Social workers have no rules, no law and that's what makes them so dangerous'
Child Protection workers have been given enormous powers under B.C.'s Child, Family and Community Service Act to apprehend any child they believe is neglected or faces physical, emotional or sexual harm. Normally they require a court order but in an emergency they may act without one.
Critics of the ministry for children and families say the process is fraught with:
- False, malicious and anonymous allegations.
- Poor investigation. Social workers often apprehend within two or three hours of receiving a complaint without any investigation.
- The reactions of inexperienced, overwhelmed or cover-your-rear social workers. Richmond lawyer Patricia Fleming, who handles a lot of apprehension cases, says some removals should never happen. She says the toughest front-line protection work is most often given to new recruits.
"What we've got now is a flood of inexperienced social workers," says Fleming. - The lack of ministry help for families wanting to do a better job.
Frequently social workers with heavy caseloads apprehend rather than take the time to give the family support to solve their problems.
- Unfair law, legal abuses, court delays and judges who simply rubber-stamp ministry decisions.
- The pressure of many removals on a limited supply of foster homes.
Kari Simpson of the Citizens Research Institute says children are routinely placed in foster homes when capable family members are available.
- Parents having to prove themselves innocent, rather than the ministry having to prove they are guilty.
"Social workers are God," says Simpson. "They have no rules, no law and that's what makes them so dangerous."
Simpson, a garrulous and hyperbolic advocate, says hundreds of families a year come to her for help to fight the ministry.
- Too many children unnecessarily separated from their families for months, sometimes years, even forever.
Simpson says she will often advise people to put their children in hiding. And "we have a number of safe houses." Simpson says people should not be able to make complaints anonymously and should be held responsible for malicious complaints.
The law does say that if a person knowingly reports false information, that person is liable to a fine of up to $10,000 or six months in jail, but no such charge has ever been laid because of the difficulty of proving intent.
- The poor parenting practices of the ministry itself, in which children in care are continually moved or simply forgotten.
If you would like to contact the person, jenny, who posted this, email: jennyo@intergate.bc.ca
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