B.C.B次元官网网址檚 child and youth watchdog says he is B次元官网网址済ravely concernedB次元官网网址� about the operation of some residential agencies contracted by the province after a Lower Mainland agency was closed in May due to drug involvement by a staff member.
B次元官网网址淚 was shocked and disappointed to learn that, in May of this year, issues at yet another Lower Mainland residential agency had resulted in its closure by the ministry,B次元官网网址� Bernard Richard said in a statement Tuesday.
Richard said a youth in care at the the unnamed agency came forward with information that a staff member was gang-affiliated, had taken him and others on drug drops, had smoked marijuana with a youth and offered him cocaine.
Richard said that through an investigation by the Ministry of Children and Family Development, it was found that only 10 of 33 staff and caregivers had completed criminal record and other security-screening criteria.
. Bernard Richard has released a statement directed to MCFD's citing concern over the closure of an unnamed LM agency in May after a staff member was found to be gang-affiliated, took youth on drug drops, had smoked marijuana w/ a youth & offered cocaine.
B次元官网网址� Ashley Wadhwani (@ashwadhwani)
Nine of the employees have since been barred permanently from further such work and 13 others are being further screened due to concerning information.
Children and Family Development Minister Katrine Conroy said in a statement she has ordered a full review of the situation for each of the more than 800 children and youth currently placed in contracted residential agency homes. More staff have been assigned to make sure criminal record checks are done for all staff, and social workers have to B次元官网网址渞egularly visitB次元官网网址� the young people to check on their safety and well-being, she said.
B次元官网网址淚t will take time to get where we need to be,B次元官网网址� Conroy said. B次元官网网址淚n the meantime, there can be no excuses in situations where children in our care are not looked after properly.B次元官网网址�
Richard said that in his 2017 report on the tragic suicide of Abbotsford teen Alex Gervais, one of the key recommendations to the ministry, now led by Conroy, was to allocate necessary resources to enhance the review process and background screening of staff that work in agencies contracted by the government.
| Katrine Conroy (Black Press Media files) |
But while the ministry created a centralized screening hub, Richard said only half of B.C.B次元官网网址檚 residential agencies have yet to screen their staff.
B次元官网网址淪ixteen months after the release of AlexB次元官网网址檚 Story B次元官网网址� and nearly three years after his death B次元官网网址� MCFD has still not reviewed the backgrounds and qualifications of all staff who are currently providing care to children and youth in contracted residential agencies in B.C. Children and youth in these facilities continue to be exposed to risk,B次元官网网址� Richard said. B次元官网网址淭his is clearly unacceptable.B次元官网网址�
In a letter to Conroy, Richard detailed other incidents, including a staff member fired in 2016 for smoking crack cocaine with a youth resident present, then threatening the youth for reporting the incident.
