ALBERTA
Changes made at Bosco Homes since murder charges laid
Admissions were frozen and staff numbers have already been increased at Bosco Homes since a youth from the group home was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, say provincial officials.
Both are interim solutions until community concerns with runaways from the home have been addressed, said Trevor Coulombe, spokesman for Alberta Children’s Services, following a closed-door meeting with community representatives, RCMP and Strathcona County officials Tuesday night.
“It’s a good first step forward,” said Coulombe. “All the players were at the table, we really appreciate that.” A full public meeting is being planned for later this month.
Barry Boenke, 68, and Susan Trudel, 50, were found dead at a Strathcona acreage on June 1 and two 14-year-old runaways from the group home have been charged in connection with their deaths, one with two counts of first-degree murder and one as an accessory after the fact.
Neighbours in the area have complained for years about the problem with runaways from the facility, an intensive treatment centre for hard-to-house children in provincial care.
Bosco Homes has always met the legal requirements for staff-to-resident ratios, but a 2007 consultant’s report found they have more reports of runaways than other similar facilities.
While the meeting may have presented an opportunity for community members to vent about their fears and frustrations, Robyn Singleton, chief commissioner for Strathcona County, said all the parties involved need to focus on resolving one of the major issues: why children from the group home run away. “We’ve got to have some answers,” he said.
He said one proposal was for a permanent citizen’s advisory group for the facility. He plans to study that idea further and hopes to recommend to council that an advisory board comprised of community members and county officials be mandatory if any similar facilities are proposed in the future. “There has to be a mechanism in place so the public has a true understanding of what’s going on in that facility,” he said. But also residents need to keep in mind that “this is not a jail. This is a facility for children at risk,” he said. “So we’re not going to have electric fences around a facility like this.”
Meanwhile, Coulombe said Alberta Children’s Services is also doing a special-case review to determine if changes within the ministry would prevent a similar tragedy from being repeated. The review is the same as those held after a child dies or is seriously injured in care.
Experts for the panel are being recruited, Coulombe said. The process is expected to take three to six months.
Sarah McLellan and Elise Stolte
25 March 2010
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