DESTROY OR REFORM/ Part 389 / For Love and For Justice / Zabeth and Paul Bayne

If you can't shut down MCFD then reform it. What do you think about that?

While VOCA (Voices of Children Alliance) derives from concerns over child protection in Ontario, we have already learned that the concerns there are identical to those in all provinces, including British Columbia.

This link takes you to a fascinating page on the VOCA site that is highly supportive to families where the MCFD has intercepted normal family life and removed children for a variety of reasons. It begins with the assertion that the Child Protection system that operates in B.C. needs to be abolished. Then, given the reality that the political will is unprepared to destroy CPS, a second alternative is to introduce reforms to policy and to the legal system. There is even a section that speaks about harmful reform suggestions, a few of which some of you may have recommended.

Following an insightful preliminary paragraph, a content table is provided and then each of the titles on that index is opened up with well developed thoughts. It is worth a read.

For instance you find in the opener entitled “Reform for Children's Aid,” the following statements.

“The only real remedy for the abuses of the child protection system is its abolition. No one should have the power to take children from their parents by force of arms, and the upkeep of children should not be paid with appropriated funds. Once the child protection behemoth is dead, private charity can easily handle the small load of orphaned children, as it responded to the much larger number of homeless children a century ago before the creation of the welfare state.”

“Since the political will to eliminate the child protection system is nowhere near to realization, we have here a list of lesser reforms that may alleviate the hardships in the current system, and lead toward more comprehensive reforms. This list includes all known suggestions for reform, most politically impractical, some that are useless, and a few that might aggravate the current problems. The suggestions are more to stimulate discussion than legislation. Do not waste effort mailing the list to your MPP. The suggestions are organized into policy reforms, reforms to the legal system, and dubious reforms that may do more harm than good.”

MS. PLOURDE & PROTECTING CANADIAN CHILDREN/ Part 310 / For Love and For Justice / Zabeth and Paul Bayne/

PROTECTING CANADIAN CHILDREN

Here is a website for an Ontario organization called 'Protecting Canadian Children' for which the watchword is “The Children Must Come First!” 

For those of you in Ontario, here is information about a Conference to be held on Friday November 5^th in Hamilton at the Renaissance Banquet Centre at 2289 Barton Street East from 9:30 Am to 6:00 PM for a price of $40.00 that includes registration and lunch. It is hosted by Protecting Canadian Children and the Conference theme is “Family Protection.” A Candlelight Vigil is also scheduled for the following evening, Saturday November 6^th with details to come at the PCC website link noted at the top paragraph.

The organization also has a public Facebook page to which relatively few people have subscribed. 

The impetus behind the organization is a woman named Alfredine Linda Plourde (creator of the Facebook page and primary contributor to the PCC website). She informed me that I could call her Linda. Alfredine or, Linda, has a Facebook page to which only signed friends can access her profile information. But you can get informative biographical information by clicking the link. If you know Linda personally, send her a message or add her as a friend.  Alfradine Linda Plourde is becoming one of my heroes.

If you have a story that you wish to share with the Protecting Our Children website you can query or send data to enquiries@protectingcanadianchildren.ca

Alfredine is French Acadian and was born in Bathurst NB and is now a resident of Ontario. She never considered herself an activist or radical but in 2004 without warning she became personally acquainted with a nightmare experienced when as she writes her grandson was placed at unnecessary risk by the Catholic Children's Aid Society. Like many others, she began to research and consult and learned that thousands of similar stories exist in Canada with which she too is convinced the majority of Canadians are unaware. She has been gathering and publishing the stories, many of them with maintained confidentiality and she has been promoting educational awareness through rallies, marches and conferences. In addition she has spearheaded movements to lobby governments to intervene and to change policy and practice. Her crusade is primarily directed at the CAS and CCAS, Children's Aid Society and the Catholic Children's Aid Society. She is aware that each province in Canada has organizations like these even if known by different names.

She is one of the champions to set things right. In fact look at a video she prepared. At this page you will see two videos, hers is the one on the left. Watch that one first. You will hear her sincerity if you watch to the end. The one on the right is the late Nancy Schaeffer, US Crusader for change in Child Welfare. 

If you would like to become a distributor for the book by the title 'Protecting Canadian Children', please contact Alfradine at: protectingcanadianchildren@hotmail.com 

or you may purchase one for $35.00 by calling one of these book stores:

•  Queenston Stationery, 35 King Street, Stoney Creek, Ontario, 905-664-3360
•  Bryan Prince , Bookseller Ltd., 1060 King Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, 905-528-4508
•  In Hamilton, contact Maureen at 905-387-3506
• In Brantford, contact Claudia Hudson 1-519-754-0670
• Mountain Plaza Mall - Cigars Galore, 905-387-1146
• Mountain Book Store, 560 Concession Street, Hamilton, 905-385-6082

For Love and For Justice / Part 116 / Zabeth and Paul Bayne

A PROVINCE WITH AN APPETITE FOR CHANGE

What is the potential for parents to create social change in British Columbia’s system of child protection? In a system of child protection like ours which is a mandated design based on power differentials against parents, wouldn’t it be an extraordinary step for parents to be given a voice in reforming what we have? If it were possible to create a research team comprised of parents as co-researchers with professionals associated with child protection, the results might be more beneficial than any of us can imagine. This collegial approach would represent an elevation of the parental voice in the reform process and at the very least would predictably adjust how the child protection group views parents, as more of a resource rather than an obstruction. A transformation seems assured in my ideal world when parents could be seen as colleagues in such a project.

Wouldn’t this make an attention-grabbing study team? Wouldn’t it be a step in the right direction if parents in British Columbia became involved as co-researchers in pivotal decision making steps to enrich the performance of various levels of child protection in our province?

What advice might parents give for crafting a less bureaucratic system of child protection? How might professionals engage in working with parents to effect recommended changes? If you were one of the appointed parents what changes would you seek to make to the child protection system?

A study group of this composition was actually assembled in Ontario. A full description of the rationale, the methodology, the findings, the limitations, a discussion of the implications and a summary are available here, on a site called Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies Journal. The article is called ‘Adjusting the Lens: Parents Create Change in Ontario’s Child Protection System.’ The account of this study was written by Dr. Betty Gallagher who is the Director of Education Services at the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies. I have used some of her phrases to write this blog post.

“Parents were qualified to participate in the study: (1) If they had previously been ordered to participate in child protection services through a court order known as a supervision order. (2) If the supervision order was six months in length or longer. (3) If the family file was open after the amended Child and Family Services Act, 2000. (4) If they had maintained a one-year period free from child protection services. In total eight parents participated in the study.”

“Parents suggested eleven recommendations, all of which were supported by the professional participants. These findings suggest that parents and professionals in this study are like-minded in terms of making changes to the child protection system. Further, the study findings suggest there is a need for social workers and parents to continue their discourse about the protection of children.

Parents made the following recommendations for change to the current child protection system:

1. Have two social workers assigned to a case to avoid prejudiced perceptions about parents.
2. Compile a Parent’s Rights booklet.
3. Engage in cultural diversity training for social work staff.
4. Hold fathers more accountable for family issues.
5. Locate extended family quicker when looking for foster care placements.
6. Design a program to help teen parents and their parents raise children together.
7. Educate young girls early about self respect to prevent involvement in violent relationships.
8. Teach parents about life skills.
9. Put a package together that outlines all of the support programs available to parents and highlight the ones you expect parents to take.
10. Develop a support group so parents can meet to discuss their experiences with other parents.
11.Create safe chat rooms where parents, children and youth can communicate with others who have similar situations.

This was a study and only a study. Did it go anywhere? Ahh, there is the snag.
To have legs, something like this must have the authorization and ownership of the legislators that put the present system into operation.

Zabeth and Paul Bayne – Part 47 – The Bayne Campaign for Justice

Quotes from Supporters

Four hundred and ninety-four people have already signed the petition and left a brief note. Thirty people signed today. Here is a collection of some of the expressions of sadness, grief, alarm, fear and concern from people who are sympathetic with Paul and Zabeth Bayne and their three children and their loss of a family identity.

1. “Please review this decision and send these children home! My heart cries that when parents make the decision to take their child for medical care they should not have their children removed for something beyond their control but be applauded for approaching the need with speed and asking for help from the medical community! What has this done to the children and what will it do to them if they are not allowed to return to their parents?!”

2. “…empathetic--similar experience in our family but ours was to a lesser degree…”

3. “May the beautiful blessing of family and children be restored back to the Baynes and may they be together blessed ever so abundantly, more than we could ever ask or imagine...!”

4. “I have witnessed this ministry make mistakes before ~ the most difficult thing for them is to ever admit they are wrong.”

5. “I pray that common sense and justice would rise and that the Bayne family may be reunited. I truly think this is a horrific abuse of justice that must be revisited with open eyes.”

6. “Praying fervently for the return of your children.”

7. “These children should be returned as soon as possible to their parents in the name of justice!”

8. “I understand fully. My children have been 'taken' from me also. I am pressing charges... Good luck and lets break this cycle of abuse.”

9. “Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigated and cleared the Baynes of liability in Bethany’s condition. - Why is the MCFD not obeying the law and returning the kids to their parents?”

10. “How very sad for these parents and poor children taken from them. What happened to "innocent before proven guilty?”

11. “Enough is enough!”

Tap this line & Please sign this Online Petition. As soon as you provide your name, it is recorded. When the Donation page appears, EXIT the program. DO NOT DONATE to the Baynes on this site since as it clearly states, donations here go to the site designers.


We want 1,000 signatures by Christmas.

Zabeth and Paul Bayne – Part 42 – The Bayne Campaign for Justice

Mind Your Mouth
Every parent to whom I have spoken since I began my journal Bayne Campaign for Justice has said that if their children were taken by the Ministry of Children and Family Development or Children’s Aid Society or something comparable, they would be camping night and day in front of the Premier’s or Minister’s office or home and otherwise making their case known. That is the predictable, even expected desperation response of good parents who are having their families and lives not just interrupted but ruptured. Anger spills over almost immediately and it may win over sympathetic friends but apparently it works against parents as far as the courts are concerned. Isolated parents feel helpless and do not know which way to turn.

Consider this. The advice of solicitors and lawyers experienced with the court in cases of parents against MCFD or CAS or anything comparable is MIND YOUR MOUTH.

I came upon the website for Pearce, Ducharme and Associates, a Windsor based law firm, that has assisted parents in Children’s Aid cases for over 30 years. These lawyers have acted in courts throughout Essex, Lambton and Kent Counties.

The website begins with FIGHT CAS, meaning Children’s Aid Society – Get your Kids Back!
Then upon scrolling down, the site provides pages of practical counsel for parents who are being investigated by CAS or whose children have been removed by CAS. Granted CAS is an Ontario private organizaton as opposed to the MCFD government operated program yet the advice offered at the site is transferable to any province in Canada because of its practicality and the universality of the comprehensive power of child protection services within our country.

Sign this Petition. The donation page that appears is for the site designers. Do not make an ONLINE BAYNE CAMPAIGN DONATION at this petition site. Once you sign, exit the site. Your signature will still appear.