Unreported child deaths lead to call for public inquiry

Alberta opposition parties called for a public inquiry into thedeaths of children in provincial care on Monday after a media report concluded the government hasbeen under-reporting thenumbers.

A lengthy investigation by the Edmonton Journalconcluded a total of 145 children died while in care since 1999but the province only reported 56.

The reportprompted both the Wildrose and Liberal parties to call for a public inquiry; the Alberta NDP wants the child advocate to publicly review the death of every child in care.

Wildroseleader Danielle Smith says an inquiry should be held so the public can hear what went wrong.

"We need to go through and have a public inquiry so we can find out what the real, actual number of deaths were, any ofthe recommendations that were related to those deaths and track whether or not it's been implemented andunderstand what's gone wrong with this system," she said.

The number of child deathswas the main topic in question period on Monday.

"To the premier, even today you only report child deaths in care and not child deaths in protective services," said EdmontonNDP MLARachel Notley. "How can Albertans possibly trust you?"

Liberal leader Raj Sherman also directed his questions to Redford.

"Why is your government trying to cover up the deaths of 145 children?" he asked.

A request by the opposition to hold an emergency debate on the deaths was rejected by Speaker Gene Zwozdesky.

Human Services Minister Dave Hancock says the discrepancy in the numbers comes from how deathswere reported.

"What wasn't reported before were children who died of natural causes, ofmedical causes, or accidental deaths," Hancock said.

"They still would have been reported to the medical examiner's office and the medical examiner's office would have determined whether or not there was a need to move forward. But those were the ones that were not included in the public annual reports of the department."

Hancock says all deaths have beenreported sincenew legislation was passed last year.

'Blanket statement that means nothing"

Velvet Martin, the St. Albert mother whose disabled 13-year-old daughter Samanthadied after spending most of her life infoster care, says she's heard the same response from Hancock's predecessors.

That was the same reaction that was told to the public by [Janis]Tarchuk, by [Yvonne] Fritz, by every other minister that has gone before Dave Hancock and Im sorry but thats just not acceptable," Martin said.

"Its just a blanket statement that means nothing. Not to us who have lost our childrens lives.

Samantha Martin was born with a chromosomal abnormality called Tetrasomy18p. Her parents placed her in foster careon the advice of Alberta Childrens' Services.

Martin was malnourished when she died and went for long periods of time without seeing a doctor. A social worker was supposed to see her every three monthsbut sometimes 14 months would go bywithout a visit.

A fatality inquiry last year found that the system failed the young girl.

Velvet Martin had to go to court for the right to publicly discuss her daughter's experience in the foster care system. Alberta legislation prohibits the identification of anyone under the care of Childrens' Services and Martin believes these publication bans need to end.

Sevennyears after Samantha died,Martin says the lossis still very hard on herfamily.

People are forever changed you live like this for the rest of your life in a state of loss," she said.

The Journal's investigation followed a four-year legal fight with the province to get access to records under freedom of information laws.

The report lists youngsters who have died by hanging, malnutrition, hypothermia, head trauma, drowning and disease.