How Could You? Hall of Shame-Canada-Edmonton Foster Mother

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Edmonton, Canada, “an Edmonton foster mother will be on probation for 18 months after she assaulted and bruised an infant girl under her care while forcing the child to brush her teeth.

The 58-year-old foster mother, whose identity is under a court-ordered publication ban, admitted that she squeezed the two-year-old girl’s face to force her to open her mouth so she would eat and brush her teeth. The squeezing was hard enough to leave lasting bruises on the child’s face.

“This was a simple assault,” provincial court Judge Kirk MacDonald wrote in a decision released Thursday. “However, it was an act repeated daily over a two-month period on a two-and-a-half year old small child. I find it particularly aggravating that the Accused used force daily to compel the minor child to open her mouth. I do not hesitate to characterize these actions as thoughtless and, although not intentionally so, cruel.”

The mother’s good intentions to brush the child’s teeth do not excuse the daily use of “brute force,” the judge noted.

Court heard the infant girl had previous dental surgery that may have left her afraid to brush her teeth.

The foster mother, court heard, did tell the girl’s case worker about problems with eating and brushing her teeth, but received little help.

“We trust you,” the case worker said. “Just do your best.”

The assaults began on the same day the child was placed with the foster mother in January 2013 and continued daily until March 2013.

Then, the foster mother and her husband went to the Philippines on vacation and placed the girl in respite foster care. A parent in that home noticed the bruising and called police and Child and Family Services. Once back in Canada, the foster mother was interviewed by police.

“She advised the EPS that the minor child was “stubborn” and not cooperative,” MacDonald wrote. “The Accused told the EPS that she could not think of anything else to do to get the minor child to open her mouth.”

The woman and her husband became foster parents in 2010. Previous to the assault, the woman had cared for seven children without any reported incidents.

The mother is no longer fostering children. She pleaded guilty to one charge of assault.”

Edmonton foster mother assaulted infant to force teeth brushing[Edmonton Journal 9/2/15 by Ryan Cormier]

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