Teen's death leaves Minister Stephanie Cadieux 'angry' policy ignored

B.C.Children and Family Development MinisterStephanie Cadieuxsaid she's "angry" policy wasapparently ignored in the death of an 18-year-old who was living in a hotel when he fell to his death last week.

Alex Gervaishadbeen living at the Super-8 Hotel in Abbotsfordalone and unsupervised for months before he fell from a fourth-floor window. He was still in government care when he died.

• Teen in B.C.provincial care dies in fall from hotel window

But Cadieux says her ministry's provincial director needs to personally approve housing youths in hotels. And to the best of her knowledge, that was not done in Gervais' case.

"I am beyond deeply concerned," Cadieuxtold theCBC'sThe Early Edition.

"I'm angry, frankly."

Gervais' death follows a damning report last spring fromB.C.'s Representative for Children and Youth. Mary EllenTurpel-Lafondcalled on the government to take immediate steps to ensure children in ministry care are not being housed in single-room occupancy hotels.

Turpel-Lafond says the ministry has "a lot to answer for" in Gervais' case.

The teenmoved a total of 16 times within thefoster care system before landing in the hotel where he died.Previous to living in the hotel,he was in agroup home.

"The house was condemned,it was covered in mold,"Turpel-Lafondtold CBC.

"There was no food, there were caregivers with criminal records who hadn't been screened, there was inappropriate, abusive language. The young people were really in a lot of distress."

Cadieuxsaid ministry policy clearly states that children and youth are to be placed in "appropriate resources that suit their individual needs" and that rarely includes hotels.

She said both she and the provincial director were under the impression that no youthswerebeing housed in hotels when Gervais died.

"She's concerned.I'm concerned, because I was assured the same thing," Cadieux said.

She pointed the finger at ministry staff:"The decisions that are made on the ground for individual children are made by the social workers and designated directors."

NDP opposition leader John Horgansaid the tragedy is proof the ministry needs change after a series of high-profile tragedies.

"I don't know how many swings at the plate you get," he said.

"We need to stop defending the ministry and start defending children."

Cadieux defended her handling of the tragedy and a lack of answers. She says she sets "high-level direction" for the ministry.

"When something goes wrongterribly,tragically wrongas it has in this case, I am responsibleto speak about it," she said.

"But that is when I find out about it, like the public."

Cadieuxsays a review is underway to find out what happened.

To hear the full interview listen to the audio labelledTeen's death leaves Minister Stephanie Cadieux 'angry' policy ignoredwiththe CBC's Rick Cluff onThe Early Edition.