Official Opposition renews calls for transparency on child caregiver program
Trivers says program that began in 2017 is still in its pilot stage
Members of the Official Opposition are calling on the government to provide more transparency about a program that gives financial assistance to people raising children who are not their own.
The Alternative Caregiver Program began in 2017 as a pilot project and is a substitute to foster care. It provides family members, like grandparents, or family friends with $700 a month.
Green MLA Karla Bernard brought up the program in the legislature Tuesday because of concerns she's heard from people trying to access the service.
"I've been speaking to not just the ministers, but different people who have been around the program, and it's very clear that there's no policy from which they're operating," she said.
Part of the concern has to do with program eligibility.
It seems odd to me that we would require that children be in danger to that extent before we step in to support.— Karla Bernard, Green MLA
Minister of Social Development and Housing Brad Trivers told the legislature that having an open child-protection case is one of the criteria of the program, as it was when the program was established — which caused some caregivers to vocalize concern at the time.
But Bernard said she's hearing about inconsistencies from people who have tried to apply: some receive the money despite not having an open child-protection case, while others have that cited as the reason they are not eligible.
"If we consider that through a child's rights lens, a child protection lens, why would we leave a child in danger like that before we would allow alternative care providers access to this program?" she said.
"It just doesn't make any sense."
Families struggling
Bernard, a former school counsellor, said she understands there are just under 200 families using this program, but she said from her experience, the number of children across the Island being raised by someone other than a parent is much higher.
"This program is really important because we have a lot of households who are raising children whose parents are, as I said, for various reasons unable to do so, and we need a program that will care for them," she said.
She also said there are families struggling now, and they need help.
"A lot of them are using their retirement funds for this. One grandparent that I spoke to directly was telling me that she doesn't know what she's going to do moving forward," she said.
"I just don't understand how we could stand behind this confidently and feel good about that."
Bernard said she "absolutely" does not have confidence that the program is being applied consistently or that a policy even exists at all and she is hoping to see the program policy that outlines eligibility requirements.
"Until we get that policy, until we see it, I am left very strongly of the impression that there is no checklist of what exactly would make you eligible," she said.
"If there is something, I'm not sure why it has taken us almost a year to get that information."
In the legislature Tuesday, Bernard asked Trivers to immediately table a copy of the policy for members of the legislature to see.
"I will go back to the department and I will definitely strive to bring that policy forward as soon as possible," he said.
But on Wednesday in the legislature, Trivers said the program is in fact still considered to be in the pilot stage, and once the policy is finalized, then he'll share it with the Opposition.
Trivers said having an open child protection file remains part of the criteria to be eligible under the program.
He also objected to Bernard's comment about the safety of children.
"The role of the division is always to act in the best interest of the child in any and all cases that come to our attention," he said.
Policy brings consistency, Greens say
Official Opposition leader Peter Bevan-Baker and the Greens have raised concerns about the program's eligibility criteria in the past.
Bernard said Bevan-Baker did receive a letter from the minister in February saying the program was being reviewed.
"They're calling it a pilot, but this program's been running since under the last administration, so I think it's gone beyond pilot," Bernard said on Tuesday.
"Having a policy is important for consistency and fairness in a program."
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