Alberta Child Deaths and Injuries in State Care UPDATED

Alberta’s Human Services Department released the statistics on June 28, 2012. There were 11 deaths in care in 2011 and 17 children were hospitalized in 2011.

“Provincial legislation protects the identities of   children in care, but the grandmother[Koren] of one of the  children who died last year said it is also prevents  necessary public scrutiny of the system.”

The grandmother who was interviewed is referring to Delonna Sullivan.

“Cases listed in the report included four injured in   vehicle collisions, one who fell from playground  equipment, an accidental drug overdose, three who deliberately hurt themselves, an alleged sexual assault  and a child who over exercised.

In cases when children die the need for privacy no   longer exists, meaning legislation only muzzles grieving   families seeking answers, said Koren.

“If a family chooses to go public, they should have the  right to do so,” she said. [This was the issue in Delonna Sullivan case in which the biological mother faced prosecution because she went public with the case. Her case is still classified as “undetermined”]

Of the 11 children who died while in care during the  year ending March 31, two suffered fatal injuries – one  was a youth struck in the head at a house party, the  other was a child initially hurt in parental care who  died after provincial officials stepped in.”

“The case is the subject of an internal review, but New  Democrat MLA Rachel Notley said incidents of death and  serious injury while in care should be made public as  soon as possible and results of reviews should be  publicized as well.”

Child deaths in Alberta demand closer scrutiny: report

[Edmonton Journal 6/29/12 by Jason Van Rassel]

REFORM Puzzle Pieces

Update/July 16, 2013 : 2012- 2013 statistics have been released.

“Alberta’s Human Services department says 10 children in government care died in 2012-13.

Another 21 children under the province’s protection suffered serious injuries that needed an overnight stay in hospital in the 12-month period that ended on March 31, 2013.

The department reported those statistics in its 2012-13 annual report released at the end of June, along with brief descriptions of the causes.

“Two of these deaths were due to pre-existing medical conditions (cerebral palsy and complications from premature birth), three were due to suicide, two were the result of accidents (drowning and motor vehicle accident), one was classified as a homicide, one is still pending determination by the medical examiner and one cause of death was classified as undetermined,” the report says.

This is the second year that the province has provided a more complete picture of the number of deaths of children receiving protective services. In the past, the government only reported deaths it confirmed were the result of a serious accident or homicide.

That approach came under intense criticism, as some families, advocates and opposition MLAs demanded a more accurate picture of what happened to children under the age of 18 in government care.

Human Services minister Dave Hancock said Monday he believes the annual report, with its brief summaries of the causes behind injuries or deaths, is now more open and honest.

“Every incident we have to learn from,” Hancock said. “We have to understand whether something could have been done.”

In 2011-12, Human Services said there were about 8,700 Alberta children in care at any one time. That annual report detailed 11 deaths, including five attributed to medical conditions, two to fatal injuries and four others where the cause of death could not be determined or were still pending when the report was written.

Hancock said there were 8,283 children in care as of March 31, 2013.

Though the 2012-13 report offers a brief explanation for all deaths of children and youth removed from their homes, Human Services says it will no longer report on the percentage of children receiving protective services who received an injury that sent them to hospital or who died.

The 2011-12 report noted the department’s target was zero deaths or serious injuries, “the highest possible standard for practice.” It reported 0.14 per cent of children and youth in care suffered an injury that lead to hospitalization or death. That compared to the 0.49 per cent rate among the general population in 2009-10.”

Ten children in Alberta government care died in 2012-13, 21 suffered injuries

[Calgary Herald 7/9/13 by