Have you asked or answered this question? Have you considered it?
I assume that I am writing to an audience of readers who adamantly concur that children must be protected at all costs from exploitation which may involve such things as child prostitution, child trafficking, child pornography, violence against children and poverty.
We have come to expect that our elected government legislators and parliamentarians will take a responsible role to provide such protection. That involves the articulation of child human rights, the establishment of standards for care of children, laws that address violations of the child’s right to protection, and provisions to meet children’s basic human needs.
I am writing in Canada to Canadians concerning a subject about which our knowledge is incomplete and narrowly focused. Throughout the world in thirty countries armed conflicts involve 300,000 child soldiers. (Child Protection: A Unicef Guide to Parliamentarians 2004)
http://www.ipu.org/pdf/publications/childprotection_en.pdf
The same information resource cites worldwide figures of one million children live in detention due to conflict with the law; 13 million orphans due to AIDS; 1.5 million children in public care; 250 million in child labour often in hazardous conditions. It is estimated that 1.2 million children are trafficked annually. What must the estimate now be when in 1995 1 million children were involved in commercial sex trade? Forty million children under 15 years suffer from abuse and neglect. 100-130 million women and girls primarily in Africa have undergone a form of genital mutilation.
With the enormity of such concerns in mind, does it make any sense whatsoever for a Ministry of Children in British Columbia to respond to a call for attention from someone with regard to Ayn Van Dyk, autistic daughter of Amie Van Dyk and Derek Hoare, by removing this child from the custodial and loving care of parents within a relationship where there is no allegation of evidence of abuse or neglect? No, it does not make sense. In this case, there is merely a record of a child with autism who evidencing typical spectrum manifestations of severe autism is a challenge to manage and specially when she is in a school environment among non autistic children. There is also consistent indication that Derek and Amie are able to manage her by conversation and reliable attention and compassion. Now for many months Ayn has been removed from this home environment without any explanation which she can possibly comprehend, placed first in a sterile setting, behaviourally inhibited with drugs and then in what must be have been perceived by her as the peculiar home care of strangers/foster parents whom gradually she comes to identify as her care-givers.
This child did not require intervention and protection. The thousands of dollars that have already been directed to this nine month tragedy could have and should have been applied to her care in her home with her own family around her. I don’t want to hear any more cases like this one. I want to learn of cases that exhibit that the Ministry of Children develops and employs directors, administrators and social workers who understand of what child protection truly consists?
