To the Editor,
For the past year we have heard four children died while in care of the ministry. One child had been living on his own in a hotel for over 40 days. If a parent did this, they’d probably be charged with child neglect and endangerment.
Now we hear approximately 112 children, in care, were living in hotels. Then we watch the evening TV news and are informed there is a 16-year-old girl living in the homeless tent city in Victoria. She was interviewed and explained she had spent a goodly portion of her life “in care” and found living in the tent city preferable to living in a group home. How a 16-year-old girl goes from being in a foster home to a group home to tent city is beyond me. I think its also beyond the B.C. Liberal government, the minister responsible and the premier.
The response from the minister responsible is the ministry can’t force any child to live anywhere. That may be quite correct. What some of us taxpaying citizens would like to know is how did this happen?
As I understand some of the minister’s response, they are doing the best they can with the resources they have. That is truly rich.
The same newscast informed me that last year Premier Christy Clark, the minister responsible, and the cabinet gave $400 million in subsidies to the film industry. These film corporations are mostly American-based.
On Monday, we saw the premier at a photo op ‘giving’ $100 million of our tax dollars away to tech companies.
If the cabinet minister and Clark can’t run the business of this province so there is money to look after the children in care, but can give millions to industry, which in many cases aren’t even Canadian, it is suggested the B.C. Liberals find a replacement for both.
E.A. FosterCedar