Bob Pringle. Photo by Manfred Joehnck
The child welfare agency for the Saskatoon Tribal Council is facing harsh criticism in a report on the death of a three-month-old baby boy.
The circumstances surrounding the death, the lack of follow-up and the failure to meet provincial standards are documented in a special report released this morning by the province’s outgoing children’s advocate, Bob Pringle.
Pringle says it is uncertain whether the death could have been prevented, but it is clear the child’s special needs were not being met. The infant died of pneumonia in October of 2015.
Just day before his death, he missed a medical appointment that could have detected his illness.
Aiden was one of nine children born to a family that had a history of drug abuse, alcohol abuse, negligent parenting, including leaving the children at home alone and hygiene issues.
Pringle says there were several incidents where the children should have been removed from the home, but the child service agency was reluctant to do that.
He says in the case of the baby, who he calls “Aiden,” the Saskatoon Tribal Council’s family services agency does not appear to have exercised critical thinking and it stepped away from its responsibility to ensure the child’s safety.
While Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Felix Thomas admits the agency has some areas the need to work on, he says the child was never “in the care” of STC Health and Family Services.
STC Chief Felix Thomas speaking to reporters in Saskatoon on Thursday afternoon. Photo by Joel Willick.
He says there is a difference between providing services and being in care.
”As the past harms have demonstrated and continue to demonstrate when considering the Indigenous context of child welfare the balance of risk must include consideration of the possible harm from alienation from family community and culture,” said Thomas in a statement.
He says when children are removed from home other risks increase such as suicide and homelessness.
Chief Thomas claims there was important back story left out of the report that better explains why “Aiden” wasn’t apprehended.
While the STC Chief wouldn’t comment directly on the report because of a current legal battle with the Ministry of Social Services he says people should be careful in viewing the “opinions” in the advocate’s report as fact.