VICTORIA — A report looking into the British Columbia's Ministry of Children and Family Development after recent high-profile failures has criticized the provincial children's watchdog while praising the ministry for its work amid starved resources.
The report by long-time government bureaucrat Bob Plecas says deaths and serious injuries to children in care are rare, but there is a great appetite for piling on workers and the ministry for both "perceived and real failings."
Plecas says the relationship between the ministry and the office of the Representative for Children and Youth has become strained, and the watchdog's numerous recommendations over the years have overwhelmed the ministry.
He says the oversight role by Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafound should be taken over by the ministry, while she should instead focus on advocacy.
The report also advises a multi-year plan to address the ministry's problems including boosting staff resources, implementing quality assurance, providing oversight and putting the financial resources in place.
The Children's Ministry has faced mounting criticism recently in the wake of a scathing report into the short, tragic life of a young Aboriginal woman, the deaths of children in care, and the case of a mother whose estranged husband was allowed unsupervised visits despite sexually abusing their four children.
