Saskatchewan's Crisis In Foster Care

Earlier this summer, Rawlco radio's Mervin Brass reported a brief item noting that in May of 2004 to May of 2005 the number of children placed in care in Saskatchewan rose 12 per cent - with over 700 children in care in the city of Saskatoon alone. (A more recent news item reported that the numbers of drug addicted babies being born in the city has risen from one or two a year, to two a month.) The Brass story prompted me to contact an acquaintance with long time experience in foster care. The response, slightly edited;

Just off the cuff I am going to direct you to a few interesting observations I have had with the current Department of Employment and Resources.

The reason there was is a 12 % hike in protective custody is because (from Children's Advocate report) which by the way is two years behind. Saskatoon for instance set the bar so low (reasons to apprehend kids) kids were dying. [...] Anyway, now they have realized this and are apprehending children that should have been apprehended several years ago and what have we got a crisis in foster care. Foster homes are overcrowed, ie: about 1991 or 92 when Pat Atkinson (the incompetent-but that's another story) mandated that only four children could be placed in each foster home. However, this was impossible to maintain and especially now as more and more children are apprehended with no Foster Homes to place them in. There is right now as we speak a grave crisis in foster care. Red Willow a stabalization unit for teenage girls--has babies in their care--as there is no where to put them. Do you see a problem in problem teens caring for babies?? I do.

Foster homes are closing faster and ones who have been fostering for years are closing. Why???? ... we are volunteers--only paid maintainance for children not paid for our work. Who else would work 24/7 but women (unskilled) they presume who like to work long hours with no pay. Not to mention the risk factor, I don't suppose you heard of the elderly foster mother who was beaten severely by an eleven year old boy in her home. Of course not, no one tells anyone that. Not only are we volunteers, but there is no compensation when you are incapacitated, even by the children in your home.

Why wouldn't the three teenage girls in N.B. be released? I mean they only beat to death the woman who took a man away from their grandmother. Think about it they were released by Judge Kaiser, the same judge, (who by the way released Serena Nicotine), as she was not a danger to the public. Even when she tried three times to drown her cousin without success. A week later she killed Helen Montgomery. See the connection---what other foster parent wants to be stabbed or beaten to death for wanting to offer these children a safe haven (safe for whom?).

Sorry for the rant, but that is just the tip on the iceberg--speaking of that why hasn't Ms. Evelyn Hines and her husband been charged?? [story here] Hmmmm!! Not enough money taken I guess--easier to let her go than explain how she could get away with it especially with her husband being the head of the watchdog department. Oh well let's just take some more precautions so those pesky lowlife foster parents don't get a few extra dollars cause they might be just taking kids for the money. I do digress.

(I haven't been able to verify that the judge who released the alleged killers of Florence Frenchman was the same individual who placed the infamously violent Serena Nicotine with group home operator Helen Montgomery - I would appreciate if anyone can confirm or refute this.)

The purpose of this post is to gather more information - there are a lot of Saskatchewan readers of this blog, and I'd appreciate hearing from those of you familiar with this issue, either in the comments or privately.

Posted by Kate at October 17, 2005 10:34 AM