BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY WITH SOME PHOTOS OF A HAPPY FAMILY

On Sunday October 2nd, Paul and Zabeth and their four children, Kent, Baden, Bethany and Josiah went to Barnett Marine Park and collected sea shells and pretty rocks and made some special memories. Josiah is over 20 pounds now - such a happy baby!

The Bayne Family members were restored to one another in August 2011 after the children were separated from Paul and Zabeth for four years following a 2007 diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome which was rejected by a provincial judge this year. 

 

Zabeth and Josiah

Zabeth and her 4 children

Paul and a smiling Josiah

Paul and Kent, Baden and Bethany

THE BAYNE CELEBRATION / 608

Cutting the Welcome Home Cake

August 25, 2011, this past Saturday afternoon was the long anticipated official party to mark the reunion of the Bayne family. Many friends came together to take pleasure with Paul and Zabeth in this recovery of relationships that are so important to them. Kent, Baden Bethany and Josiah are delights.

Paul and Zabeth thanked people who were instrumental during these past four years and thanked all who have so faithfully supported them with personal care, attention, prayer, financial provision for legal costs and so much more.

May this family live happily ever after.
Good bye and thank you.

As indicated in the previous post, this happy outcome now concludes my blog contributions to the Bayne Campaign of Justice. I am deeply satisfied to see this family able to move together into their future. My heart longs for other ruptured families to be whole and happy. I have respect for advocates of the rights of children to safety, freedom, provision and good care, as well as those who champion parents' rights and the need for changes within child protection services across our country. My thanks to all who have read the blog, commented and encouraged the Baynes. May some of you continue to be a support to other families going through difficult times. No further new blog posts or comments related to child protection will appear here.

THIS IS MY LAST BAYNE ENTRY / 607

I have come to the end of the chronicle. I began writing GPS Blog Posts concerning the Baynes two years ago. I coupled that with a Facebook page that I started entitled The Bayne Campaign for Justice. Now after publishing over 600 GPS child protection related entries, I am bringing it to a close. I could continue telling joy-filled Bayne Family details in the months to come but Paul and Zabeth and their children warrant privacy now. The children are not spectacles. Their lives now must center on opportunity rather than history. I also realize that there are innumerable additional cases for which I could write advocacy notes. So I will simply say that for personal reasons I need to conclude this episode of my online journalism.

My initial GPS posts disclose my shock upon learning that two friends had already been living a nightmare for two years. All three Bayne children were in the care of the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD). I entitled that first post ‘Paul and Zabeth Bayne – Part One - An Alarming Case of BC Government’s Miscarriage of Justice.’

From then until today’s Part 607, I have recounted the entire saga of the Bayne struggle with a Ministry committed to protect children at risk. I didn’t foresee writing daily for two years, investing quite as much emotion, witnessing so strong a network of supporters, watching GPS readership increase to almost 310,000 visits to the blog. That’s good for a local story.

This has been an educational journey for me. I was compelled to read volumes of information, medical, judicial and assorted family stories. I discovered that concern exist in all civilized countries over the enormous authority possessed by Child Protection (CPS). I learned that there are social workers who mean well and do well. I have discerned that social work is necessary, difficult, and sometimes thankless. I have been appreciative of foster parents committed to loving care of children who are not their own but require a provisional home. I have been absolutely dismayed with people who deal dispassionately and discourteously with parents. I have enjoyed new friendships that have begun during this campaign and I have met good, good people who run on humanitarian fuel. I have admired the dedication of Paul and Zabeth to recover their family while conducting themselves with dignity.

I am thrilled with the conclusion for the Baynes. This afternoon I will join scores of other friends as we celebrate with the Bayne Six, this successful survival. I do trust that MCFD will never revisit the Bayne file to encumber the health of this family. I resolutely believe that child protection can be done more compassionately and collaboratively in British Columbia and that MCFD training and practice requires revision.

Thank you for joining me so often along the way and for your advice, counsel and comments. I will keep the comments option open for a few days. Good bye for now.

The afternoon celebration is marked here by Zabeth’s and Paul’s invitation.

Today 1:00pm at 15030 66 A Avenue

We want to extend an invitation to all those who have been praying and supporting us for the return of our children, Kent, Baden, Bethany and Josiah to a celebration party scheduled for Saturday Aug 27 starting at 1:00. Josiah was returned on Aug 2 and our older children are to return on Aug 25. Bible Fellowship Church has opened its doors to us as a host for this special time. We do ask that everyone who can will please bring a food or beverage item. Thanks to all of you for your support and your prayers and we hope that you will join us for this joyous time.

 4:00 PM Addendum: I have just returned from the afternoon party. A great many people were in attendance to see the children and to watch them with Paul and Zabeth, What a wonderful sight. Happy, happy day for the Baynes and many more of us.

TAKING AYN WAS WRONG / 606

A Family shot during this past year

Josiah at 7 mo laughing

The Baynes are still rejoicing. All four children have been returned into the arms of Zabeth and Paul. Tomorrow I will celebrate this joyful event with them at a large party. Tomorrow I will close out this GPS campaign for the Baynes with my final posting. 

Today I am commenting on Ayn and her daddy Derek Hoare.

A young Ayn with Daddy

Derek Hoare expresses himself. Have you already noticed? He has a Facebook Page called ‘Help Bring little Autistic girl back to her daddy.’ Thousands of people are members and many of them write comments each day. His lead observations or his responses to others comprise the reading material. It is a busy page. I was going to say that MCFD would like parents like Derek to roll over and be quiet, but almost certainly MCFD don’t care about Derek. But MCFD should care. He has already appeared on more television and radio interviews and online and hard copy news articles than any previous parent whose child has been taken for questionable reasons. And it has only been 45 days or so since Ayn was removed from his care.

This is what he said yesterday, "Just got off the phone with MCFD, Ayn is sobbing to see me, she has been carrying around my picture, and is crying about wanting to see me. So saddening."

THEY WILL BE HAPPY AGAIN - IT STARTS TODAY / 605

Josiah is six months old and he has been living with Zabeth and Paul for the past month.

His siblings, Kent, Baden and Bethany have been visiting the family home off and on for a few days and nights at a time as part of the reintegration programme agreed upon by the Baynes and the Ministry of Children and Family Development.

BUT, TODAY IS THE DAY!!! YES TODAY. 
BY NOON TODAY, THURSDAY AUG 25, 2011, the eldest three children will be received into the Bayne home and care. The Bayne Family will have their chance for a restart.

Zabeth and Paul were so excited last evening when we chatted. They wondered whether they would be able to sleep, and perhaps they haven't slept much but their pensive rest will have been filled with happy thoughts. The children too have been counting down the days. This is right and good.

It was close to four years ago when a quake rocked their world culminating in newborn Bethany being retained by the Ministry and the two older but still little boys being apprehended as well. It's old news now and I won't retell it this time. The Bayne path became rockier before it ever was evened out to this point.

Bethany cozy on the couch

This past Father's Day

Soon this happy little Josiah who was born early in 2011 will be joined by three other smiling children looking forward to their familiar places and possessions at 'home.' Soon the two boys will don their new school uniforms and be ready for first day at class in the school where they are now enrolled. Normalcy may come easier to the children than to Paul and Zabeth whose lives were child-empty for so long. I am sure that the children may ask about their foster mom and family. The Baynes will need to work through that. I am sure the daily demands of four children plus a business work schedule will require degrees of patience and stamina from Paul and Zabeth that are taxing. I expect that the accumulated tolerance and fortitude acquired through these past four years has equipped them fairly well. And they themselves are made of the right stuff.

Zabeth and Josiah

I believe that they will be a very happy and contented family.

On Saturday, family and friends in great numbers will join them in a grand party celebrating the occasion of this reunion and taking time to thank God whom the Baynes ultimately credit with this result.   

DOUG CHRISTIE - A MAN WORTHY OF RESPECT / 604

Lawyer Doug Christie not only became the legal counsel for Zabeth and Paul Bayne in 2010. He became a friend. He  has cancer.


In this four minute video, Free Speech Lawyer Douglas Christie speaks about the value of others and the interconnectedness of friends as he faces his diagnosis of prostate cancer. A frank assessment of the spiritual consequences of a diagnosis of prostate cancer.

RESOLVING DILEMMAS / 603

Today Ray Ferris has written, "So the real problem is that the children's ministry keeps in step with the rest of the-English speaking world and manages to get it wrong 60% of the time." He is continuing a theme which he began last week on 'Family Court is not So Civil / 599.'

"Last week I wrote a piece about the problem that a protection complaint laid with an allegation of shaking, or any other non-accidental (i.e. deliberate injury ) is tantamount to an accusation of having committed a crime and a finding by the judge of deliberate injury is as good as convicting someone of a crime without the protection of criminal court. A shaking baby accusation is always an allegation of criminal behaviour. Criminal court provides these protections. 1. Presumption of innocence. 2. Right to remain silent without prejudice. 3. Rules of evidence and laws of evidence. 4. Proof required beyond a reasonable doubt.

4 DAYS TO GO

THE BAYNE FAMILY WILL FINALLY BE REUNITED FOR GOOD ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 26TH.

DEREK EXPRESSES HIMSELF ON FACEBOOK / 602

I will not presume to speak for Derek Hoare. A reliable account of his thoughts and opinions are featured in his own words in an ongoing string of remarks on a Facebook group page called ‘Help Bring Little Autistic Girl Back to her Daddy.’ Perhaps you have already found it. If not you should. I will place some of the quoted text here as samplers.

Ayn, in care and drugged, vacant look

First, let me introduce you once more. Ayn is nine years old. Two months ago she was removed from Derek’s custody and care by the Ministry of Children (MCFD). MCFD social workers unsuccessfully consulted with Derek and also asked him to sign a voluntary release document which he refused in an understandably emotional dispute. They left his house, went to the school where she was enrolled, and they apprehended her. Since then he has not seen her once. He will have to answer whether this option has been presented to him. I know that he has said he would decline this because he either knows how damaging it could be to Ayn when he must say goodbye, or perhaps Derek himself could not bear the pain.

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.