Calls for change to B.C.'s child protection system after disturbing case of neglect

Is B.C.'s child protection system outdated and in need of a major overhaul? The province's representative for children and youth believes so, and that 'a new model' is needed.

Is B.C.'s child protection system outdated, and in need of a major overhaul?

The answer, says the province's representative for children and youth, is "yes."

“We gotta build a new model here,” Jennifer Charlesworth said.

CTV News interviewed Charlesworth following an investigation into a troubling story of neglect involving three young Indigenous children who lived in both Fort St. John and B.C.’s Interior.

“I’ve actually never felt so angry in all my life,” said their foster mom, who is also a relative and can’t legally be identified.

In B.C., officials indicate there are about 48,000 child protection reports made each year.

So it’s not surprising, perhaps, that sometimes mistakes can be made.