Charges, like the child victims’ best interests, were dropped
Campbell River Mirror
October 22, 2009

There is just cause to worry about the children in our country and the fact they have very little protection of their rights and wellbeing.

… The child welfare system is in crisis with 49 critical injuries and 30 deaths of children in provincial care in a four month period. Gross underfunding means not enough staff on the front lines to protect our children….

Child poverty, vowed by provincial and federal governments to be eradicated by 2000, has thrived, and B.C. leads the country for the sixth year in a row with one in five children suffering in poverty stricken circumstances due to chronic under-funding and cuts to social programs since the Liberals came into power in 2001. Over half of children in poverty live with working parents.

Things are about to get worse. It is very difficult to provide a comprehensive review of all the cuts children are about to receive. Policy analysts, service providers, and media are frustrated and the government is being smug and refusing to provide a list. If they did, the list would be long enough to have to spill over into two of my columns. And it will.

First, there will be no additional funds for childcare for the latch key kids whose parent(s) cannot afford or get space in local daycare facilities. There will be no additional funding for BC Housing, so children can continue to live in unsafe and unhealthy conditions, often alone before and after school because there is no childcare for them.

Children will go to schools that are falling apart because maintenance for schools has been cut, and there will be a pathetic display of broken and outdated books in school libraries and public libraries because, along with literacy programs, funding is gone. If a child is interested in sports, he or she will probably not be traveling for competitions, wearing a team uniform, or even having a team to join, because BC School sports funding is no more. The minister defends it by saying these kids can “dance and play in the park.” If a student is hungry, they can join the food bank line-ups along with the other 60 per cent of families with children. ….