LODGING A COMPLAINT AGAINST THE MINISTRY OF CHILDREN

If you have a complaint to lodge about or against the Ministry of Children and Family Development, or the Child Protection branch, or a specific ministry official, or a court case or decision, then read this for some pointers. It’s Ray Ferris again, writing. He knows what he’s talking about.

“I will make one last point on today’s blog. If you complain about a court case to any ministry official you will always get the same stock reply. 1. They cannot discuss a case that is before the court. 2. They cannot interfere with the court process and influence a judge. Both these statements are nonsense and I will tell you why. It is true that they cannot tell a judge what to do, but they control what goes into the court and what they choose to tell a judge and what to conceal. They are notorious laggards when it comes to making the required disclosures under section 64. The guidelines stress that the hearings on young children must be completed in a timely manner. Both directors and judges seem to forget all about these guidelines when everything is delayed due to lack of disclosure. Yes the director is very successful at influencing the court; so don’t let them tell you otherwise. Likewise under section 48 a director can withdraw from the case at any time after a presentation hearing. All they have to do is to appear and withdraw and to file a written report giving the reasons. The reasons don’t have to make any sense, because only the paper and the signature matter. To the bureaucrat only process matters and content is nether matter. Even after 65 days of hearings, the judge has no choice but to allow the withdrawal.”

RAY IS THE AUTHOR OF 'THE ART OF CHILD PROTECTION.'

HAS MCFD'S COMPLAINT RESOLUTION PROCESS WORKED FOR YOU? / 480

Hon. Mary McNeill & Hon. Steven Point

A new photograph of the Honourable Mary McNeill together with the Lieutenant Governor Steven Point on the occasion of her signing her oath of office is the only indication thus far that there has been a change of command at the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
 

Hon. Mary Polak

The Honourable Mary Polak is still pictured as the primary spokesperson of the Ministry to you when you see her and read her message of welcome to the MCFD website.

I'll cut Ms. McNeill and the Ministry a little slack since it has only been a bit more than a week since she took office and she has not been able to get to all of the tasks that will stack up in her inbox and task box. I wonder how soon she and her deputy minister will place their unique marks on the service plan and the CAPP. How much time must be granted to them as a learning curve?

To Whom Can you Complain? / Part 402 / For Love and For Justice / Zabeth and Paul Bayne

I would like to know whether any of you who are reading today, have had occasion formally to make a complaint about the ministry. We are told that this is possible. When you have concerns about the care of your child in the foster care program or a concern about a social worker, you are entitled to make this complaint known. Have you ever done this? When it is a complaint about a social worker or when you cannot make contact with the SW, you are encouraged to speak with that SW's supervisor. Of course, to do that, you may have to ask the social worker for the name and phone number of their supervisor. Has that worked? And of course you can write a letter of your concern directly to the social worker with a copy to the supervisor and request reconsideration of a decision or action. Have you done this? Beyond that, the Ministry of Children does have a complaint resolution process for which you may call at no charge to 1-877-387-7027 asking for the dispute resolution consultant in your area. Have you tried that and if so, how did it go? When that is unhelpful, you can call the Board of Registration for Social Workers of BC. Their phone number is (604) 737-4916 (in Vancouver). If the social worker is registered with that board, you can file a complaint with them. Some people turn to their MLA, elected representative (Member of the Legislative Assembly). Have you done this? You might contact your Ombudsman if you are getting help nowhere else, by calling (250) 387-5855 (in Victoria) or 1-800-567-3247 (elsewhere in BC; call no charge). You may ask for this help. Have you called that number? When your complaint is about the care being received in a foster situation by your child, call the Representative for Children and Youth of BC. The phone number is (250) 356-0831 (in Victoria) or 1-800-476-3933 (elsewhere in BC; call no charge). E-mail them at cyo@gov.bc.ca.

The Baynes have done all of this unsuccessfully over the course of three years.

(If you missed it on Tuesday when he wrote it, catch Ray Ferris's comment on this same theme.)  If it's as bleak as Ray described it, we are in a deep hole.