SOCIAL WORKERS UNSURE HOW TO DEAL WITH GROW-OP KIDS

Minister Says Rules Are Clear; Advocates Say Youths Could Die

B.C.'s social workers say they want the government to draft clear
guidelines on dealing with children found in marijuana grow-
operations "without having to wait for children to die."

But Children and Family Development Minister Tom Christensen says
current legislation provides clear enough guidelines so further
action is not needed.

The Child, Family Community Service Act "is sufficient to enable
social workers to respond appropriately to these situations,"
Christensen said. "And what we find is social workers are responding
to these situations appropriately."

The dispute arose yesterday as the B.C. Association of Social Workers
called for "comprehensive, standardized protocol" to guide the way
they respond when children turn up in grow-ops.

Based on the association's estimates, about 1,000 B.C. children are
endangered by grow-op risks including fire, chemical exposure,
electrocution, mould and grow-op-related violence on a daily basis.

Spokesman Paul Jenkinson said he was not aware of any cases where
children have died or been seriously injured.

"I don't want to sit around waiting to become aware," he said.

"[We're] committed to promoting change without having to wait for
children to die."

Some estimates have suggested there could be as many as 18,000 grow-ops in B.C.

"I talk to the members all over the province and I know, on a weekly
basis, every office in the Lower Mainland is receiving calls and
going out on grow-op calls," Jenkinson said. Yet, across B.C., there
are "a haphazard patchwork of responses," he said. "In some
communities, there are very thorough investigations done. In other
communities . . . some of these cases will be investigated in only
the most minimal fashion."

But Christensen said legislation allows the removal of children found
in a grow-op "and typically that is what happens."

He said he is prepared to talk to the association, "but certainly our
view at this point is that the legislation we have in place is very
strong and social workers are, in fact, responding appropriately to
these situations."