tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post179267167288885028..comments2024-03-17T03:22:42.344-05:00Comments on Jeffrey Baldwin Memorial Site: Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12477753348213542451noreply@blogger.comBlogger388125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-33146234578051934572012-11-28T09:38:19.676-06:002012-11-28T09:38:19.676-06:00Its my at the start in good time always to enter o...Its my at the start in good time always to enter on this forum,just wannat recompense for some friends here.if its not allowed to record on this panel,please delete this thread.Nice to adjoin you! <br /> <br />--------------------------------------------------------------- <br />[url=http://www.sexybags.info/rssrock.html]My designer handabgs[/url]Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-57880358569735611332012-02-11T03:25:15.795-06:002012-02-11T03:25:15.795-06:00Hello very nice site!! Man .. Excellent .. Wonderf...<b>Hello very nice site!! Man .. Excellent .. 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I got your point and there is nothing to argue about. It is like the following universal truth that you can not disagree with: Any group of geeks will find something to discuss that is of no interest to anyone else yet seems to be universally interesting to them. I will be back.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-13826236831127025822009-01-19T00:46:00.000-06:002009-01-19T00:46:00.000-06:00Holly Schlaack applies her professional knowledge ...Holly Schlaack applies her professional knowledge as a guardian ad litem to powerfully deliver data on the crises facing young foster kids and what all of us can do about it. I enjoyed her book, Invisible Kids, (www.InvisibleKidsTheBook.com).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-31823861104448550542008-01-15T14:09:00.000-06:002008-01-15T14:09:00.000-06:00I've always known this....that's why after many co...I've always known this....that's why after many complaints it recently became compulsory & adopted into CAS procedures to have MANDATORY background checks done on foster families. I believe they still need to take it a step further & make it a "licensed" process with applicable law enforcement for breaches.<BR/><BR/>As for the auditor general's report...I've known about the CAS's funding formula for years. While is seems contradictory that more children in care would mean more financial burden...not if you cut corners. More children in care means viable reason to demand a bigger chunk of the pie....it's FACT that the CAS is financially rewarded for each active casefile & tantamount to proof of job security for all sectors including the family courts. They work in cooperation with one another. This is paramount to collusion...because it's an identifiable combined, cooperative effort. Inexcusabley open to corruption & abuse of power...discrimination by virtue of attitude or other means. It's more than an analogy that it's equivalent to "child trafficking"...each child is a profitable commodity.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-24934434102949886842007-09-17T22:50:00.000-05:002007-09-17T22:50:00.000-05:00Do not forget Jeffrey in the Ontario election, and...Do not forget Jeffrey in the Ontario election, and please do not forget why oversight is needed with the CAS.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-85726313716864547202007-07-11T12:59:00.000-05:002007-07-11T12:59:00.000-05:00CHAMBERS OUT!!Chambers announces decision to not r...CHAMBERS OUT!!<BR/><BR/>Chambers announces decision to not run, applauds new candidate<BR/>Canada News-Wire <BR/>Wed 11 Jul 2007 <BR/>Dateline: SCARBOROUGH, ON, July 11 <BR/>Time: 10:50 (Eastern Time) <BR/>Youth Opportunities Strategy, Expansion of child care spaces, increased<BR/><BR/>support for autism services among highlights for Chambers<BR/><BR/>SCARBOROUGH, ON, July 11 /CNW/ - Scarborough East MPP Mary Anne Chambers announced today she will not be running in the upcoming provincial election and introduced candidate Margarett Best for the riding of Scarborough Guildwood.<BR/><BR/>"This has been a very difficult decision to make. I have worked hard to serve my constituents and the children and youth of Ontario," said Chambers.<BR/><BR/>Chambers' decision was based on her recognition of the need to slow down for her personal health.<BR/><BR/>"I am happy to have contributed to the significant improvements that our government has made in areas that are so important to the quality of life that we have in this wonderful province. We have increased funding for children's mental health services, bringing an end to a 12 year funding freeze. We have tripled funding for autism services and eliminated the age cut off for children requiring intensive behaviour intervention (IBI) treatment, and provided investments that will benefit 7,000 more children with complex special needs."<BR/><BR/>"I want to thank Mary Anne for her strong commitment to public service and wish her well," said Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty. "Mary Anne worked tirelessly for the most vulnerable with passion. She was the driving force behind the creation of our government's Youth Opportunities Strategy which is providing opportunities to young people and so that they can reach their true potential. She oversaw the Ontario Child Benefit which is helping 1.3 million kids living in poverty and expanded quality, affordable childcare for families. She will be missed. I am pleased to welcome Margarett Best as our candidate in Scarborough Guildwood this fall and wish her well in carrying on Mary Anne's legacy."<BR/><BR/>Chambers was elected in October 2003 and immediately named to Cabinet. As Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities she oversaw the largest multi- year investment in postsecondary education in 40 years, including the creation of tuition grants and other improvements to the Ontario Student Assistance program (OSAP). Under her leadership, the Ontario government made significant changes to strengthen the Private Career Colleges Act, and launched a review of regulatory practices which later led to the passage of the Fair Access to the Regulated Professions Act for internationally trained individuals.<BR/><BR/>Since her appointment as Minister of Children and Youth Services in June 2005, Chambers has created training and employment opportunities for thousands of youth from underserved communities; created legislation to establish the first regulatory College for Early Childhood Educators in North America, led the creation of 22,000 new licensed child care spaces and improved access to subsidies; strengthened accountability and provided more opportunities for children in need of protection to have permanent, caring homes; led the passage of legislation for the establishment of an Independent Child Advocate.<BR/><BR/>Chambers will continue her work as MPP for Scarborough East and Minister of Children and Youth Services until the October election.<BR/><BR/>Best, a lawyer and columnist, has been a longtime community activist, working with a variety of groups including business and community associations during her over 20 years of volunteer service in Ontario. She is comfortable teaching leadership skills to young people, participating in the Scarborough Youth Career Fair, on the Ontario Provincial Police Advisory Committee on diversity issues, as well as participating as a volunteer and fundraiser for various community organizations.<BR/><BR/>Though the nomination date has yet to be set, Best has received unanimous support from the riding executive.<BR/><BR/>"Minister Chambers is an inspiration to me. She has been an excellent example and a role model for many. I look forward to following in her footsteps in serving the people of Scarborough, and continuing the work of Premier McGuinty's Liberals for all Ontario families in education, health care, the environment, and in strengthening our communities," said Best.<BR/><BR/>© 2007 CNW Group Ltd.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-30776823452440185332007-07-08T18:29:00.000-05:002007-07-08T18:29:00.000-05:00Check out my dedication to Andre Marin: http://www...Check out my dedication to Andre Marin: <BR/>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy14xwCEvJEAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-49379254302372712822007-07-05T08:10:00.000-05:002007-07-05T08:10:00.000-05:00Ombudsman needs powersThe Ottawa Sun Thu 05 Jul 20...Ombudsman needs powers<BR/>The Ottawa Sun <BR/>Thu 05 Jul 2007 <BR/>Page: 15 <BR/>Section: Editorial/Opinion <BR/>Byline: BY ALLAN CUTLER <BR/>Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin stated in his annual report that his goal was to put his office on the map as a model of excellence in effective oversight. He has succeeded, probably beyond expectations.<BR/><BR/>Marin should be congratulated for making the office more effective.<BR/><BR/>He was, by Premier Dalton McGuinty: "(Marin's) doing a good job. His job is not to lend comfort to me and to the government or any government of the day. His job is to expose areas where we're coming up short."<BR/><BR/>McGuinty added, in Marin's report, that "the fact of the matter is that this stuff needs to be brought into the light of day."<BR/><BR/>Has anyone else noticed the apparent contradiction between McGuinty's words and his actions?<BR/><BR/>Marin criticized the McGuinty government for circumventing his office. Instead, outsiders are paid to investigate public complaints. The government maintains control of investigations and can cover up the results. As Marin pointed out, this costs taxpayers more money. Preferred consultants charge higher fees than the ombudsman's paid staff.<BR/><BR/>Marin's office received 20,226 complaints in the last year -- 12,979 within the ombudsman's jurisdiction and 7,247 outside the mandate. It's both welcome and worrying.<BR/><BR/>It is welcome in that Marin and his office are able to help so many people. It is worrying that there are so many who need to be helped.<BR/><BR/>Marin doesn't mince words. He feels his authority should be expanded.<BR/><BR/>The ombudsman has been denied oversight authority in the MUSH sector -- municipalities, universities, school boards and hospitals.<BR/><BR/>Of particular concern is the child-protection area where, Marin says, "the government has clearly chosen to keep this zone immune from ombudsman oversight."<BR/><BR/>Ontario also lags behind other provinces (we are hearing this more and more) with regard to the ombudsman's reach.<BR/><BR/>It's the only province that has not expanded the ombudsman office's oversight powers to the MUSH sector.<BR/><BR/>Marin's office exposed a litany of problems at several agencies, including the lottery corporation, as well as agencies that assess residential property values and claims from crime victims.<BR/><BR/>Imagine what could be accomplished if Marin were allowed to look at other institutions.<BR/><BR/>To quote Marin, "Big Brother has his hand firmly planted in our back pocket. Government revenues are his lifeline, unaccountability his refuge."<BR/><BR/>Marin says the agencies investigated by his office shared a common trait: The use of "puffery" -- over-promising and under-delivering.<BR/><BR/>The provincial bureaucracy is obviously taking its lead from its political masters. Puffery is a trait in some politicians, regardless of their stripe.<BR/><BR/>Finally, Marin gives us something important to think about. In reference to the government and agencies, he says: "When there is a gulf between promises and delivery, when promises are broken, it matters. Public trust, the necessary currency of good government, is squandered."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-3171299538171842582007-07-03T21:20:00.000-05:002007-07-03T21:20:00.000-05:00Printed from www.thebarrieexaminer.com web site Tu...Printed from www.thebarrieexaminer.com web site Tuesday, July 03, 2007 - © 2007 The Barrie Examiner<BR/>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR/> Give Marin wider scope<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>Tuesday, July 03, 2007 - 07:00 <BR/><BR/>Editorial - Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin is a passionate and highly successful hunter of bureaucrats gone wild. <BR/><BR/>Now the ombudsman wants a licence to travel further afield. <BR/><BR/>Premier Dalton McGuinty says Marin is doing a fine job, but isn't interested in turning him loose on Ontario's hospitals, universities, school boards and municipalities. <BR/><BR/>Marin is brash to the point of being boastful in presenting his demands. He is also rational, precise and compelling. He makes three unassailable arguments for expanding the scope of his work on behalf of Ontario residents who feel they have been betrayed, shortchanged or brushed off by government officials who are supposed to be working on their behalf. <BR/><BR/>First, he has been successful. When the pressure from years of complaints about the Municipal Property Assessment Corp., and its handling of property tax issues, became too great to be ignored any longer, McGuinty called in Marin to investigate. <BR/><BR/>The result was a public flaying of MPAC, a temporary freeze on new property assessments and a commitment that the organization would change its tyrannical ways. <BR/><BR/>Marin has had similar success when his office investigated wrongdoing on its own. His report on the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. uncovered the insider prize-cashing scandal and led to a criminal investigation. <BR/><BR/>Second, his office gets large numbers of complaints about organizations he can't touch. Among them were 1,450 complaints directed at municipalities, school boards and police forces. <BR/><BR/>Third, Ontario trails the rest of the country when it comes to providing the protection of an ombudsman to its citizens. <BR/><BR/>Marin wants to add seven jurisdictions to his area of responsibility: boards of education, child protection services like the Children's Aid Society, hospitals, nursing homes, municipalities, the police complaints system and universities. <BR/><BR/>In his annual report, Marin dismisses several rationalizations he has heard for not broadening the scope of his office and delivers his own typically blunt assessment: "I am reluctant to appear cynical, but it seems the real reason for all this is self-interest . . . If you and those who report to you have been permitted to do your work without someone looking over your shoulder, why would you want to change that?" <BR/><BR/>Premier McGuinty's response to Marin's campaign has been, if not self-serving, weak and patronizing. <BR/><BR/>"His job is to expose areas where we've been coming up short, and, I think he's been pretty effective at that," the premier said. "I think we've been pretty effective at responding to him." <BR/><BR/>Marin has been much more than "pretty effective." And "coming up short" hardly describes the seriousness of the problems he has uncovered. <BR/><BR/>The ombudsman should be given the authority to be equally effective on behalf of Ontario residents who aren't happy with the way they are treated by those seven other levels of government. <BR/><BR/>Osprey NewsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-15035478424002668432007-06-28T05:51:00.000-05:002007-06-28T05:51:00.000-05:00Children's Aid needs reins: Dad; Says agency snubb...Children's Aid needs reins: Dad; Says agency snubbed him before tots killed<BR/>The Toronto Sun <BR/>Thu 28 Jun 2007 <BR/>Page: 8 <BR/>Section: News <BR/>Byline: BY ANTONELLA ARTUSO, QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU CHIEF <BR/>The father of two youngsters whose mother has been charged in their deaths says he had nowhere to turn when the Children's Aid Society rejected his concerns for their safety.<BR/><BR/>Leonardo Campione, whose daughters Serena, 3, and Sophia, 1, were found drowned in a bathtub in a Barrie apartment last October, is supporting Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin's call for the power to investigate the CAS.<BR/><BR/>"Apparently it's only Ontario and Newfoundland out of all the provinces where the ombudsman office does not have any oversight over the CAS," Campione said. "Outside of legal action, I had nowhere else to go to except the ombudsman office.<BR/><BR/>"The CAS had assured me many times about the safety of my children ... they would retaliate and almost threaten me that I had to cooperate with them fully and unconditionally, no matter what my concerns were," said Campione, who attended the official release of the ombudsman's annual report yesterday.<BR/><BR/>Marin said the CAS and other government-funded organizations, such as hospitals, boards of education, nursing homes and universities, should be subject to the independent scrutiny brought by his office.<BR/><BR/>Marin said Ontario lags behind all other provinces in this regard. "This is a downright embarrassing situation for Ontario."<BR/><BR/>The Ontario government would have to give Marin those oversight powers.<BR/><BR/>Marin's annual report notes his office responded to 20,200 complaints in 2006-07, of which 2,395 involved public agencies beyond his current mandate. There were 600 complaints about the CAS and another 180 complaints about hospitals.<BR/><BR/>Marin's office has conducted several high-profile investigations, including the stunning revelations of insider wins at the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., "cutthroat" tactics at the Municipal Property Assessment Corp. and callous disregard for crime victims at the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.<BR/><BR/>These findings of "neglect and maladministration" countered claims by the organizations that they offered world-class services, he said.<BR/><BR/>Marin said he was tempted to label his report "The Year of Overpromising and Underdelivering."<BR/><BR/>Marin said he's seen improvements in the efforts of some bureaucrats to find creative solutions to problems involving the public and he praised the government's willingness to respond to his recommendations.<BR/><BR/>Premier Dalton McGuinty, speaking before the delivery of the report, said he welcomes the input of the ombudsman.<BR/><BR/>"I think he's doing a good job," he said. "His job is not to lend comfort to me and to the government or any government of the day. His job is to expose areas where we're coming up short."<BR/><BR/>COMPLAINT LIST<BR/><BR/>Complaints to the ombudsman in which office could help:<BR/><BR/>- One man seeking assistance with wife's $350- to $400-a-month drug costs not approved because his teen girls didn't have social insurance numbers.<BR/><BR/>- Leg amputee forced to pay $96 a month out of the $116 he had left after expenses to pay community-based agency for transportation for treatment.<BR/><BR/>- A mother of three with multiple sclerosis lost 12 pounds in six months after government slashed her special diet allowance to $20 from $250 per month.<BR/><BR/>- A man spent nine frustrating months trying in vain to have the Office of the Registrar General correct a mistake that gave him a female middle name.<BR/><BR/>- Female jail inmates were exposed to the smell of raw sewage accidentally pumped in, although guards were given masks.<BR/><BR/>Complaints about agencies not covered by the ombudsman:<BR/><BR/>- Woman kept waiting in emergency room bed for a week for treatment, then transferred to another facility without forwarding her medical file.<BR/><BR/>- A mother of a girl with anxiety disorder struggled for over six months with school board to arrange tutor.<BR/><BR/>- A police widow complained of inadequate action by police after her husband died outside station.<BR/><BR/>- Two families of children who died under CAS care complained of inadequate supervision.<BR/><BR/>© 2007 Sun Media Corporation. All rights reserved.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-903928395241228812007-06-27T15:10:00.000-05:002007-06-27T15:10:00.000-05:00Bravo for the Ontario Ombudsman. It is a shame tha...Bravo for the Ontario Ombudsman. It is a shame that he cannot get oversight of Children's Aid Societies. He could really help in addressing various concerns that people have. That he is being barred from helping is an outrage. Politicians need to put peti politics aside and allow Mr. Marin to help the good people of Ontario, especially children.<BR/><BR/>Anne PattersonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-13421507986030224282007-06-27T12:40:00.000-05:002007-06-27T12:40:00.000-05:00NationalOntario government over-promises but under...National<BR/>Ontario government over-promises but underperforms: ombudsman<BR/>By KEITH LESLIE<BR/>Wednesday, June 27, 2007<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>TORONTO (CP) - The Ontario government’s credibility is "dying a slow death" because ministries and provincial agencies ignore problems and instead boast about their strong performances, Ombudsman Andre Marin said Wednesday.<BR/><BR/>Marin compared his report on government to report cards for students, and said even though he doesn’t usually title them, he was tempted to label this one "The Year of Over-promising and Under-delivering."<BR/><BR/>"Certainly, for lofty ambitions I would give them an A," Marin said after releasing his report. "But for actually delivering on those lofty ambitions I would give them a C."<BR/><BR/>The ombudsman said all too often, when a provincial ministry, agency or board is described as incompetent by the public, its reaction is to sideline the issue and proclaim itself as world-class or an international leader.<BR/><BR/>Ontario’s Municipal Property Assessment Corp. bragged that it was a "global leader" until Marin’s investigation called it "an arrogant, cutthroat agency with little regard for homeowners."<BR/><BR/>Marin said his office exposed similar "delusions" held by the Family Responsibility Office, the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.<BR/><BR/>He said they all presented a proud public face when in reality "they were callously ignoring the suffering of the very people that they were obligated to serve."<BR/><BR/>Marin also found some of the agencies have not responded well to special ombudsman’s reports issued over the past year.<BR/><BR/>"It reminded me of Muhammad Ali when he said, ’I’m the greatest and I said that even before I was,"’ he said.<BR/><BR/>"The difference is of course that he floated like a butterfly, and those Ontarians who’ve dealt with these agencies felt more like they dealt with a 10-pound brick than a butterfly."<BR/><BR/>Marin called the practice of over-promising and under-delivering "puffery," and said it undermines the public’s trust in government.<BR/><BR/>"If organizations fall into the trap of believing their own hype, they can become complacent and lose the urge for self-improvement," he wrote.<BR/><BR/>"Puffery can become a shield for inertia and apathy. If governments and their agencies believe they can hustle the public, they will be tempted to leave their programs under-resourced and flawed."<BR/><BR/>Marin also found myriad examples of "a rigid, unthinking adherence to pre-established rules" within government, even when their applications make little sense.<BR/><BR/>For example, a mother suffering from multiple sclerosis had her special diet allowance under the Ontario Disability Support Program slashed from $250 a month to $20 because her doctor failed to check off the right section on a form.<BR/><BR/>"Strict adherence to rules turned a minor error into a major health problem for this mother of three," Marin noted.<BR/><BR/>NDP critic Paul Ferreira said Premier Dalton McGuinty and the Liberal government are directly to blame for the problems uncovered by the ombudsman.<BR/><BR/>"He is the premier that has over-promised and under-delivered, and the report today makes that abundantly clear," Ferreira said.<BR/><BR/>"Dalton McGuinty’s credibility gap has just expanded another mile."<BR/><BR/>In his annual report, Marin again said his office should have the power to investigate police, municipalities, universities, schools, hospitals and all other institutions funded by the provincial government.<BR/><BR/>"Ontario remains the only province in Canada where citizens cannot turn to their ombudsman if they have a problem with Children’s Aid societies," he wrote.<BR/><BR/>"The situation is similar for hospitals, long-term care facilities, school boards or police.<BR/><BR/>"This is a downright embarrassing situation for Ontario."<BR/><BR/>Marin will hold an online chat Thursday at 1 p.m. ET to answer questions from the public about his annual report. To register, go to www.ombudsman.on.ca.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-84847024280620372762007-06-27T11:25:00.000-05:002007-06-27T11:25:00.000-05:00Ombudsman slams Ontario's ‘puffery'TENILLE BONOGUO...Ombudsman slams Ontario's ‘puffery'<BR/>TENILLE BONOGUORE<BR/>Globe and Mail Update<BR/>June 27, 2007 at 11:33 AM EDT<BR/>The Ontario government is rife with “puffery” as government departments promise the world, then fail to deliver, according to the second annual report of the provincial ombudsman.<BR/><BR/>Ontario Ombudsman André Marin on Wednesday lamented the “puffery” exposed by his scrutiny of the government, saying the litany of organizations make grandiose promises but don't follow through.<BR/><BR/>If that continues, it will undermine public confidence in its institutions, he warned.<BR/><BR/>“I was tempted to label this one ‘The Year of Over-promising and Under-delivering',” Mr. Marin said as he released his report.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Enlarge Image<BR/>Ontario ombudsman Andre Marin has slammed the province for making promises but failing to follow through. (CP)<BR/><BR/>Internet Links<BR/>The Ontario Ombudsman <BR/><BR/>“On the one hand, the actions of a ministry, agency, board or commission are decried as shabby or incompetent. On the other, the reaction from the organization is to sideline the issue and proclaim itself ‘world class', or an ‘international leader' — as if erecting a sign saying ‘I'm the best and the greatest' will assuage those who have suffered from neglect and maladministration.”<BR/><BR/>This is creating “legions of disillusioned citizens” who see what is “a disingenuous smokescreen”, he said.<BR/><BR/>The Ombudsman's 2006-2007 report reviewed many investigations into government systems and organizations that failed to deliver on public promises, regardless of what party was in charge.<BR/><BR/>That included the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, the Family Responsibility Office, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.<BR/><BR/>“The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation bragged that it was a ‘global leader in property assessment' – until our investigation found it was actually an arrogant, cutthroat agency with little regard for homeowners,” Mr. Marin said.<BR/><BR/>Other bodies were “callously ignoring” the suffering of Ontarians, he said.<BR/><BR/>Still, the public response to his reports had been “phenomenal” and all recommendations made in those reviews have been accepted, Mr. Marin said.<BR/><BR/>Mr. Marin also praised the government for resolving several serious complaints, including reimbursing a cancer patient $76,000 in treatment costs and increasing funding for mental health services for children of soldiers killed or wounded in Afghanistan.<BR/><BR/>But he made particular note that crucial aspects of government remain out of the ombudsman's sight, despite the provincial watchdogs fighting for access for 30 years.<BR/><BR/>The ombudsman's office responded to more than 20,200 complaints in 2006-07.<BR/><BR/>Mr. Marin said 2,395 of those dealt with municipalities, universities, school boards, hospitals and long-term care facilities, police and children's aid societies.<BR/><BR/>Yet the Ombudsman has no powers to help them, Mr. Marin said.<BR/><BR/>“These areas consume the bulk of provincial budgets, and more importantly, they represent the most serious contacts that Ontarians can have with their government,” he said.<BR/><BR/>And the government had ignored opportunities to change that situation, he said, leaving thousands of Ontarians with no recourse to an independent, investigative body in “critically important” areas of their lives.<BR/><BR/>“Institutions that receive funds from the province to perform a public duty should be subject to the full panoply of checks and balances,” Mr. Marin said.<BR/><BR/>The Ombudsman will answer questions about the report from the public in an online chat on Thursday, June 28, at 1 p.m. To register, go to www.ombudsman.on.caAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-78141833890160309482007-06-25T14:02:00.000-05:002007-06-25T14:02:00.000-05:00MEDIA ADVISORY – Ombudsman releases Annual Report ...MEDIA ADVISORY – Ombudsman releases Annual Report <BR/>André Marin, Ombudsman of Ontario, will release his annual report for the 2006-2007 <BR/>fiscal year at a press conference. The report reviews the accomplishments of the <BR/>Ombudsman’s Office in the past year and updates recent and ongoing investigations. It is <BR/>also a review of the government’s performance in service delivery in key areas. <BR/>When: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 <BR/> <BR/>Time: 11:00 a.m. <BR/> <BR/>Where: Media Studio <BR/> Legislative Building <BR/> Queen’s Park <BR/> <BR/>Prior to the press conference, there will be a technical briefing for journalists where <BR/>embargoed copies of the Ombudsman’s report will be distributed. Senior staff of the <BR/>Ombudsman’s office will be available to answer questions on background. <BR/> <BR/>Time: 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. <BR/> <BR/>Where: Committee Room 228 <BR/> 2nd Floor, West Wing <BR/>Legislative Building <BR/> Queen’s Park <BR/> <BR/>-30- <BR/> <BR/> <BR/>For further information, please contact: <BR/> <BR/>Barbara Theobalds <BR/>Media Relations Advisor <BR/>Tel: 416-586-3423 <BR/>btheobalds@ombudsman.on.ca <BR/>or Linda Williamson <BR/>Manager, Communications and Media Relations <BR/>Tel: 416-586-3426 <BR/>lwilliamson@ombudsman.on.caAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-55992954006017928672007-06-22T15:43:00.000-05:002007-06-22T15:43:00.000-05:00Fri, June 22, 2007More family-like care pushedAdvo...Fri, June 22, 2007<BR/><BR/>More family-like care pushedAdvocate urges regulatory body to oversee group homes<BR/>By ANTONELLA ARTUSO, QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU CHIEF<BR/><BR/>TORONTO SUN NEWSPAPER <BR/> <BR/>Children and adolescents under the care of Children's Aid societies need more family-like settings because they frequently face intolerant and disrespectful treatment in more institutional facilities, Ontario Child Advocate Judy Finlay says. <BR/><BR/>Her new report, We Are Your Sons and Daughters, calls on the province to create a regulatory body to enforce quality of care standards in residential facilities. <BR/><BR/>While many homes for children offer exceptional care, Finlay said her review found other places where youth were often reported to police for relatively minor behavioural problems and subjected to physical restraints, locked rooms, the removal of all possessions and body searches. <BR/><BR/>BITING AUDITOR'S REPORT <BR/><BR/>Finlay launched a review of three CAS organizations, in Toronto, Peel and Thunder Bay, following a critical provincial auditor's report that found staff leased luxury SUVs for themselves and made other dubious investments with taxpayer dollars meant for their charges. <BR/><BR/> <BR/><BR/>At one group home, since closed by the government, child advocates found pornography posted on doors, feces under the bathtub and a 12-year-old boy with no legs placed in a second-floor room, Finlay said. <BR/><BR/>In polling conducted by the office of the child advocate, youngsters generally rated foster care settings much higher than group care, although some group facilities also rated well if they provided a more homelike setting. <BR/><BR/>Children and Youth Services Minister Mary Anne Chambers said the government is trying to provide more long-term, home-like settings across the province, she said. <BR/><BR/>"Not even one child should have to live in anything but the kind of setting that a good family setting should provide for them," she said. <BR/><BR/>Chambers said she'll review all of Findlay's recommendations. <BR/><BR/>ANTONELLA.ARTUSO@SUNMEDIA.CAAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-25456349021916660322007-06-22T14:50:00.000-05:002007-06-22T14:50:00.000-05:00Cancer treatment 'worth every penny'St. Catharines...Cancer treatment 'worth every penny'<BR/>St. Catharines Standard (ON) <BR/>Fri 22 Jun 2007 <BR/>Page: A3 <BR/>Section: Local <BR/>Byline: PETER DOWNS <BR/>Part 19<BR/><BR/>The diagnostic scans will ultimately provide the proof.<BR/><BR/>One way or the other, the evidence should be there.<BR/><BR/>But Suzanne Aucoin believes she knows what the images will show.<BR/><BR/>She can feel it with each breath she takes.<BR/><BR/>The pressure on her lungs has lifted. And with it, the wheeze that had settled into each laboured breath.<BR/><BR/>The deep fatigue that came with the constant struggle for more air has also begun to subside.<BR/><BR/>All signs, Aucoin believes, that the large tumour on her liver has begun to shrink.<BR/><BR/>Signs the specialized radiation therapy she paid for at a U.S. hospital two weeks ago may already be working.<BR/><BR/>"I'm 99-per-cent sure they'll see shrinkage, just because I'm breathing better already," she said Thursday from the home in Port Dalhousie she shares with her parents.<BR/><BR/>"I'm a different person. I'm not anxious any more. I'm sleeping better. I can focus on other things now. I'm not having meltdowns every day."<BR/><BR/>Aucoin, 36, who has lived with terminal colon cancer for more than three years, travelled to a hospital in North Carolina two weeks ago to receive a specialized form of radiation therapy not commercially available in Ontario.<BR/><BR/>The procedure - selective internal radiation therapy or SIR-Spheres, delivers millions of microscopic spheres of radiation directly to liver tumours.<BR/><BR/>Conventional radiation therapy hits a general area of the body and can cause severe damage to nearby tissues and organs.<BR/><BR/>Aucoin's doctors have ruled out surgery and conventional radiation to try to reduce the size of the large tumour on the right side of her liver.<BR/><BR/>But as it grew, it began to push against her diaphragm, which in turn pushed against her lungs, causing breathing problems.<BR/><BR/>"I've never been that sick before. That's the worse my cancer has ever been, " Suzanne said of the weeks leading up to her cross-border medical journey.<BR/><BR/>Determined to get the liver tumour in check and prolong her life, Aucoin put her faith in the targeted radiation therapy.<BR/><BR/>With her parents - Norm and Janet - at her side, she underwent the procedure June 6 at WakeMed Heath Center in Raleigh, N.C.<BR/><BR/>Just hours after doctors injected the tiny spheres of radiation into the blood flowing to her liver, Aucoin believes she could feel it attacking the organ.<BR/><BR/>"Back at the hotel I decided to have a nap and when I lay down I went, 'Mom, I'm not wheezing anymore. I can breathe normally. Oh my God, it's working already," she said.<BR/><BR/>About 36 hours after the procedure she also began to feel sharp pain surrounding the liver - a symptom doctors told her to expect as portions of the tumour began dying off.<BR/><BR/>A CT scan in about two weeks is expected to show whether the tumour has begun to shrink.<BR/><BR/>The radiation can continue to cause shrinkage for as long as 10 months, Aucoin said.<BR/><BR/>Promising as it sounds, the specialized medical procedure is not cheap.<BR/><BR/>Aucoin said she expects to be billed $80,000 to $100,000 US for the radiation therapy and associated medical costs.<BR/><BR/>The tab will wipe out a trust fund generated for Aucoin through donations from friends and supporters.<BR/><BR/>But she's also hopeful Ontario's Health Ministry will pay some of her U.S. medical costs through its out-of-country health benefits program - a program being reviewed by the ministry after its mishandling of a previous funding application by Aucoin.<BR/><BR/>Earlier this year, Ontario's ombudsman blasted the Health Ministry for its mistreatment of Aucoin and its flawed out-of-country health-coverage program.<BR/><BR/>Acting on the ombudsman's recommendations, the ministry agreed to repay Aucoin about $76,000 she spent on the cancer drug Erbitux in New York state and Ontario, as well as the legal costs she racked up trying to recover her money.<BR/><BR/>The government also announced the review of its out-of-country drug-coverage program to make sure other patients don't get caught in the bureaucratic red tape that snagged Aucoin.<BR/><BR/>The review hasn't yet been completed.<BR/><BR/>Aucoin's Hamilton oncologist submitted an application for her to receive out- of-country OHIP coverage for the radiation therapy she received in North Carolina.<BR/><BR/>A ministry spokesman wasn't able to tell The Standard Thursday whether Ontario has paid for patients to get the procedure in the U.S.<BR/><BR/>But Aucoin said she's trying to focus mainly on her health, rather than worry about finances.<BR/><BR/>"The bills will come and we'll figure it out when they come in," she said. "I know I feel better than I did before the procedure and I know that it was a good decision.<BR/><BR/>"It was worth every penny."<BR/><BR/>© 2007 Osprey Media Group Inc. All rights reserved.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Idnumber: 200706220011 <BR/>Length: 763 wordsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-74660301931822062432007-06-20T21:00:00.000-05:002007-06-20T21:00:00.000-05:00More....Ombudsman blasts province for circumventin...More....<BR/><BR/>Ombudsman blasts province for circumventing him, using paid outsiders instead<BR/>By CHINTA PUXLEY<BR/>TORONTO (CP) - The Liberal government is circumventing the ombudsman's office and squandering tax dollars by hiring outsiders to investigate public complaints because it wants to maintain control over the investigations, the province's ombudsman said Wednesday.<BR/><BR/>Andre Marin said the government is "queasy" about referring public complaints to his office - even when the province finds itself in a conflict of interest as it does with a current set of complaints against Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Julian Fantino.<BR/><BR/>Community Safety Minister Monte Kwinter has hired an outside lawyer to investigate whether Fantino breached the province's Police Services Act when he wrote an e-mail to politicians in Caledonia, Ont., suggesting they were encouraging divisive rallies against the policing of the ongoing aboriginal occupation there.<BR/><BR/>The government could have asked him to investigate the complaint, Marin said, but instead often chooses to hire outsiders so it can dictate the scope of any investigation and retain some control over the results.<BR/><BR/>"You don't have that when you come to the ombudsman's office," Marin said in an interview. "You don't know where the ball's going to land because we don't accept scripted mandates.<BR/><BR/>"The government ... wants to be in the driver seat. From the government's perspective, the risk is much more contained when you go out and hire a contractor."<BR/><BR/>This method of investigation costs taxpayers more because the province shells out cash to contractors rather than using the existing resources of his office, Marin said.<BR/><BR/>"No doubt the office of the ombudsman is the most institutionally independent, most cost-effective investigative body around," he said.<BR/><BR/>"We have a proven track record, so why not go to the ombudsman? The government is queasy in these kinds of cases to relinquish control over the issue."<BR/><BR/>Kwinter said the Police Services Act dictates that his office handle any complaints against the commissioner, and he's chosen to seek outside advice because the e-mail sent in April presents a conflict of interest for members of his staff.<BR/><BR/>In the e-mail - which was copied to senior bureaucrats and staff in Kwinter's office - Fantino suggested he would back any lawsuit brought against the town of Caledonia and would not recommend that provincial police renew their contract to police the town if any of his officers were injured.<BR/><BR/>The e-mail, which was interpreted as a "threat" by Haldimand County Mayor Marie Trainer, prompted several formal complaints to Kwinter's office, sparking the investigation.<BR/><BR/>"I'm just getting advice," Kwinter said. "I have confidence in the commissioner, and unless I hear ... a valid reason that I should be concerned, I'll have to deal with that. I will make the decision but I want to make sure I have all of the facts."<BR/><BR/>Kwinter's office would not disclose how much the government is paying lawyer Rod McLeod for his advice, saying it falls under the protection of solicitor-client privilege.<BR/><BR/>But critics said they have more faith in the judgment of the ombudsman than in someone who is hired and paid by the government.<BR/><BR/>Conservative Leader John Tory said if the government finds itself in a conflict of interest investigating complaints like those prompted by Fantino's e-mail, the matter should be referred to the ombudsman.<BR/><BR/>"Any time you can, you should be using an office that you set up - namely the ombudsman, who is objective," Tory said. "You have to ask yourself when the government sends these things somewhere else, what other agenda do we have going?"<BR/><BR/>Hiring outsiders to investigate public complaints is a "regrettably widespread practice," said New Democrat Peter Kormos. The Liberals could have broken with tradition and referred the Fantino complaints to the ombudsman, he said.<BR/><BR/>"We have a government that wants to sweep this under the carpet," Kormos said, adding the investigation should have been concluded months ago.<BR/><BR/>"The concern now spreads beyond Fantino to concern about (Premier Dalton) McGuinty's inability to adequately respond to these serious allegations."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-80306345368761058582007-06-20T14:09:00.000-05:002007-06-20T14:09:00.000-05:00Ombudsman blasts province for using paid outsiders...Ombudsman blasts province for using paid outsiders <BR/>Canadian Press <BR/>TORONTO - Ontario's ombudsman is blasting the Liberal government for circumventing his office and using paid outsiders to investigate public complaints.<BR/><BR/>Andre Marin says the government is "queasy'' about referring public complaints to his office, even when the province finds itself in a conflict of interest.<BR/><BR/>He says they prefer to hire outside experts because the government can retain control of the investigation and the results.<BR/><BR/>Marin says this costs taxpayers more because the province pays hefty bills rather than using the existing resources of his office.<BR/><BR/>Community Safety Minister Monte Kwinter has hired an outside lawyer to investigate whether provincial police Commissioner Julian Fantino breached the Police Services Act when he wrote an e-mail to Caledonia politicians.<BR/><BR/>Marin says the government could have asked him to investigate the complaint, but chose to hire outsiders because it's less risky.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-57697711895387082342007-06-19T18:27:00.000-05:002007-06-19T18:27:00.000-05:00'Jekyll and Hyde' CAS worker gets 2 years for gun ...'Jekyll and Hyde' CAS worker gets 2 years for gun smuggling<BR/>'Serious crime'<BR/> <BR/>Peter Brieger <BR/>National Post <BR/><BR/><BR/>Saturday, October 28, 2006<BR/><BR/><BR/>A former Hamilton Children's Aid worker who smuggled guns into Canada received a two-year jail sentence yesterday, far less than the 10-year term prosecutors demanded.<BR/><BR/>Mr. Justice Brian Trafford rejected the Crown's portrayal of Sara Villella as a "merchant of death," saying the 27-year-old played a small role in the trafficking racket compared with her accomplices, who were supplying weapons to a notorious Scarborough street gang.<BR/><BR/>Judge Trafford concluded the woman -- whom he convicted on 14 drugs and gun charges earlier this year -- was a low-level decoy with no connection to gangs in the scheme masterminded by her former boyfriend and others.<BR/><BR/>Jude Hudson, the former boyfriend, who sold drugs in the United States to buy weapons for Toronto's Malvern Crew, received a 30-month prison term.<BR/><BR/>Three other conspirators received penalties ranging from a conditional sentence to seven years in prison.<BR/><BR/>The former social worker, who helped teenagers quit using drugs, can apply for parole in six months.<BR/><BR/>"Ms. Villella's role in this conspiracy is a serious crime," Judge Trafford told a Toronto courtroom<BR/><BR/>"She is an intelligent young woman who knowingly participated in a sophisticated scheme to import ... lethal firearms into Canada ... [a crime] undertaken purely for profit and without any regard for the tragic effect the use of firearms will have on the victims and society at large.<BR/><BR/>"[But] it is incorrect to conclude... that the role of Ms. Villella in the importation of firearms was equal, or superior, to the roles [of her accomplices]."<BR/><BR/>The judge added that Ms. Villella is "capable of making a meaningful contribution to our society through a law-abiding lifestyle."<BR/><BR/>But prosecutor Nevina Crisante described the woman as a crime kingpin at a sentencing hearing this month.<BR/><BR/>"She was leading a double-life," Ms. Crisante argued. "She had a chameleon-like ability to change her persona, not unlike Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."<BR/><BR/>Yesterday, lawyer Randall Barrs called that depiction of his client "ridiculous," saying the now-married woman -- free on bail since her arrest two years ago -- "got involved with the wrong guy."<BR/><BR/>"The Crown's characterization of her as a 'merchant of death' is very unfair and obviously the judge agreed," he told reporters outside the downtown courthouse.<BR/><BR/>"She wasn't a ringleader, she had no connection to any of the gangs.... Two years less two weeks is a substantial sentence for someone who has never really been to jail before.<BR/><BR/>"She made a very bad mistake and now she's paying the price for it."<BR/><BR/>Mr. Barrs said the woman's parents are "devastated" by their daughter's arrest and conviction -- the pair walked out of a nearby courthouse yesterday wearing sunglasses with coat hoods wrapped tightly around their heads to avoid television cameras.<BR/><BR/>Ms. Villella's legal troubles began on March 22, 2004, when she and two alleged gang members were arrested at the Detroit-Windsor border with 23 guns in their car.<BR/><BR/>Canadian customs officials found traces of cocaine on the woman's driver's licence and a note in her bra indicating 17 guns were earmarked for another member of the group and "eight to you."<BR/><BR/>The note, written by Mr. Hudson, did not prove Ms. Villella was going to sell the guns herself, Judge Trafford said, concluding instead it was a "selfish" move on Mr. Hudson's part to obscure his involvement in case of his arrest.<BR/><BR/>On the day of Ms. Villella's arrest, guards at the same border crossing stopped a car driven by a 62-year-old jazz musician associated with the conspirators. They found 23 guns in his trunk.<BR/><BR/>© National Post 2006Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-65548112904950530942007-06-19T18:21:00.000-05:002007-06-19T18:21:00.000-05:00Nearly half of children in Crown care are medicate...Nearly half of children in Crown care are medicated<BR/>MARGARET PHILIP <BR/><BR/>From Saturday's Globe and Mail<BR/><BR/>June 9, 2007 at 2:09 AM EDT<BR/><BR/>Psychotropic drugs are being prescribed to nearly half the Crown wards in a sample of Ontario children's aid societies, kindling fears that the agencies are overusing medication with the province's most vulnerable children.<BR/><BR/>According to government documents obtained by The Globe and Mail under Ontario's Freedom of Information Act, 47 per cent of the Crown wards – the children in permanent CAS care – at five randomly picked agencies were prescribed psychotropic drugs last year to treat depression, attention deficit disorder, anxiety and other mental-health problems. And, the wards are diagnosed and medicated far more often than are children in the general population.<BR/><BR/>“These children have lots of issues and the quickest and easiest way to deal with it is to put them on medication, but it doesn't really deal with the issues,” said child psychiatrist Dick Meen, clinical director of Kinark Child and Family Services, the largest children's mental health agency in Ontario.<BR/><BR/>“In this day and age, particularly in North America, there's a rush for quick fixes. And so a lot of kids, especially those that don't have parents, will get placed on medication in order to keep them under control.”<BR/><BR/>Related Articles<BR/>From the archives<BR/><BR/>Ritalin's reign <BR/>Doctor's orders <BR/> Psychiatric drugs and children are a contentious mix. New, safer drugs with fewer side effects are the salvation of some mentally ill children. But some drugs have not been scientifically tested for use on children, and recent research has linked children on antidepressants with a greater risk of suicide.<BR/><BR/>Yet the number of children taking these drugs keeps rising, even in the population at large.<BR/><BR/>Pharmacies dispensed 51 million prescriptions to Canadians for psychotropic medication last year, a 32-per-cent jump in just four years, according to pharmaceutical information company IMS Health Canada. Prescriptions sold for the class of antidepressants, including Ritalin, most prescribed to children to tackle such disorders as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rose more than 47 per cent, to 1.87 million last year; a new generation of antipsychotic medication increasingly prescribed to children nearly doubled in the same span, climbing 92 per cent to 8.7 million prescriptions.<BR/><BR/>And with close to half of Crown wards on psychotropic medication, their numbers are more than triple the rate of drug prescriptions for psychiatric problems among children in general. <BR/><BR/>With histories of abuse, neglect and loss, children in foster care often bear psychological scars unknown to most of their peers. But without a doting parent in their corner, they are open to hasty diagnoses and heavy-handed prescriptions. Oversight for administering the drugs and watching for side effects is left to often low-paid, inexperienced staff working in privately owned, loosely regulated group homes and to overburdened caseworkers legally bound to visit their charges only once every three months.<BR/><BR/>Unease over the number of medicated wards of the state is growing: This September, when provincial child advocates convene in Edmonton for their biannual meeting, the use of medication to manage the behaviour of foster children across Canada will be at the top of their agenda. <BR/><BR/>‘whole range of disorders'<BR/><BR/>Nowhere is concern greater than in Ontario, where the provincial government recently appointed a panel of experts to develop standards of care for administering drugs to children in foster care, group homes and detention centres.<BR/><BR/>The move was made after the high-profile case last year of a now-13-year-old boy in a group home outside Toronto came to light. The boy was saddled with four serious psychiatric diagnoses, including oppositional defiant disorder and Tourette syndrome, and doused daily with a cocktail of psychotropic drugs before his grandparents came to his rescue. Now living with his grandparents, he is free of diagnoses and drugs.<BR/><BR/>Marti McKay is the Toronto child psychologist who, when hired by the local CAS to assess the grandparents' capacity as guardians to the boy, discovered a child so chemically altered that his real character was clouded by the side effects of adult doses of drugs.<BR/><BR/>“There are lots of other kids like that,” said Dr. McKay, one of the experts on the government panel. “If you look at the group homes, it's close to 100 per cent of the kids who are on not just one drug, but on drug cocktails with multiple diagnoses.<BR/><BR/>“There are too many kids being diagnosed with…a whole range of disorders that are way out of proportion to the normal population. …It's just not reasonable to think the children in care would have such overrepresentation in these rather obscure disorders.”<BR/><BR/>The report from a government investigation into the case obtained by The Globe uncovered group home staff untrained in the use and side effects of the psychotropic drugs they were doling out; no requests from the psychiatrist to monitor the boy for problems, and little evidence of efforts to treat the boy's apparent mental-health issues other than with heavy-duty pharmaceuticals.<BR/><BR/>James Dubray, executive director of the Durham CAS where the boy was a Crown ward, acknowledges that the agency's monitoring of children on medication was lacking.<BR/><BR/>But it is no small feat, he said, for agencies like his to raise challenging children and adolescents – including some with behaviours so insufferable that their parents turn them over – when there is a chronic shortage of children's mental-health services across Canada and disruptive young people are stranded on waiting lists for psychiatrists and therapies for as long as a year.<BR/><BR/>With few specialists available, growing numbers of child-welfare workers are turning to family physicians, typically with next to no training in psychiatric disorders and no expertise in the new cutting-edge psychotropic drugs. <BR/><BR/>Are children being overmedicated out of expedience? <BR/><BR/>“I don't think that's an unfair conclusion,” Dr. Dubray allowed. “I find it hard to make a judgment. I just know we tend to see kids for which there are either no resources or their parents can't handle them.”<BR/><BR/>Behaviour management<BR/><BR/>For Judy Finlay, Ontario's chief child advocate, the use of psychotropic drugs is a burning issue. <BR/><BR/>Since the inquests into the deaths of a handful of troubled adolescents being forcibly restrained in group homes a few years ago – and the tougher regulations on the use of physical restraints that followed – she has observed a growing trend among group homes to turn to chemical restraints to control unruly behaviour.<BR/><BR/>These children have trauma and loss in their backgrounds and, as they grow older and foster parents can no longer tolerate their behaviour, they are moved to group homes operating on a culture of strict curfews and rules. Here, too often, troubled teenagers live in close quarters, staff turnover is rapid, police visits are not uncommon, and watching television is the usual pastime. <BR/><BR/>“It's more about behaviour management than it is about intervening into mental health issues,” Ms. Finlay said.<BR/><BR/>“It's the adolescents who are being given medication usually, and it's adolescents who are noncompliant. But they're supposed to be,” she added. “That's their job. So as adolescents grow and challenge the system or challenge staff, it's at that time that we begin to medicate them. They are going to be challenging, and medicating isn't the way to help them through adolescence.”<BR/><BR/>In fact, child psychiatrists and physicians say they face a tricky call when confronted with a tormented child or adolescent whose behaviour appears to be the symptom of a disorder that, if not treated with drugs and other therapies, will inevitably grow harder to tame.<BR/><BR/>The newer drugs are safer and backed by a growing stack of research, and physicians insist they allow some mentally ill children to function normally when nothing else works. Yet many drugs have never been tested on children by the pharmaceutical companies funding most of the research; have been studied for only short periods that fail to measure the impact of prolonged use; and are not formally approved to treat the condition being addressed.<BR/><BR/>“Just because it's safe and effective in adults doesn't mean it's safe and effective in a young person, and that's one of my concerns about the lack of research in young people,” said Stan Kutcher, a child psychiatrist and Sun Life Financial chair in adolescent mental health at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax.<BR/><BR/>“Young people aren't little adults. They have different physiologies. They have different metabolisms. Their brains react differently. Their bodies react differently to drugs.”<BR/><BR/>And therein lies a “horrible conundrum” for doctors. “I'm uncomfortable with kids being really sick,” Dr. Kutcher said, “and I'm uncomfortable with the treatments that we have.”<BR/><BR/>The National Youth in Care Network, an advocacy group for young people raised in the child welfare system, is just completing a three-year study, funded by Health Canada, of psychotropic drug use among children and adolescents in care across the country.<BR/><BR/>The researchers have found that not only were psychotropic drugs prescribed to a clear majority of the current and former wards interviewed, but most were diagnosed with mental-health disorders by a family doctor, never visited a child psychiatrist or another doctor for a second opinion, and doubted the accuracy of their diagnosis.<BR/><BR/>A disturbing number, the network's research director, Yolanda Lambe, added, have traded the child-welfare system for a life on the street.<BR/><BR/>“A lot of people are using drugs now,” she said. “There's a lot of homeless young people who have been medicated quite heavily.”Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-22740969292687931232007-06-19T18:11:00.000-05:002007-06-19T18:11:00.000-05:00Why wouldn't they let me be with my Dad? http://ww...Why wouldn't they let me be with my Dad? <BR/><BR/>http://www.ejfi.org/family/family-96.htm#dadAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18672887.post-53926005674938184262007-06-19T18:06:00.000-05:002007-06-19T18:06:00.000-05:00Foster father admits sex crimesBy Natalie SingerSe...Foster father admits sex crimes<BR/>By Natalie Singer<BR/><BR/>Seattle Times staff reporter<BR/><BR/><BR/>Enrique Fabregas lost his foster-care license in 2004.<BR/> <BR/> previous complaints against foster father ignored <BR/> <BR/>A former foster father who had sex with one girl and has been accused of abusing two other girls placed in his care by the state will face a standard sentencing range of 2½ to 3½ years in prison after he pleaded guilty Monday to reduced charges.<BR/><BR/>Enrique Fabregas, 53, of Redmond, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes. He originally was charged in June with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, which could have brought him seven to 10 years in prison.<BR/><BR/>Court documents allege that his former foster daughter, Estera Tamas, now 20, was sexually abused by Fabregas starting at age 13 or 14, and that she was bribed with cocaine and clothes to keep quiet. (The Seattle Times generally does not name victims of suspected sexual abuse, but Tamas agreed to be named.)<BR/><BR/>Police found numerous sexually explicit photographs of her in Fabregas' home, according to charging papers.<BR/><BR/>He also isolated his adopted daughter, now 13, from social contact, police said, keeping her home from school regularly, having her sleep in his bed and sexually assaulting her.<BR/><BR/>Another foster daughter, now 19, told police she was physically abused and saw video of Fabregas having sex with Tamas.<BR/><BR/>King County prosecutors could not charge Fabregas with the more serious crime of child rape because of statute-of-limitation issues, questions about how old Tamas was during the assaults, and concern about proof issues that could have arisen at trial, said Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Roger Rogoff.<BR/><BR/>King County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Dan Donohoe said Monday that despite reducing the charges against Fabregas, the deal was fair because "it would send him to prison. He's being held accountable at a felony level."<BR/><BR/>However, an attorney for the three victims — who filed a civil lawsuit in April against the state Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) for its alleged role in their long-running abuse — said he believes the agency bears partial blame for the reduction in charges.<BR/><BR/>"Because of DSHS' inability to get this to law enforcement many years ago, the statue of limitations for his crimes has passed," said attorney David P. Moody.<BR/><BR/> <BR/> <BR/> <BR/>"DSHS did not protect the public interest when they didn't apprise law enforce of what this monster was up to."<BR/><BR/>DSHS records show that between 1996 and 2004 Fabregas was the subject of 25 complaints to the agency, eight of them alleging sexual abuse or exploitation.<BR/><BR/>But only one of those — failing to report there was a dog in the home — resulted in action against Fabregas.<BR/><BR/>It wasn't until a Redmond detective got a search warrant last year and found photographs and videos depicting child pornography and Tamas' abuse that the youngest girl, adopted in 1999, was removed. The two others, 18 and 19 at the time, had already been removed.<BR/><BR/>Although Fabregas claimed to DSHS to be free of criminal convictions, records show he had at least six convictions for crimes, including carrying a concealed weapon, theft and drug possession, before receiving his foster-care license.<BR/><BR/>Fabregas finally lost his foster-care license in 2004, after refusing to take a sexual-deviancy exam requested by DSHS.<BR/><BR/>He is scheduled to be sentenced at 1 p.m. June 29 before King County Superior Court Judge Richard Eadie.<BR/><BR/>Natalie Singer: 206-464-2704 or nsinger@seattletimes.com<BR/><BR/>Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times CompanyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com