CRACK KID WON'T GO HOME

Minister Upset Parents Prefer to House Alleged Drug Dealer Rather Than
Her Own Kids

The province is trying to make good on a vow not to return a
crack-dealing eight-year-old boy and his siblings to their parents'
home as long as an alleged drug dealer lives there.

Lawyers for Alberta's Children's Services will be in court this
morning to obtain a custody order for the children who were seized
following a downtown drug bust Friday afternoon in which one of the
kids was holding $300 in crack cocaine.

The cops charged an adult male -- who was allegedly using the boy to
hold the illicit drug -- and social workers nabbed the eight-year-old
and his younger siblings, a brother and sister ages six and four
respectively, from their Chinatown apartment.

When a social worker told the parents they could not return the
children as long as the alleged dope dealer was living there, she was
shocked to hear the mother say, "Keep the kids, we need the rent money."

That irks Iris Evans, provincial minister of children's
services.

"The family appears to have chosen the boarder over the kids," she
said.

"This is one of the most dreadful cases of child abuse we've ever
encountered."

Evans said the foster parents found the kids' exhibited no symptoms of
drug use.

"The children all appeared to respond like normal, healthy children,"
she said.

But, Evans was concerned the eight-year-old crack carrier was evasive
with police.

"He appeared to be giving responses that were more street-wise than he
should be at eight. I think the concern is that boy and his siblings
could well have been receiving a very early indoctrination into crime."

No charges have been laid against the parents, but the police
investigation is continuing.

Today, the province will ask the court for a six-month temporary
guardianship of the three kids.

Kieng Nhuan Tran, 26, has been charged with two counts of possession
of drugs for the purpose of trafficking and one count of breach of
recognizance. Tran was freed from jail on bail on Monday.

He will be back in court Sept. 16.