Latest news with #Ombudsperson
CTV News
04-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Rescued from conditions that left them ‘feral,' 3 B.C. kids now require ‘astronomical' levels of care: guardian
Three young Indigenous children are now in foster care, but relatives say their concerns for the kids' safety were ignored for years. Warning: the content of this story may be disturbing to some readers They used to be scared, even of each other. Now three young B.C. children, who relatives said suffered years of neglect before finally being taken into care, have learned to play together. And they've grown in other ways as well. 'To see them wanting the hugs and snuggles, to see them wanting to touch your face and your hair, and laughing and giggling with them, is the best out of all of this,' said their guardian, who is also a relative. But she also said that because of what the children, who are Indigenous, went through, their healing journey may never be complete. 'I do believe these are life-long issues that they will have forever,' said the guardian, who can not be named to protect the identity of the children. 'The conditions were horror' CTV News first reported on the children last year. At the time, relatives described the siblings, who are now between five and six years old, as 'feral'. A probe by B.C.'s Office of the Ombudsperson found six documented reports of possible neglect made to authorities over almost four years, before the children were taken into government care. Relatives said this finally happened when the parents contacted the ministry themselves in December 2023 and said they couldn't look after the children. But by then, relatives said, the damage was already done. 'The conditions were horror. That's all I can describe it as. They were living in feces, eating feces, they were (suffering from) malnutrition,' another relative told CTV News. 'I used to work with special needs kids, and I've never seen children like this in my life,' she explained. 'I sometimes wish we would have just took them illegally,' the emotional relative said. 'Astronomical' amount of care, support required The children's guardian said they believed that the kids could have been 'next-to-normal' had there been some kind of early intervention. She said the children still rock back and forth to sooth themselves. They are not potty trained and one of them will eat feces or vomit if not constantly watched. The guardian also said the children smash walls and hurt themselves and others. 'Scratching, biting themselves, just flailing their arms and legs. Kicking things, slamming their head against the floor if they can,' she explained. She said if someone tries to intervene, the children may attack them. 'I've had caretakers horrifically bitten,' she said. The guardian said it takes a team of caregivers to support the children. 'It's astronomical what it's taking to take care of these kids,' she explained. Additionally, they have seen countless medical professionals including psychologists, pediatricians and occupational and behavioural therapists. 'We do have a trauma counsellor that not only has seen the children, but that I see on a weekly basis because of the things that we deal with,' she explained. Struggling to access services The guardian said the oldest child is repeating words and trying to speak. The other two remain almost entirely non-verbal. Despite this, she said it's been difficult to get them into speech therapy because of years-long wait lists. 'These kids just don't have that time,' she explained. The guardian also said they have been waiting about eight months since referral to get into a highly specialized program at B.C. Children's Hospital where they will be more thoroughly assessed. The children are not in school, and the guardian doesn't believe it's an option for them yet. 'I don't think the schools are equipped to handle (them). I think they would be turned around 20 minutes after they got there,' the guardian explained. She also said that its worrisome that getting ongoing therapy and supports for the children leaves her at the mercy of the very ministry that failed them. But she said her love for the children keeps her fighting to give them the best life possible. Ministry touts changes The Ministry of Children and Family Development would not comment on the specific case, citing confidentiality rules. However, the ministry said it has updated its policy so that when the ministry receives multiple calls of concerns, it prompts supervisor to get involved. The ministry also said it has increased its workforce by almost 20 per cent, meaning more child welfare workers to help children. The province said it is also taking steps to strengthen oversight and accountability including creating a new Indigenous child welfare director position. Additionally, the ministry said that it is using new digital reporting to ensure children in care and in out-of-care placements receive regular in-person visits to assess safety and well-being.
CTV News
04-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Three B.C. kids once described as ‘feral' from neglect continue to struggle with trauma
Three young Indigenous children are now in foster care, but relatives say their concerns for the kids' safety were ignored for years. Warning: the content of this story may be disturbing to some readers They used to be scared, even of each other. Now three young B.C. children, who relatives said suffered years of neglect before finally being taken into care, have learned to play together. And they've grown in other ways as well. 'To see them wanting the hugs and snuggles, to see them wanting to touch your face and your hair, and laughing and giggling with them, is the best out of all of this,' said their guardian, who is also a relative. But she also said that because of what the children, who are Indigenous, went through, their healing journey may never be complete. 'I do believe these are life-long issues that they will have forever,' said the guardian, who can not be named to protect the identity of the children. 'The conditions were horror' CTV News first reported on the children last year. At the time, relatives described the siblings, who are now between five and six years old, as 'feral'. A probe by B.C.'s Office of the Ombudsperson found six documented reports of possible neglect made to authorities over almost four years, before the children were taken into government care. Relatives said this finally happened when the parents contacted the ministry themselves in December 2023 and said they couldn't look after the children. But by then, relatives said, the damage was already done. 'The conditions were horror. That's all I can describe it as. They were living in feces, eating feces, they were (suffering from) malnutrition,' another relative told CTV News. 'I used to work with special needs kids, and I've never seen children like this in my life,' she explained. 'I sometimes wish we would have just took them illegally,' the emotional relative said. 'Astronomical' amount of care, support required The children's guardian said they believed that the kids could have been 'next-to-normal' had there been some kind of early intervention. She said the children still rock back and forth to sooth themselves. They are not potty trained and one of them will eat feces or vomit if not constantly watched. The guardian also said the children smash walls and hurt themselves and others. 'Scratching, biting themselves, just flailing their arms and legs. Kicking things, slamming their head against the floor if they can,' she explained. She said if someone tries to intervene, the children may attack them. 'I've had caretakers horrifically bitten,' she said. The guardian said it takes a team of caregivers to support the children. 'It's astronomical what it's taking to take care of these kids,' she explained. Additionally, they have seen countless medical professionals including psychologists, pediatricians and occupational and behavioural therapists. 'We do have a trauma counsellor that not only has seen the children, but that I see on a weekly basis because of the things that we deal with,' she explained. Struggling to access services The guardian said the oldest child is repeating words and trying to speak. The other two remain almost entirely non-verbal. Despite this, she said it's been difficult to get them into speech therapy because of years-long wait lists. 'These kids just don't have that time,' she explained. The guardian also said they have been waiting about eight months since referral to get into a highly specialized program at B.C. Children's Hospital where they will be more thoroughly assessed. The children are not in school, and the guardian doesn't believe it's an option for them yet. 'I don't think the schools are equipped to handle (them). I think they would be turned around 20 minutes after they got there,' the guardian explained. She also said that its worrisome that getting ongoing therapy and supports for the children leaves her at the mercy of the very ministry that failed them. But she said her love for the children keeps her fighting to give them the best life possible. Ministry touts changes The Ministry of Children and Family Development would not comment on the specific case, citing confidentiality rules. However, the ministry said it has updated its policy so that when the ministry receives multiple calls of concerns, it prompts supervisor to get involved. The ministry also said it has increased its workforce by almost 20 per cent, meaning more child welfare workers to help children. The province said it is also taking steps to strengthen oversight and accountability including creating a new Indigenous child welfare director position. Additionally, the ministry said that it is using new digital reporting to ensure children in care and in out-of-care placements receive regular in-person visits to assess safety and well-being.
CTV News
03-07-2025
- CTV News
‘No one's been held accountable': B.C. authorities failed to protect 3 severely neglected children
CTV News gets an exclusive look at a scathing report that shows how three severely neglected children were failed by the systems meant to protect them. Warning: This story contains a description of child neglect. An investigation has revealed how authorities repeatedly failed to protect three severely neglected B.C. children. According to a probe by the provincial Office of the Ombudsperson reviewed by CTV News, six documented reports were made to social services raising concerns about neglect involving the young siblings who lived in Fort St. John and the B.C. Interior. The ministry received the first of these reports approximately 'four years before it took action to ensure that the children were protected from harm,' the investigation found. Last year, relatives described the children to CTV News as being 'feral' when they were finally taken into care in December 2023. 'The conditions were horror. That's all I can describe it as. They were living in feces, eating feces, they were (experiencing) malnutrition,' a relative said. Family members previously told CTV News the children had been locked in their rooms daily, were non-verbal and not potty trained. The investigation found some reports to social services were screened out 'at least partially due to communications issues.' It appears the ministry failed repeatedly to follow its own policies, including not doing an in-person visit following reports of neglect. The report said the ministry also failed to take action because the family moved, even though the ministry received another report of concern just 12 days later. The probe said the RCMP visited the family's home on two occasions, including in May 2023. 'The RCMP found one of the children down the road with no clothing on,' a relative told CTV News. But the report said social services again didn't take action because 'police attended their home and informed the ministry they had no concerns.' The siblings were only taken into care after their own parents told social workers they could not look after the kids. 'Breaks my heart' According to the December 2024 report, it was then that 'a ministry worker attended their home and found extensive evidence of neglect.' 'There's been no accountability. No one's been held accountable as far as the ministry, the RCMP, nor the parents,' said a relative in an interview with CTV News. 'I've asked over and over and over again who's going to be held responsible for what happened to these kids,' said another relative, who is also now the children's guardian. CTV News repeatedly requested an interview with Jodie Wickens, the Minister of Children and Family Development, but was told she had no availability for four weeks. 'What happened to these children breaks my heart,' she said in a statement. 'I understand why people have questions when they hear about a situation like this. As the minister and as a mother, I am determined to do everything possible to make sure that children in this province are safe and cared for.' She said she cannot speak to specific cases to ensure confidentiality. Her office also would not say if any staff had been disciplined for what happened. 'These workers have some of the hardest jobs in the province, receiving child protection reports on over 55,000 children each year. There is a continuous effort to improve efficiency and get youth and their families connected to the support they need,' a ministry statement said. The ministry said if procedures are not followed 'a variety of measures can be taken, including requiring a practice change or training for staff. If any wrongdoing or negligence is identified through a review or audit, appropriate steps are taken to address this with those involved.' MCFD conducted a special audit of provincial centralized screenings following what happened. 'Although the vast majority of screenings were assessed appropriately, an action plan resulted from the audit,' the ministry wrote. 'One of the changes implemented in the action plan is a requirement for records to be reviewed when a second report for a family is assessed as needing no further action within a 12-month period.' 'Staff in the ministry have also recently received additional training on screening child protection reports, including critical thinking and unconscious bias, and 95 per cent of staff have been trained to date and training continues,' the statement said. CTV News also reached out to the RCMP who said there is an 'ongoing' and 'complex' investigation into the care of the children. 'The investigation aims to determine whether any actions or inaction related to the care of the children may meet the threshold for a criminal offense,' the RCMP stated in an email. The RCMP also wrote that when police attended the children's residence, 'no immediate safety concerns were identified at those specific times. Police observations were documented during each attendance and shared with the appropriate partner agencies.' Relatives of the children said years of inaction by the ministry have had profound and lifetime impacts on the children. 'The system failed not only the kids, but the family itself because had someone stepped in, and maybe said this is what has to be done, you have to be able to get counselling,' the guardian said. 'You have to get medical treatment… maybe they could have still been a family and we wouldn't be where we are. And the kids would have got early intervention.' 'But that didn't happen and it only got worse and worse and worse,' she said. The guardian said there are times now when the young children find joy in simple play. 'When they are happy and feel safe and loved, it really makes all of this so worth it,' she said. But she also said the good times are punctuated by the dark consequences of children who've suffered years of neglect. 'It should never have gotten to where it did. Ever,' she said. The guardian also said she has concerns not just for these kids, but for those whose suffering may have also been ignored. 'I wonder and worry all the time how many children are locked in their bedrooms and not being checked on,' she said.
CTV News
27-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
B.C. Ombudsperson Jay Chalke announces 2026 retirement after 10 years on the job
Ombudsperson Jay Chalke releases his report into the terminations of Ministry of Health employees in 2012 during a news conference in Victoria, B.C., on April 6, 2017. (Chad Hipolito / The Canadian Press) VICTORIA — British Columbia's longest-serving ombudsperson has announced he will retire from his role in early 2026. Jay Chalke has been in the role for a decade and oversaw the implementation of new responsibilities under B.C.'s Public Interest Disclosure Act, which provides secure channels for public employees to report serious workplace wrongdoing. He says in a news release that he didn't make the decision lightly, and serving as B.C.'s Ombudsperson has been 'the honour' of his career. He says he is 'deeply proud' of the work he has accomplished, but he believes it's time for 'new perspectives and fresh leadership to continue (the) important work in ensuring fairness in public administration.' In the release, Chalke's office called him a steadfast advocate for fairness and accountability. It says the process to appoint a new ombudsperson will be led by the legislature and will begin soon to ensure a smooth transition. 'I am grateful to the dedicated team at the Office of the Ombudsperson and to the people of British Columbia for the trust they have placed in me,' Chalke says in the release. 'I look forward to supporting the transition and watching this office continue to make a difference.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2025.
CTV News
06-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
B.C. ombudsperson finds request for repayment of provincial COVID-19 aid unjust
VICTORIA — British Columbia's ombudsperson says the provincial government unfairly required some workers to repay $1,000 they received after losing their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The BC Emergency Benefit for Workers was introduced in 2020 and, in an effort to work quickly, the B.C. government initially required recipients to also be receiving the federal Canada Emergency Response Benefit. Jay Chalke's office says in a news release that the province was unaware that some people who had lost their job due to COVID-19 were being paid through other federal benefits, including employment insurance. He says the B.C. government paid those applicants, then ordered them to repay the funds. Chalke says people applied for the benefits in good faith to get through a crisis, then were ordered to pay back the money, not because they lost their jobs, but because of how a federal benefit claim was processed behind the scenes. His report makes one recommendation that the Finance Ministry change the Income Tax Act to extend the benefit eligibility to workers who lost their jobs due to COVID-19 but were excluded only because of employment insurance claims. Chalke says 'it was unjust for the province to require repayment in such circumstances.' The report also found some eligible workers were told to repay even though they met all the criteria. It says the repayment letters people received were confusing and offered no explanation as to why they were being asked to repay the benefit. The report also says the ministry did not use available federal data to verify their eligibility and instead placed the burden on the individual. 'This report isn't about trying to undo a program that was created in a hurry,' Chalke says. 'It's about what governments do when they later find out that parts of those programs were flawed.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2025.
