Image: The B.C. Legislature in Victoria. / File / Stan Jones, Dreamstime
OPINION

YOUR PERSPECTIVE: MLA Maahs says foster parenting should always be about a child’s well-being

Jun 26, 2025 | 10:00 AM

Has the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) completely lost interest in upholding the best interests of children when it comes to foster parenting placements? A series of recent incidents has demonstrated how bureaucrats are choosing considerations such as ethnicity ahead of well-being, and as a result, children are being shifted around like political pawns.

Here’s a story that I recently became aware of about a couple who have been fostering children in their home with a spotless record over 16 years. They recently took in a child who was three days old and raised her according to all the ministry edicts and mandates to respect and uphold her Metis heritage.

Over six years, they lived a blissful family life, with the child simultaneously being fully knowledgeable of her roots through cultural education, events and ongoing workshops. Not only did she have loving parents, but she was also showered with love by two older foster brothers.

Yet four days before the child’s sixth birthday, she was removed by a social worker following a swimming lesson, without any forewarning. There was no opportunity to say goodbye provided to the family or the little girl.

The reason? Well, as the Ministry described, she needed to be raised in a Metis home. In spite of the fact that the placement had happened six years prior, and without any regard for the bond between the little girl and her foster family, nor the stellar care that was provided, a sudden shift to a new home was unilaterally decided upon.

The child was not provided with any proper explanation about why her foster parents were now out of her life.

As a result, the foster parents filed a legal action against MCFD to obtain visitation, as they knew that was the best result they could hope for. As these were modestly living people, they started a crowdfunding campaign to assist with legal costs.

The government’s five lawyers had that account summarily closed. The heartbroken couple was then forced to finance the case out of pocket to the tune of $150,000.

The case was lost, and the specific whereabouts of the girl are now unknown by her former foster family.

If MCFD prioritizes culturally aligned households for foster children, why isn’t this being done at the beginning of the process? It is completely incomprehensible that a family is ripped apart in this fashion after six years of bonding. To take a child away from the only set of parents she has ever known is cruel and abusive.

As a member of the Official Opposition, I am completely appalled at this situation. And as I dig deeper into this kind of MCFD conduct, I am sadly realizing that this is far more widespread than I could ever imagine.

It’s time to stop this madness and do what is right. Not for the system, or for government quotas, or for any other reason than what is in the best interests of the child.

This is tokenism and identity politics at its most destructive. Enough is enough.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of Fraser Valley Today or Pattison Media.

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