dean couldn’t give any details about the case because of privacy rules. dean said she doesn’t have the power to intervene in child welfare cases but said her staff has been in contact with the provincial director of child welfare to ensure the case is being handled properly.
“i understand that this is an emotional circumstance,” dean said.
child welfare staff, she said, make decisions for youth in care based on what’s in their best interest, including their age, their stage of development and other circumstances in their life.
de jong initially said in question period that the child was to be removed tuesday, but as of wednesday, he hadn’t heard from the family that the child was removed from the home.
de jong told postmedia news on wednesday that he tried to speak directly with the director of child welfare but was told the director “doesn’t talk to politicians.”
de jong, who has been an mla for 29 years, said this particular case got to him “because there just seemed to be something about the vulnerability of a young person in that, in that circumstance, is suddenly confronted by this massive bureaucracy that says, ‘and now this will happen.’ and they’re powerless.”
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