25,000 abused women, kids turned away from Alberta shelters

The Alberta government insists it's not ignoring the plight of abused women and children, after a report showed record numbers were turned away from shelters last year due to inadequate funding.

"The government of Alberta set family violence as a key priority for them in 2004. At that point, we were spending $15 million in women's shelters. This year, we're spending $22 million, so it's been a significant increase," said Sheryl Fricke,an executive director with Alberta Children'sServices.

A report by the Alberta Council of Women's Shelters reported Wednesday that 25,000 women and children were turned away from Alberta's 41 women's shelters in 2006, an increase of 28 per cent from the year before.

The shelters were able to provide refuge for 13,000 women and children last year. In 2005, that number was 11,000.

Jan Reimer, the group's provincial co-ordinator, said they need another $20 million to hire more staff, give current workers a raise to encourage them to stay.

She said the extra funding would ensure that women and their kids don't have to return to an abusive home.

"I look at the provincial surplus," she said. "I know this government's committed to crime prevention and they've made family violence a priority. I think if the political will is there, it could be done."