A decision by the Ministry of Children and Families to appeal a BC Supreme Court decision

A decision by the Ministry of Children and Families to appeal a BC Supreme Court decision that found ministry staff disregarded the safety of children from a Vancouver family, exposing the children to an abusive situation, including sexual abuse, has “deeply disappointed” the First Nations Summit, reads a release. “This appeal clearly reflects continued bad decision-making by the Minister and senior MCFD bureaucrats,” said Cheryl Casimer of the Summit. “MCFD should not be hiding from the findings contained in the BCSC decision; rather they should be looking at immediate ways to ensure a similar situation is not repeated.” The Summit is calling for an independent investigation with recommendations regarding the case, and suggests the province’s child advocate take up the matter. “We have extreme concerns with how the government has chosen to deal with this case… We expect that MCFD should involve First Nations in decisions and government policy designed to lower the numbers of Aboriginal children in care in B.C.,” said Casimer.