Pubdate: Fri, 29 Sep 2006 Source: Surrey Leader (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 Surrey Leader Contact: http://www.surreyleader.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1236 Author: Kevin Diakiw GROW-OP KIDS: WHAT HAPPENED? The fate of more than 150 Surrey children found in "hazardous conditions" in the last year is being questioned by local MLAs this week. The Leader reported Wednesday that the city's new grow-op inspection team found 155 children in dangerous homes in the last year. Each case was reported to the provincial agency responsible. An official with the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development could not say what happened in each case, except that each was investigated. NDP MLAs are fuming about the lack of information coming from the ministry. "I think it's unconscionable, we should be able to know as a community what is happening to the kids," said Sue Hammell, MLA for Surrey-Green Timbers. "This is just another example of the ministry not being able to effectively protect and account for some of the most vulnerable in our society, and that's our kids." The children were discovered as a result of the city's anti-grow-op initiative, known as the Electrical Fire Safety Team (EFST). In operation since last year, B.C. Hydro provides the team with the addresses of homes with excessive power usage, which is common to marijuana grow operations. In a 56-week period, firefighters and city inspectors examined 353 homes. "It is also noted that in 80 of the houses that were inspected and found to have significant electrical problems, there were 155 children living in hazardous conditions," Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis wrote in a report to city council. In each of those instances, team members reported the dangerous conditions to the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development. Garis said Wednesday dangers include "moulds, fertilizers, electrical hazards all over the place - these kids are in this environment." An official with the ministry said records don't indicate how many of those children, if any, were seized or put into protection by the province. "Our computer system has been tailored to our legislation," the ministry spokesperson said. Section 13 of the Child, Family and Community Services Act gives specific reasons to remove a child from its family. They include, "if the child has been, or is likely to be," harmed physically, sexually, emotionally or if the child is deprived of necessary care or abandoned. Jagrup Brar, NDP MLA for Surrey-Panorama, said ministry staff don't have the personnel to deal with the children. "Social workers have absolutely no capacity to deal with these children," Brar said Wednesday. "The case load is too high, resources are very, very limited because of the massive funding cuts to the ministry." Brar questioned whether any of the children were removed from their homes. "I doubt the ministry will determine these children as high risk because they don't have the capacity to deal with them," Brar said. "Even if the kids were taken, they would have been let go, probably in a few hours." One source told The Leader she has a relative whose grow-op was busted "four or five times." In each case, the children were taken away until new accommodation was found, then returned to the family. Penny Priddy, NDP MP for Surrey-North, believes social workers are in an extremely tough position. Priddy, who was the provincial minister of children and families from 1996 to 1998, said children living in grow operations are in danger of respiratory problems and are at higher risk of being in a house fire, which could be a case for physical harm. Unfortunately, "there are far more (situations) that would be above this one - far more egregious." Even in some of the worst circumstances, children are screaming for parents when they're taken away, she said. This week, Surrey's municipal grow op team doubled, meaning the number of calls to the ministry is also expected to increase. And when other municipalities start similar programs, the provincial service could be flooded with calls. Priddy suggested the province will have to get extremely innovative in how it will deal with that volume. Calls to B.C. Minister of Children and Family Development Tom Christensen were not returned by Leader press time Thursday. - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine