(File photo/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Social issues

‘We can’t tolerate that’: issues with former Prince Albert youth group home highlighted in report from Child Advocate

Nov 10, 2021 | 5:00 PM

Examples of neglect, untrained staff, and just overall mismanagement at a now defunct Prince Albert group home, are laid out in a report this week from Saskatchewan’s Child and Youth Advocate.

The report titled “Someone to Watch Over Us” represents a progress update to previous recommendations made to the ministry in March, and includes mention of the specialized developmental group home that opened last March in Prince Albert by a private contractor, who is also responsible for five other group homes across the province.

Within the Prince Albert home were six developmental and medically fragile children, ranging in age from five to 11 years old. Lisa Broda told paNOW she was shocked and troubled over what she referred to as egregious conditions the young children were being exposed to.

“Canada is a first world country. How are we seeing these sorts of things happening in the homes when we live where we live,” she said. “We can’t tolerate that.”

In one case, the report cited staff caring for a deaf and blind child with prosthetic eyes were not properly trained in protocols, and as a result the medical devices were left out of the child’s eye sockets for a period of eight hours.

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In a separate example, staff did not immediately seek medical attention for a child whose foot turned blue and who had a urinary tract infection. These were not attended to for days, causing unnecessary medical aggravation. While Broda has been assured the issues are being investigated, she explained her concern lies with the fact the ministry’s response came months later, and did not include a comprehensive plan, only a suggestion the ministry had some pieces in place.

“This is a systems issue and when you have this going on, you can fill whatever gaps you like but at the end of the day if you don’t have a top down oversight approach, this is going to continue to happen,” Broda said.

Among the steps being taken to address concerns, the Ministry has relayed to Broda plans to enhance and re-design its group home oversight; develop a permanent resource for group home operators; and enhance its process for approving group home openings to include identifying and verifying the qualifications and training of staff and examining the unique needs of the children who are the intended residents. Broda said she plans to follow up with the ministry in the coming weeks to ensure steps are being taken.

“In this case, children have not been safe, they have not been protected and they have not received any health care that we would consider when you have the situation like the Prince Albert home,” she said.

Response from Ministry

In an emailed statement from Tobie Eberhardt, Assistant Deputy Minister of Child and Family Programs, she explained the Ministry appreciates the vital work of the Advocate for Children and Youth, and their efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of Saskatchewan’s children and youth.

“We are continuing our work to support group homes and enhance standards to ensure the safety of children in the care of the Ministry. In consultation with the Ministry, the group home provider made the decision to close the home located in Prince Albert,” Eberhardt said.

Eberhardt went to explain the ministry has initiated a review of the service provider’s remaining licensed homes to ensure compliance and identify opportunities for improvement.

“The ministry will be looking to engage with a new service provider to develop a group home resource for Prince Albert and area. Due to the provision in the Child and Family Services Act the Ministry of Social Services cannot comment on the specifics of any case,” she said.

NDP want more attention given to prevention over response

The NDP’s Social Services Opposition Critic Meara Conway said the report from the Child and Youth Advocate demonstrates that under the Sask. Party government, vulnerable children are not safe.

“Which is particularly concerning when you consider the fact that these children have in theory been moved from the situation they were in by the ministry, having been deemed seemed unsafe there, only to find themselves facing extreme medical neglect, a lack of food and child abuse under the care of the ministry,” she said.

Conway explained there appears to be an overall reliance on group homes, and a lack of focus on prevention. She cited recent changes to the social assistance program, the growing housing crisis, and changes to the child protection program as attributing causes.

“We are seeing fewer and fewer resources in preventing the removal of children from situations and an increase in crisis response which of course isn’t working,” she said.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell