Ministry Missed Opportunity to Investigate Foster Home

By 250 News

Prince George, B.C. - The  Child Protection Branch of the Ministry of Children and families missed two  opportunities to investigate the foster home where three year old Savannah Hall  was placed.   That is according to Richard King, who was Manager of Protection  for the Northern B.C.Region  during the months leading up to the death of the three year old.

King testified at the Coroner's inquest into Savannah's death that  he didn't have all the information he needed in August of 2000 to call  for an investigation into the use of the "harness".  He had instructed the social workers dealing with the foster home to  get medical confirmation that harnessing the three year old in bed at night was "reasonable."

"If there is an issue and it has been approved, there is no problem, but  if there is an issue and it hasn't been approved, then there is a serious, serious problem."

King said he encouraged an informal investigation at the time because the Ministry was taking a lot of heat over recent televised images of children being pulled from foster homes. "We were told to downplay the investigations."

King testified  he only pushed for a full  fledged   investigation after a child in the care at the  foster home complained he had been hit on the head with a wooden spoon. That investigation was supposed to start in November says King , but  never got off the ground until January, after Savannah Hall had died.

King says the first opportunity to  investigate the Keene foster home was missed because staff never did find out if the  use of the harness was "appropriate".   The  second opportunity was missed because there was  a staffing shortage.

King  told the inquest that while the Ministry may  investigate suspected abuse   "We aren't the final arbitrator of what abuse or neglect is... the Courts are." 

Mr. King also told the inquest the Court had ruled two children taken from the  Keene home  after Savannah died, be returned to the Keene home.

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