Tuesday, December 18, 2012

The Ministry Of Child And Family Development Responds...


Please note: There is a follow-up to this post, here.

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Update: See Laila Yuile's HuffPo piece....Here.

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Breaking....

Laila Yuile has received a response to the Ministry that obliquely answers, for the record, Question #1 from our previous post.

The statement goes like this:

"Any claim that the ministry will not be supplying Christmas gifts for children in care is absolutely inaccurate and it is very concerning that this erroneous message was sent to a client. In fact, social workers are encouraged to ensure every child and youth in care receives gifts during the holiday season.
Funding to cover gifts for children and youth in care is built-in to monthly payments the ministry sends to foster parents. For children and youth living independently or on Youth Agreements, ministry staff are authorized and encouraged to ensure those young people are remembered over the holidays and gifts are provided."

For context, here is our original question #1:

Question #1: Have social workers in the MCFD been told they are not allowed to purchase Christmas gifts for the children and youth in government care? 

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Now, as I said, the Ministry's statement was an oblique answer.

In the extreme.

Regardless, taken at face value it would appear to be case closed, right?

Except for the following...

I had a source that I used for my original post.

And Laila has one as well.

A source I mean, with evidence in writing.

The information from both sources is at odds with the Ministry's statement of today.

I suggest you stay tuned to Laila for further developments (sorry have to go off to work for a few hours).


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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I know of some kids in care of some Jehovah's Witnesses (who don't celebrate Christmas) who will not recieve Christmas gifts from their foster parents

RossK said...

Anon--

And in the past would front-line workers have been able to step up and buy a gift for the kids instead?

Thanks.

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Anonymous said...

"In fact, social workers are encouraged to ensure every child and youth in care receives gifts during the holiday season."

Out of their own pockets perhaps? Maybe that's the difference.

RossK said...

That's an interesting point Anon-Above.

I have no fully parsed the Ministry's statement here.

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