Child welfare system not in crisis: Alberta children's advocate
Last Updated: Friday, October 24, 2008 | 7:38 PM ET
CBC News
Alberta's Child and Youth Advocate, John Mould, spoke to CBC News Friday in Edmonton. (CBC)Alberta's child welfare system is not in a crisis, the province's child and youth advocate John Mould said Friday, adding he now regrets not completing his most recent annual reports on time.
"First of all I'd say I don't have any intention of resigning. Secondly, I absolutely take responsibility for the fact that two annual reports are late. Thirdly, I would say that I am very confident that the work that we do on behalf of children and youth in this province has been well served by the way in which we've utilized our resources," Mould told CBC News.
Mould didn't complete the annual reports on time because he was tied up with the day-to-day responsibilities of his position, he said.
"Doing individual advocacy services. Doing the quarterly reports and making sure those are delivered to the authorities. Identification of the systemic issues and making sure those get in front of the appropriate authorities in the ministry — those are the things that I focused on, to the exclusion of writing the annual reports," he said.
Critics have been calling for the resignation of both Mould and Children and Youth Services Minister Janis Tarchuk since the Alberta NDP released the advocate's more detailed quarterly reports, that were previously kept secret from the public.
The reports contain examples which detail the neglect and alleged abuse of children in care, largely due to a shortage of appropriate foster care spaces in the province.
None of these incidents are contained in the annual reports, which have led to charges Mould is trying to whitewash problems in the system.
Mould's failure to complete his reports on time was revealed after Tarchuk tabled three year's worth of his annual reports on Oct. 14, the first day of the fall sitting of the Alberta legislature and the day of the federal election.
Tarchuk defended herself against charges she was trying to hide information from the public by pointing out she only received the completed reports from Mould in September.
Mould insisted every problem outlined in his reports has been dealt with.
Tarchuk made that same assurance on Friday.
"I can say they've been all … investigated or [are] current, you know depending on whether it's a couple of days before the end of the quarterly, and have all been addressed," she said on CBC Radio's Edmonton AM.
