plus dozens of other supporters, incredible fund raising efforts, plenty of mainstream news publicity from CBC, Global news coverage, all of whom were outraged at the injustice.
ReplyDeleteOn negative side of the plate, this family faced a tenacious, costly and experienced pitt bull MCFD lawyer Finn Jensen Q.C., equally tenacious and vindictive social workers (one social worker Loren Humeny has since (yay!) died of prostate cancer), MCFD-groomed witnesses such as husband and wife Hope B.C. church pastors Michael Hoffman and his wife Elizabeth who accused the Baynes of having Munchausens syndrome, an internationally renowned shaken baby "expert" Dr. Randell Alexander that was flown at extraordinary taxpayer expense into the tiny Chilliwack BC courthouse to bolster MCFD's weak case, 30 days of trial, the removal of their forth newborn child during the multi-month wait for th ruling after the protection trial ... the list goes on.
Thank you Papa ... much belated appreciation but sincere nevertheless.
DeleteMore diversion & blame shifting, shifting blame from 'Designers' of the bizarre Government system to 'outside agencies':
ReplyDeleteVancouverSun Feb/8/2017: Page1 & 6:
"BC began contracting out residential services for kids (a.k.a. alt-foster type 'care') in the mid-1980's ... There are currently 699 children in 93 contracted residential agencies. The government spent $132 Million on contracting child welfare services in 2015/2016. Costs per child have risen 10% in the past three years".
"...many are upset at a system in which the Representative report said children are treated like a business" "That word just caught me right off guard to consider our children in care are being considered business..." said an attendee of a related conference.
"... It's a very hard ministry to run." "... what previous governments have done ...I think it has been a recipe for chaos in the Ministry(of Children&Family)" admits a high-level government official.
Do the Math: 699 children in care with 93 contracted residential agencies and how much did government spend last year on contracting out child welfare services? Again, $132M, which is !0% more than the year before. That's a cost of $132M/699 children = $188,841.21 avg per child last year.
How would you like to have a business income that generates nearly $189,000 per 'client' per year?! (hint: need to be an insider though maybe?)
Thank you writing and for your observations Pater
DeleteRE:
ReplyDeleteDo the Math: 699 children in care with 93 contracted residential agencies and how much did government spend last year on contracting out child welfare services? Again, $132M, which is !0% more than the year before. That's a cost of $132M/699 children = $188,841.21 avg per child last year.
How would you like to have a business income that generates nearly $189,000 per 'client' per year?! (hint: need to be an insider though maybe?)
_________________________________________________________________________
ie. an insider: perhaps part of, or connected to, the 'perennial' Administrative Bureaucracy or the 'seasonal' Political Hierarchy, or more ... ? Hmm...