British ColumbiaCBC Investigates

B.C. youth care home investigation finds unsafe conditions

A provincial investigation has found quality-of-care concerns including staff with criminal records and caregivers without proper training at youth care homes run by a contracted agency in the Lower Mainland.

23 care homes closed, at least 9 caregivers suspended

Enza Uda CBC News Posted: Dec 08, 2015 6:00 PM EST | Last Updated: December 10, 2015

Metis teen Alex Gervais died after he jumped from the open window of a hotel in Abbotsford while in xyolhemeylh's care. (Dylan Pelley/Facebook)

A provincial investigation has found quality-of-care concerns including staff with criminal records and caregivers without propertrainingat youthcare homesrun by a contracted agencyin the Lower Mainland.

Criminal record checks were conducted on caregivers as part of the investigation. A government report on the homes says the checksrevealed a history of domestic violence, weapons, physical violence, fraud, theft, assault and"possession of scheduled substances for the purpose of trafficking." It alsofound two individuals with outstanding criminal charges working in the homes.

Thepersonnel review conducted bysocial workers forthe Ministry of Children and Family Developmentalso noted instances of abusive and threatening language and youth locked out to sleep outside as punishment.

It uncovered filthy and mouldy conditions at two of the residences. At one, raccoons were found to be living in the attic.

The investigation report released to CBC News through B.C.'s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act outlinesconcerns involving caregivers at 10 group homes run byA Community Vision for Children and Families LTD, a contracted agency housing teens.

The agency hadbeenworking with B.C.'s Ministry of Children and Family Development for 20years, providing a "safe, secure and comfortable home-like setting," according toitswebsite.

Caregivers suspended, 12 youth impacted

The investigation began in January 2015 and concluded inmid-February. By that time nine caregivers were involved, includingseven who were suspended. At least 12 youth were impacted, according to the investigation report.

Part of the documents also included areview of caregiver concerns from 2008 to 2014 which revealed "several ongoing themes" with caregivers including the following allegations:

Using substances
Criminal offenses.
Inappropriate physical discipline.
Assault of a teen in care.
Viewing pornography.
Domestic violence between caregivers.

Much of the report is blacked out including the names of the caregivers and the youth they served. The report also shows that criminal record checks were conducted on involved caregivers, but those sections have been redacted from the summary report provided to CBC News.

The group home where Alex Gervais was staying was closed by the ministry even though Gervais's foster father, who lived there, says it had no issues. After the home's closure Gervais was housed in a motel where he died. (Google streetview)

In an email to CBC News,Bill Anderson, a spokesmanwiththe Ministry of Children and Family Development, saidMCFD ended all of its contracts with the agencybecause "you don't take risks with the safety and well-being of children."

There was enough of a concern with those 10 homes for the director (of child welfare) to lose confidence in ACV'sability to provide a safe and acceptable standard of care..."

Alex Gervais'shomenot part of investigation

All 23 group homes run by A Community Vision were shut down in June a closure that affected33 children and teens in the province's careincluding 18-year-old AlexGervaiswho had been a resident atone of the homes for seven years.

After his home's closure,Gervaiswasliving in a Super 8 motel inAbbotsford, mostly alone, when heeither jumpedor fellfrom a fourth-floor window.

Gervais'scarehome,however, was not part of the 10investigated in the documents made available to the CBC.

Gervais'sfoster brother,StephanFromowwho lived in the grouphomerunby A Community Vision told CBC News in Octoberthatthere was no substance abuse, pornography or mould where they lived.

"In the end, the group home that Alex and I were in was the best group home we could have possibly asked for," adding that the ministry's decision to shut down 23 group homes was overkill.

Former foster father Allen Hoolaeff was Gervais' caregiver for seven years. (CBC)

Gervais'sformer foster dad of seven years, Allen Hoolaeff,who also lived in the home part-time until last April, confirmed to CBC News that he never witnessed any of the concerns cited in the report.

"In my home there were never any issues. We had social workers come in and out all the time, I never had any concern of any issues from social workers, if I did, I would've took the initiative to repair them immediately," Hoolaefftold CBC News.

"It's a really odd situation that they would close down homes and not inspect all the homes in the entire agency."

Child advocate launches investigation

The province's representative for children and youth, Mary EllenTurpel-Lafond,first brought these concerns to the ministry's director of child welfare after receiving calls from some of the young people in care, which triggered the investigation.

Although Turpel-Lafond says she appreciatedthe needto shut them down earlier this year, she told CBC News that she receiveda commitment from the Ministry to not place dozens of youth affected by the closures in hotels. That didn't happen.

"Sadly one of the hardest things in 2015 was when I learned that one of these people, Alex Gervais, despite assurances to the contrary was placed in a hotel. Now I have a full investigation underway as to that, but it should never have occurred," Turpel-Lafondsaid.

The Ministry of Children and Family Development has also launched a case review of what led to Gervais's death.

A Community Visiondisputes findings

In a statement releasedto CBC News,A Community Vision saysall protocols set by the Ministry of Children and Family Development were followed when screening caregivers and in all cases the Ministry of Justice approved the applicants after it determined that the offence(s) did not indicate theypresented a risk to children.

"Having a criminal record was/is not a bar to being approved as a primary caregiver," states the A Community Vision release.

"An individual who has made a mistake, been charged and been fully rehabilitated is often in the best position to understand and relate to a child facing similar challenges."

It also claims that ACV fully cooperated with the investigation that began in January2015, including terminating certain caregivers as directed by the Ministry of Children and Family Development.

In May, the statement reads,the ministry met with the agency to deliver the "results" of the investigation, but refused to provide a report. It claims it only received a redacted version Monday afternoon through the media.

ACV's lawyer, Bryan Baynham told CBC News that the ministry shut the agency down without due process, nor recourse,and it did not give his client the opportunity to respond to the findings. His client claims the findingsare not factual or accurate.