NDP slams Greg Lawrence, legislative secretary for foster homes

The opposition NDP says there are no records of Legislative Secretary Greg Lawrence's work on the foster families issue.

Lawrence, the MLA for Moose Jaw Wakamow, was named Legislative Secretary for Foster Families in January 2014. He was recruited to study how to better recruit and retain foster parents. 

However, a Freedom of Information request from the NDP was unable to uncover any documents produced by Lawrence to the Ministry of Social Services, or any internal correspondence.

"We understand from press that he travelled around, but there are no notes," said Social Services Critic David Forbes. "There's no records and there's no written recommendations through him that were provided through the FOIs."

This has been a high-profile time for the foster families's issue. Last week, it was revealed that Social Services had been placing apprehended children in Regina hotel rooms because it had run out of other options.

"We think this is a direct result of the non-action, the lack of work that Greg Lawrence did, as a legislative secretary," said Forbes. "He was supposed to be recruiting and retaining foster families."

Government responds

Minister of Social Services Donna Harpauer defended Lawrence's work. Harpauer said Lawrence talked to foster families across the province.

"He did a tremendous amount of work of consulting with foster families," she said. "Between November of 2013 and March of 2014, he conducted interviews in the communities of Pinehouse, La Ronge, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Regina, North Battleford, Swift Current, Lloydminster, Yorkton, Estevan and Weyburn."

Harpauer said any correspondence between the Ministry and Lawrence would not fall under Freedom of Information requests.

"Because they show correspondence or information from the Ministry, Mr. Lawrence works directly with us," said Harpauer. "So that's not reflected in freedom of information."

Meanwhile, the Saskatchewan Foster Families Association said it has been pleased with Lawrence's work on the file so far.

"Mr. Lawrence is also a foster parent," Davies said. "I think it was an opportunity for someone who was an MLA that has fostering experience to meet with our fostering families."

The provincial foster care system has seen a steady decline in the number of foster families. Over the last five years, 250 families have left the system.

The provincial children's advocate had recently issued a number of high-profile reports on deaths within the foster care system.

Calls to MLA Greg Lawrence were not immediately returned.