Pubdate: Fri, 15 Dec 2006 Source: Province, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 The Province Contact: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476 Author: Ian Bailey Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) SOCIAL WORKERS UNSURE HOW TO DEAL WITH GROW-OP KIDS Minister Says Rules Are Clear; Advocates Say Youths Could Die B.C.'s social workers say they want the government to draft clear guidelines on dealing with children found in marijuana grow- operations "without having to wait for children to die." But Children and Family Development Minister Tom Christensen says current legislation provides clear enough guidelines so further action is not needed. The Child, Family Community Service Act "is sufficient to enable social workers to respond appropriately to these situations," Christensen said. "And what we find is social workers are responding to these situations appropriately." The dispute arose yesterday as the B.C. Association of Social Workers called for "comprehensive, standardized protocol" to guide the way they respond when children turn up in grow-ops. Based on the association's estimates, about 1,000 B.C. children are endangered by grow-op risks including fire, chemical exposure, electrocution, mould and grow-op-related violence on a daily basis. Spokesman Paul Jenkinson said he was not aware of any cases where children have died or been seriously injured. "I don't want to sit around waiting to become aware," he said. "[We're] committed to promoting change without having to wait for children to die." Some estimates have suggested there could be as many as 18,000 grow-ops in B.C. "I talk to the members all over the province and I know, on a weekly basis, every office in the Lower Mainland is receiving calls and going out on grow-op calls," Jenkinson said. Yet, across B.C., there are "a haphazard patchwork of responses," he said. "In some communities, there are very thorough investigations done. In other communities . . . some of these cases will be investigated in only the most minimal fashion." But Christensen said legislation allows the removal of children found in a grow-op "and typically that is what happens." He said he is prepared to talk to the association, "but certainly our view at this point is that the legislation we have in place is very strong and social workers are, in fact, responding appropriately to these situations." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom