Family Day.
Who doesn’t love a bonus day off to spend with their family?
Visions of chilling out with a movie and game playing in the rec room; a family skate at Bonsor; a ride on the carousel at Burnaby Village – life is good.
For B.C. families who have won the middle-class lottery of life, Family Day is just another reminder of how good they’ve got it.
But for many others in B.C., it’s a day that reminds them of what they don’t have.
Too many families in B.C. live in poverty all year round. Too many seniors in B.C. live in care homes without adequate care. Too many children left in the care of the government are at risk for too many things.
Last week, yet again, the province’s Representative for Children and Youth released a report triggered by the death of a young man who was in the government’s care.
The details may be different than previous reports on other kids who have died in the system, but the theme is the same. The Ministry of Children and Family Development dropped the ball where Alex Gervais was concerned, and it cost him his life. Gervais was in 17 different placements and under the watch of 23 different social workers and caregivers from the time he entered provincial care to the time he died at 18.
The acting Representative for Children and Youth, Bernard Richard, wrote in his report Broken Promises, that “Alex lived the life that none of us would wish for our own children or any child.”
And yet Alex’s journey is not unique.
The reality is that despite promises galore from the government, there simply is not enough attention paid to B.C. children who lack the supports for a decent chance for a better life.
The Liberal government will not address child poverty in B.C. as other provinces have and do, nor will it raise the minimum wage to give families a fighting chance at providing for their kids.
If you can’t provide your kids a meal without having to line up at a food bank in one of the richest provinces in Canada, what hope do you have for a better future?
Family Day is fine, but pro-family policies and actions would be welcome as well.
