ALBERTA FOSTER CARE SYSTEM QUESTIONED

As per yesterday's posting, it really seems as if the most vulnerable in our society are not even given the respect they deserve from our various governments. Could it be that children, mentally and or physically handicapped individuals are mostly unable to vent their anger at the ballot box and thus governments ignore them?

I am posting today from an on-line news item that I printed off late last fall. The title is "Questioning foster care "should not be allowed" says association head". The foster care in question is that in the province of Alberta and the questioning that should not be allowed follows an expose by the Edmonton Journal and the Calgary Herald regarding the number of deaths in foster care in Alberta in 1999. The quote was from the head of the Alberta Foster Parent Association and was aimed directly at the media's "damning" investigation.

The investigation showed 145 children died in foster care in 1999 but the province only reported that 56 children had died. Both the head of the foster parent association and Alberta's Human Services Minister feel that the public do not have the right to know the facts. In a perfect society with equally perfect government supervision and oversight the publics' knowledge of the facts might be less necessary. However in our imperfect world and with numerous Childrens' Aid Societys across Canada coming under scrutiny for overzealous behaviour and or incompetence; such public knowledge and scrutiny are long overdue.