Edmonton tragedy part of national crisis in child protection

Workers say children from coast to coast are at risk due to high caseloads, impossible workloads and government cuts

Ottawa (02 Feb. 2007) - The tragic death of a three-year old boy in foster care in Edmonton underlines a national crisis in foster care and child protection services, says the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE).

"This young boy's death in Edmonton is a tragedy in every sense of the word," says NUPGE National President James Clancy.

"It's all the more tragic when you consider it may have not have occurred if the necessary supports to foster parents and child protection workers had been in place."

The three-year old boy, who can't be identified under Alberta's Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act, died of apparent head injuries. Charges have been laid against the foster parent.

"My concern is that many really important factors in this case will be lost in the sensationalism of the court proceedings," says Clancy.

"The reality is that foster parents are providing an invaluable service and do so with compassion and dedication. They're not receiving the support or resources they need to meet the demands. At the same time, child protection workers are carrying caseloads that make effective monitoring and intervention nearly impossible."

Calls for a full inquiry into Alberta's foster care crisis have been made by political leaders as well as labour and social justice organizations in recent days.

NDP leader cites government cuts

"We don't have enough workers in the department to provide support for the foster parents and provide protection for the children," Alberta NDP leader Brian Mason said earlier in the week.

"I think the cuts the government has made over the years has very likely contributed to the situation," Mason added.

Clancy says he hears very similar comments from across the country.

"This is not a problem confined to Alberta," says Clancy. "From coast to coast workers tell me that children are being put at risk due to high caseloads, impossible workloads and government cuts."

The 340,000-member National Union has done extensive work on caseload problems for child protection and income maintenance workers.

The union is planning to host a national meeting of child protection workers in the fall. More details of the meeting will be released in the near future. NUPGE