MLAS WANT TO KNOW FATE OF 155 'GROW OP CHILDREN'

The fate of 150 Surrey children found in "hazardous conditions" in the
last year is being questioned by MLAs this week.

The city's new grow-op inspection team found 155 children in dangerous
homes in the last year. Each case was reported to the provincial
agency responsible.

An official with the Ministry of Children and Family Development could
not say what happened, except that each was investigated.

NDP MLAs are fuming about the lack of information.

"It's unconscionable, we should be able to know as a community what is
happening to the kids," said Sue Hammell, MLA for Surrey-Green Timbers.

"This is another example of the ministry not being able to effectively
protect and account for some of the most vulnerable in our society."

The children were discovered as a result of the city's anti-grow-op
initiative, known as the Electrical Fire Safety Team (EFST). In
operation for a year, B.C. Hydro provides the team addresses of homes
with excessive power use, common to marijuana grow operations.

In a 56-week period, firefighters and city inspectors examined 353
homes.

"In 80 of the houses that were inspected and found to have significant
electrical problems, there were 155 children living in hazardous
conditions," Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis wrote in a report to Surrey
council.

In each, team members reported the conditions to the Ministry of
Children and Family Development.

Garis said last week dangers include "moulds, fertilizers, electrical
hazards all over the place -- these kids are in this
environment."

An official with the ministry said records don't indicate how many of
those children, if any, were put into protection by the province.

Section 13 of the Child, Family and Community Services Act gives
specific reasons to remove a child from its family. They include, "if
the child has been, or is likely to be," harmed physically, sexually,
emotionally or if the child is deprived of necessary care.

Jagrup Brar, NDP MLA for Surrey-Panorama, said ministry staff don't
have the personnel to deal with the children.

"Social workers have absolutely no capacity to deal with these
children," Brar said last week.

"The case load is too high, resources are very, very limited because
of massive funding cuts."

Penny Priddy, NDP MP for Surrey-North, believes social workers are in
a tough position.

Priddy, provincial minister of children and families from 1996 to
1998, said children living in grow operations are in danger of
respiratory problems and at higher risk of house fire.

Unfortunately, "there are far more (situations) that would be above
this one -- far more egregious."

Even in some of the worst circumstances, children are screaming for
parents when they're taken away, she said.

"You see kids being removed from what you and I would consider just
horrific situations, but still screaming for mommy and daddy. That
bond is huge ... it's absolutely heartbreaking."