Newfoundland and Labrador’s child and youth advocate says two children placed in foster care had their rights violated after procedures went unfollowed, allowing alleged abuse to go undetected.
According to a recently released report, Wilma MacInnis found the children, originally from another unnamed province, lived in N.L. for two years without proper oversight because required agreements were never finalized. Problems surrounding communication and monitoring of the children’s safety were also found, which resulted in their alleged abuse going unreported until 2023.
“We want to make sure there is focus on the rights of young people in our province, and that these situations don’t happen again, because it is certainly, totally unacceptable,” MacInnis told CBC Radio’s The St. John’s Morning Show.
MacInnis’s report outlines four recommendations for the province’s department of Social Supports and Well-Being to close the gaps found, like ensuring required agreements are signed and interprovincial co-ordinator roles are strengthened.
“We need to ensure that children who do need these services receive the proper protection,” said MacInnis.
Whether the government has accepted the recommendations was not stated by MacInnis. CBC News has reached out to the department to ask if the recommendations have been accepted.
The report found the two children had been in another province’s care since birth and were trying to find them a permanent home. A couple in N.L. had shown interest in adopting the pair and the province was asked to assess them. However, during the process the couple changed their minds repeatedly.
According to the report, the couple withdrew their application before coming back and withdrawing it again. This eventually led to the application being closed.
Even though the adoption process stopped, the province caring for the children sent them to be fostered by the N.L. couple. Social services was meant to supervise the placement.
Typically, when a child in government care goes to another province, an interprovincial placement agreement (IPPA) is signed. However in this case the agreement was never completed. Adhering to that step, MacInnis said, is crucial.
“It sets out the roles and responsibilities of each province or territory when children are moving. That negotiation has to happen,” she said.
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This led to the lack of monitoring, despite a social worker being assigned to the case.
The report says there were 22 months where there was no contact between social workers and the children in the couple’s care. Because of this, warning signs were missed that could have indicated problems, said MacInnis.
Due to the lack of follow-up, the other province decided to get involved to see where things were breaking down.
Eventually out-of-province social workers came and took the children for medical exams, which is when the children disclosed physical abuse.
MacInnis said they were immediately removed from the home and police became involved. Criminal charges of child maltreatment were laid. The report did not disclose the outcome of those charges.
“Our right is to keep them safe and protected… and make sure the placements are appropriate and provide the care,” said MacInnis.
MacInnis said the case has revealed flaws within the child-care protection system.
While her report has four recommendations for government, MacInnus also wants a full audit of communications between provincial and regional offices, statistical information and updates on interprovincial files.
“We need better tracking of requests when they come and we want to make sure that is happening between the province and the region. Once these requests come in, we want to ensure they are not only registered and finalized here,” said MacInnis.
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