ADD UP KIDS IN GROW-OPS, NDP URGES

Victoria should conduct a survey to determine how many children are
being found in raided grow-ops, say social workers and the NDP.

The suggestion comes on the heels of a call by the B.C. Association of
Social Workers for guidelines to help social workers determine how to
deal with children taken into care after grow-ops are busted.

The NDP's Maurine Karagianis, critic for the Children and Family
Development Ministry, said a survey would help clear things up.

"Because it is a new phenomenon, I don't think the government has a
very clear picture of exactly what the whole circumstances are."

Children and Family Development Minister Tom Christensen said he would
be willing to talk to the association about a survey but that social
workers now have the tools they need to deal with children found in
grow-ops and that child-protection directors have told him the number
of such children is not a significant problem.