WILL THE GOVERNMENT ACT ON INDEPENDENT RECOMMENDATIONS?

Bob Plecas

Recommendations are valueless when they are ignored. Bob Plecas' independent review will contain recommendations for improvements and change for the Ministry of Children and Family Services. I have zero confidence that the recommendations will bring change within the Ministry. Plecas' work will be thorough and predictably commendable but it will have been ineffectual unless the Premier Christy Clark, and the Minister Hon. Stephanie Cadieux and preferably the Deputy Minister Mark Sieben construe the Plecas recommendations as beneficial and indispensable and determine to affect them. They must make them happen.

HON. STEPHANIE CADIEUX and THE POISONED PORTFOLIO

*BY guest writer RAY FERRIS

Hon. Stephanie Cadieux

Being the minister for children and families has always been a poisoned portfolio, which has despoiled the budding careers of various politicians. Ministers have virtually no powers, yet they have to take all the heat for a chronically incompetent senior administration of career bureaucrats. The periodic child welfare scandals that erupt cause frantic wriggling and writhing, but no effective change.

Judge Hughes

How naive Judge Hughes was when he said that they needed to halt the turnover of Ministers and Deputy Ministers to provide stability and leadership.

GETTING PEOPLE, TO GET ALONG: Principles for Empowering People To Be Their Best

Yesterday, I introduced you to a man whom I have known for a number of years, both personally and professionally. I met Dr. Orieux as a dentist, but I got to know him in his capacity as, for want of a better term, a corporate counselor. Dr. Kevin Orieux occupies a unique dual-role in the corporate world. On one hand, he is a professional trainer who teaches leaders how to serve the needs of their people and thereby inspire those same people to ever higher levels of personal performance and fulfillment. On the other hand, he is the owner of the Cloverdale Dental Clinic and he still practices dentistry two days a week. He has written two books on how leaders can create synergy in group settings. The principles that he expounds can positively transform group dynamics, in a business operation, a church, or even in a community service organization such as the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development. In yesterday's blog, I recommended that the Ministry of Children and Family Development would profit enormously if at either a local office or at a regional gathering of social workers, or at the Victoria office of the Ministry, Dr. Kevin Orieux were invited to consult and to teach what he knows. Let me tell you about him and what he can contribute. 

THE MINISTRY OF CHILDREN NEEDS WHAT DR. ORIEUX CAN TEACH

The B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development could learn from my dentist. I am serious about this statement. In fact, I suggest that the Hon. Mary McNeill, Minister of MCFD, confer with Dr. Kevin Orieux regarding the difficult challenges she faces in fulfilling her portfolio. I am confident he could help the Ministry not only meet its mandate, but also lessen stress and pressure for Ministry staff while simultaneously enhancing the Ministry’s reputation in the eyes of BC’s citizens.

Thumb created by MarkosWeb.com

Why could a dentist do that? Because he’s not just a dentist. He has written two books on human dynamics and corporate psychology, so when he isn’t running the Cloverdale Dental Clinic, he is a practicing corporate consultant whose expertise helps those in leadership to fulfill their vision and purpose, by empowering their people. The following is a quote from the website of Aararat Consulting, which states Dr. Orieux’s goal to: “create a supportive environment where the rallying cry is ‘Synergy’ whereby everyone works with a unified focus to serve the holistic needs of the customer first, their
co-workers second, the company third, and themselves fourth.”

PAINFUL BULLETS OF FACT

Aime (mommy) and Ayn

On the day that Ayn was born in 2001 and Derek saw her for the first time, his heart was hers.

On June 16, 2011 Derek Hoare experienced the unthinkable shock of learning that his nine year old daughter Ayn had been removed from her school by the Ministry of Children and Family Services (MCFD).

He is not accused of harming her. In fact his life has been dedicated to nurturing and understanding her. Ayn is autistic.

Derek was informed that the action to remove his daughter from his care was designed to ease his load of responsibility but in fact it created an intolerable burden.

OKAY, SO LOGIC DOESN’T TELL US MCFD HAS TO GO

Yesterday, an anonymously delivered comment challenged my logic and the subsequent conclusions. My title was LOGIC TELLS US MCFD HAS TO GO. I used Aristotelian premises to make unconditional statements and uncompromising deductions. The writer convincingly disputed the soundness of my comparisons and compelled me to review my thought processes.

The writer observed, “I think it is a dangerous comparison saying that child protection is either effective of ineffective. Most things are not black and white like your comparisons (cat is either white or not white, or it is either raining or not raining). One could make the same comparison that open heart surgery is either 100% effective or not 100% effective and since it is not 100% effective it should no longer be a treatment option. If we take this line of thought we could essentially make a claim to discontinue all health care treatments. I think that if something is 80% effective it is something we continue to do. To state that 100% effective is the only way we keep a program is a very odd statement. We could use that rationale to rid the need for school. As School is not 100% effective for everyone.”

That was well written and effectively argued.

I realized that I had overstated what I still believe to be true. I recognized that my piece was a virtual discard of the baby with the bathwater. I customarily seek not to do that when I write. I may have written from a weary disposition and with foggy attention to my subject.

So, forget the logic analogy. It accomplishes little and confuses the issues. What I prefer to say is that performance reviews, ministry assessments, published opinions, reports by the Representative of Children and Youth, observation of the increase of court cases and the backup of cases in the judicial system, and the personal testimonies of hundreds of grieving parents convince me that the Child, Family and Community Services Act needs to be reworked in order to better insure that the necessary role of a Ministry for Children will protect children while safeguarding families and respecting parental rights. Then I believe there will be a higher probability that apparent injustice does not occur among innocents and that corrective and restorative efforts among families succeed.

MCFD IS IN UNRESOLVED CRISIS MODE

'Broken Dreams', Murray Unruh, glass & acrylic

UNRESOLVED CRISIS

MCFD IS IN UNRESOLVED CRISIS MODE

In spite of inquiries and recommendations, changing governments, legislative reforms and in-house restructuring that the MCFD calls transformation, this child welfare system in B.C. has failed generations of both children and parents. British Columbia’s child welfare system has been in crisis for decades and it still is. Hon. Mary McNeil can only address the predicament if she consults and understands the history of this Ministry in B.C., acknowledges the existing problems, and agrees that changes are required and can be affected.

RAY FERRIS TOLD THE MINISTER ABOUT AYN ONCE AGAIN

Today I have posted a letter written by Ray Ferris. He has given me permission to publish it. This has been directed last week to the people named below. Ray is an unapologetic critic of the MCFD mistakes. Ray is the author of 'The Art of Child Protection'. You can purchase it from him by writing to rtferris@telus.net.

From: Ray Ferris
Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2011 1:34 PM
To: Mary McNeill ; Claire Trevena ; nicholas simons ; maurine Kargianis ; stephen Brown
Subject: Ayn Van Dyk

A RESPONSE FROM DOUG HUGHES

Doug Hughes, Dir Child Welfare

Here is a reply to one of my recent letters to government officials asking for consideration of the Ayn Van Dyk case. It comes from Doug Hughes, the Provincial Director of Child Welfare, and it is written as an official response on behalf of Premier Christy Clark and Minister of Children, Honourable Mary McNeil, though I wrote to each of them separately. So this response can be viewed as the shared perspective of the highest ranking bureaucrats that can relate to the ‘freedom’ of Ayn Van Dyk. If you are dropping in to the blog uninformed, then please know that Ayn is an autistic nine year old who was removed by MCFD following a 3-hour absence from her father’s care. She was playing in her back yard, climbed a fence when daddy wasn’t watching, found a neighbour’s back yard and played there. That was 5 ½ months ago, June 16^th to be precise.  

CONFIDENCE

 Ayn Van Dyk could have and should have been returned to her capable and intelligent father’s care long ago instead of being kept away from her parents and siblings for more than five months.

The Liberal Party in British Columbia may not remain in power past this current mandate. If the rebuilding of public trust in the child protection division of the Ministry of Children and Family Development were as simple as changing political party I would advocate a change to New Democrat or Conservative. However, clearly the issues that have eroded public confidence over the past forty years are trans-political. Even when the cabinet composition changes, the Ministry personnel that affect the lives of children, parents and families remain the same. And if there is some personnel turnover, there is a continuum of the policy/practice DNA. Regardless of which party is in power, if confidence in this Ministry is ever to be regained, that party will need to prioritize a love invested definition of a helping relationship.

SYNOPSIS: BC’s MINISTRY OF CHILDREN, PERSONNEL & PRACTICE

By Ron Unruh

In a nutshell, we have a Ministry of Children and Family Development that contains a department called child protection. Our Law Enforcement is not local policing but rather the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Our judicial system is commendable but besieged by too many cases and not enough judges and not enough available court time. We have lawyers, oh oh ...do we have lawyers, and many of them have tapped into the lucrative contracts with MCFD. Their interest therefore is not expediency, and they do not give a second thought to extended delays in process and what that may mean to a family in terms of heartache, relational distress or financial crippling. RCMP and MCFD have a working arrangement in child protection cases that when an apprehension must be made, officers will accompany social workers, making the situation so much more intimidating and traumatic.

DRUGS CAN’T STOP THE TEARS

By Dr. Ron Unruh in Help Bring little Autistic girl back to her daddy

Derek and Ayn happy when she once lived at home

Our hearts are touched by Derek Hoare’s broken heart and most of all by the bewildered agony that terrifies Derek’s nine year old daughter Ayn (pronounced Ine). After eighteen days of Ayn’s crying, the Ministry requested that Derek supply a photo of him and Ayn together. She has been carrying this around ever since. That was 4 ½ months ago. Those pretty blue eyes were filled with tears for eighteen days despite the injection of three drugs into her system. That’s how the ministry has cared for this child with an autism disorder. Seventy hours after seizing her MCFD began the drug treatment. Drugs were unnecessary and unwelcome in Derek’s home.

DOES MCFD UNDERSTAND AUTISM?

A laughing Ayn before Removal and anti-psychotic drugs

After an hiatus of some months, I can't help myself. Ayn needs help. She doesn't understand what has happened. She didn't do anything that bad. Do you want to know more? I'll tell you in the days ahead.
 
SHE SHOULD BE IN HIS ARMS

Does the Ministry of Children and Family Development understand Autism?

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.com 904-HELP AYN 904-435-7296

Celebrating BC Child and Youth in Care Week / 601

In its own promotion of this special week that was held this past May, the Ministry of Children and Family Development has written this comment.

“Notice, Listen, Respect. Stand with children and youth in care. These are powerful words, and they hold a personal meaning for thousands of children and youth in government care across British Columbia.
To help acknowledge and celebrate children and youth in government care and to help combat negative stereotypes and social stigmas, the B.C. government is proclaiming May 23-29, 2011 as the first-ever B.C. Child and Youth in Care Week.
It was a youth-driven idea to create the week - and it's a first for British Columbia. B.C. is the only province in Canada to celebrate a week for children and youth in government care.”

Let’s not be naïve or so self-congratulatory that we ignore the thousands of children who are in care but don’t want to be there. 

I MAY BE WRONG BUT I DOUBT IT / 588

I have written about the Baynes for two years. I will stop soon. I only recently wrote several posts about Derek Hoare and his daughter Ayn. I won't need to write for him because he has an army at work for him.

The Bayne case differs remarkably from that of Derek Hoare and daughter Ayn. Bethany Bayne was removed from parental custody when she was seven weeks old. She had been injured. Her two sibling brothers were removed at the same time. Because of Bethany's injuries the Bayne case launched amid solemn suspicion that one of the parents was a child abuser. That Ministry suspicion was generated and fueled by medical opinion. RCMP investigated but dismissed the matter. MCFD's suspicion was unrelenting. Derek's daughter, nine-year old Ayn is autistic and upon her removal the hospital examination reported no evidence of harm or abuse but rather good health. Her two sibling brothers have been permitted to remain with their father. Ayn was removed from her father’s care and custody when she wandered away from her home one day as many autistic children are prone to do.

THE COVER IS COMING OFF

This morning Derek Hoare, whose daughter Ayn was removed from school by the Ministry of Children and Family Development several weeks ago, wrote this paragraph on the Facebook page bearing the title, 'Help Bring Little Autistic Girl Back to Daddy."

Can everyone imagine for a moment that you personally lived in a world where as you went about your day, you knew that at any moment... be it at home, work in school... people could come and grab you and forcibly put you in a vehicle and drive you to a big building where you were isolated and confined with strangers forcing medications on you, trying to draw blood from you, ECG's, scales, poking and prodding. They would not tell you were your family was or your family where you were, you were trapped and drugged by the will of another, a stranger, someone who doesn't even know you. And if you get upset... well then they drug you more with powerful doses enough to inundate you with lethargy. That is now reality for my daughter she will live with that knowledge for years.... for years this will remain a possibility in her mind. Many do not believe that it is possible... she KNOWS it does.

YOU MAY WANT TO ASK HON. MARY MCNEIL TO HELP US / 562

Hon. Mary McNeil

When Premier Christy Clark announced the new cabinet, I happily blogged the news with you on March 14, 2011 that Mary McNeil had been elevated to the position of Minister of MCFD ('NEWS RELEASE - NEW MCFD MINISTER). Our optimism at a new chapter for child welfare and child protection and family development jumped higher when other announcements followed as I indicated on June 1, 2011. The new Deputy Minister MCFD is Stephen Brown and the re-instituted position of Provincial Director of Child Welfare was filled by Doug Hughes (another Doug Hughes post), (and another Stephen Brown post). This has seemed to be a team that desires to work in cooperation with the Advocate for Children and Youth, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond.  I trust that will be true and profitable for the youth of this province. What we need now, is some evidence that these officials are paying attention to what truly counts, compassionate and effective front line work that carefully preserves families while simultaneously protecting vulnerable children. Because there are numerous cases including the Baynes, that point to the need for reform to this Ministry, you may want to communicate with Hon. Mary McNeil in a courteous and informative manner.

READ THIS, READ THIS - ZABETH HAS GOOD NEWS / 557

Zabeth Bayne communicated her good news to me yesterday afternoon and last evening she also told Kari Simpson and Terry O’Neill and their radio audience the elevating update. People that know, love and support the Baynes have waited for the kind of indicator that we heard. It certainly was the best news that I have heard since I began writing about the Bayne case two years ago.

Kari Simpson and Terry O'Neill are blunt critics of the practices of the Ministry of Children and Family Development which Kari and Terry dub the Ministry of Destruction!

Last night the primary story was the interview with Derek Hoare, the committed father of three children, one of whom, his nine year old autistic daughter was removed by the MCFD fourteen days ago. I told his story here on Saturday June25th with the piece entitled ‘Derek Hoare and his Daughter Ayn.’

It was a dramatic juxtaposition of one heart-wrenching Ministry related family experience and the other family’s heartening news.

THE LONGEST DAY / 551

June 21st was the longest day. That’s what yesterday was where I live. Actually the last 36 hours were unbelievably long for members of my family.

The first official day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere is marked by the summer solstice. In addition, the first day of summer, the summer solstice, also marks the longest day of the year. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest. The word Solstice derives from two Latin words, sol (sun) and sistere (stand still) and refers to the Sun's most extreme southernmost or northernmost position in the sky as viewed from Earth. The southern extreme is the summer solstice.

I didn’t really care about any of that when on Monday night, the eve of Solstice, my married daughter, aged forty-two, mother of three children, beautiful blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman, Master’s in Music from Western Washington U, drove herself to the Hospital Emergency doors and told them she had chest pains. Hours later following testing we learned that she had suffered a heart attack.