Affidavit of Michael Bear - Phoenix Sinclair Inquiry

should mean. However, taking Tracia away from her parents 17 times and
returning her certainly indicates the instability of the situation and the lack
of permanency planning. Certainly by whatever method of counting, this is
far too many.
[162] Ms Flette concedes that without proper oversight and appropriate
planning tragedies may occur in any agency. Case practice cannot improve
without dealing with the workload issue — adequate funding and adequate
res ourcing.
[163] Money, however, is only part of it although an important part.
Staffing communities such as Little Grand Rapids is a challenge and access
to proper training programs. Providing child welfare in remote communities
such as Little Grand Rapids require performing services differently - from
money for houses for kids, preventative programs to support facilities and to
provide after care. Certainly the federal government has failed to address
this resource issue.
[164] The issue of quality assurance review is being examined and a quality
assurance unit has been established. However, it must be emphasized that
even though this is important and necessary it is more general than case file
specific and would not necessarily have caught Tracia's case. A quality
assurance review would indicate systemic shortfalls and non-compliance
with standards, etc. The key is to have more regular oversight without
micromanaging which is impossible in any event.
[165] An examination of how child welfare can be practiced in remote
areas, through more flexible funding, using the available money differently
to building resources and capacity in the community to assist families in the
community is necessary.
[166] There is no question one of the most glaring features of this tragic
case is the fact that on March 25, 1991 a nurse at the Little Grand Rapids
nursing station wrote a letter (Section 10 report) summarizing the Bushie
family's activities and history and pleading for intervention in order to
prevent Tracia Owen from undergoing a difficult life and possible tragic
consequences. This was not a case of 20/20 hindsight. The warning was
there from the beginning making it exceptionally tragic.
[167] Once again Ms Flette is frank and forthright:
"Yes, I would agree that a permanencv
plan and a good case
plan should have been developed for Tracia and her siblings
much earlier." (Vol. 20, p. 115)