The provincial NDP wants to know more about children who died in the province's care after finding what they view as discrepancies in the province's annual report.
The government released annual reports last week for all ministries, including Children's Services. That report includes information about six children who died while in provincial care and another 14 who were hospitalized overnight.
Those 20 children represent 0.15 per cent of those in provincial care, which is up slightly from the 0.1 per cent the department has reported for several years.
Rachel Notley, MLA for Edmonton-Strathcona and the party's children's services critic, said the government has narrowed the scope of what it reports, hiding the true extent of the problem. She also said when she asked the minister for the number of children who died in care it was pegged at five, not six.
She noted in B.C., the government reports on any child who dies after having any dealings with the ministry. In contrast Alberta reports only children who die while guardians of the province, in a foster care or group home setting.
"There is a whole range of involvement that the ministry can have with a child and it is up to the minister to decide if that requires reporting."
Notley said she was also discouraged that the government does not report on deaths that take place due to natural causes.
She said a Calgary family, whose four-month old child died in provincial care, contacted the NDP recently and told them the child's death was originally classified as natural causes, but is now classified as unknown.
Department spokesperson Stuart Elson said the deaths included in the report are those the government believes might provide future guidance.
"The incidents we report on are the ones where there may be a lesson for us to learn from in the future."
Elson said when a child dies of a heart defect or other medical condition, there is little the province can take away to improve the system.
Notley argued there was more to the issue than simply the system.
"By keeping it hidden and behind closed doors it not only ensures a low level of accountability, we also ensure that Albertans are themselves hidden from the reality of what happens with children in provincial care."
Budget up
The department overspent its budget last year as well, with a $68-million deficit according to the government's financial report.
Part of that increase came from increased childcare subsidy programs and other initiatives, but there was also a big increase in spending on interventions, which went approximately $23 million over budget.
Elson said the minister indicated at the beginning of last year's budget the department might need more funding to keep up with its caseloads.
"The minister said right from the start of budget that she was going to be monitoring it closely and would go back for an increase if the situation warranted it."
He said last year the department saw a five-per-cent increase in the number of intake assessments — when someone comes forward with a concern about a child.
The number of children in care remained steady at around 8,500 with an additional 12,000 receiving some kind of support, according to Elson.
He said the increased costs are mostly because some cases required more time and resources.
"It has to do more not necessarily with the number of cases, as with the complexity of the cases."
