A former deputy minister quietly backtracked last December after critics slammed his call for reduced independent oversight of B.C.’s child welfare system within two years, newly released documents show.
Bob Plecas made the recommendation as part of a broader review of the province’s child welfare system released Dec. 14.
Four days later, he recanted in a letter to Minister of Children and Family Development Stephanie Cadieux.
“Minister, I have learned over the years that there are times when one should be prepared to engage in ‘serious second thought’ and the reaction to my report has resulted in me doing just that … ,” he wrote.
Plecas admitted that the two-year timeline in his report was “too ambitious” and that far more would have to be done to strengthen public confidence in the ministry before it starts reviewing itself.
He also expressed concern that the controversy had detracted from other aspects of his review, which recommended more money and staff for the ministry.
Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, the province’s representative for children and youth, released the Plecas letter. She accused the ministry of “suppressing” the letter while persisting in using Plecas’s report as a “road map” for remaking the ministry.
The Plecas report was referenced in the throne speech and in the budget, which added $66 million to the ministry this year.
“It appears to me that the Plecas report is like a runaway train,” she said in an interview. “It was endorsed before the ink was dry and then started to fall apart.”
Turpel-Lafond released her own report this week urging the legislature to pause implementation of the Plecas report.
She said Plecas’s backtracking raises questions about the validity of other recommendations, noting that the ministry has refused to turn over any supporting documents or research.
“When I went to ask, ‘Well, what’s the foundation of some of his other key recommendations,’ which may well be meritorious, I was then told I will see nothing about the Plecas review.”
Moreover, she said, Plecas never consulted with aboriginal leaders or organizations — despite the fact that aboriginal children are over-represented in the child welfare system.
“Cutting aboriginal leaders out of the road map for the child-serving system is, quite frankly, deeply disturbing on many levels,” she said.
Plecas was unavailable Friday for an interview, while Cadieux said in a statement that her office had only just received Turpel-Lafond’s report and will need time to review it.
“I hope she has the chance to discuss it directly with Mr. Plecas,” Cadieux said. “I know he reached out to her early on in his work and she declined to meet with him, which is unfortunate as there may have been an opportunity to address and resolve some of the concerns she is now raising.”
Cadieux said she remains focused on a “multi-year plan to improve child protection legislation, policy, standards and practice.” She said aboriginal and First Nations representatives, as well as someone from Turpel-Lafond’s office, will sit on an independent advisory panel to oversee the building of the plan.
The Plecas report included numerous suggestions for the ministry and outlined a particular path forward,” Cadieux said.
“It is a valuable planning tool we will use in putting together our multi-year plan. We are also considering advice and recommendations we’ve received from a variety of stakeholders, including [Turpel-Lafond’s] office and Grand Chief Ed John.”
Cadieux did not address Turpel-Lafond’s allegations that the ministry is refusing to turn over material that supports Plecas’s recommendations.
Turpel-Lafond, who has taken the government to court before to get access to documents, said she may be forced to do so again.
“When I took this job, I never for a minute thought I would be dealing with a government that so firmly believed it is answerable to no one, and particularly for such a persistent long period of time,” she said.
