leben - Edmonton street children turn to emergency shelters

hallo

das ist eine sehr überraschende meldung aus der stadt des ölreichs-alberta

Zitat

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Edmonton street children turn to emergency shelters

The number of street children in Edmonton looking for a place to spend the night is growing, the executive director of the Youth Emergency Shelter said Tuesday.

Deb Cautley is executive director of the Youth Emergency Shelter in Edmonton, which has 20 beds as part of its overnight program. Deb Cautley is executive director of the Youth Emergency Shelter in Edmonton, which has 20 beds as part of its overnight program. (CBC)"In the last few months, we've seen the demand really, really grow. In the past we've usually been full or close to full every night. Now we're ... taking up to 20 kids every night," Deb Cautley said.

The overnight shelter has 16 bunk beds available, but if necessary, four more beds could be added, Cautley said.

"In the last three months, we've turned away 92 kids just because we couldn't accommodate them, and ... my sense is that we're going to see it get worse," she said.

About half of the homeless children who end up at the youth shelter are wards of the province, Cautley said.

This is a disturbing trend, said Mark Cherrington, a youth court worker with the Youth Criminal Defence Office said.

"Those are safety nets for kids ... that are left in a dangerous situation and have no child welfare status ... 'Where can I go that's safe?' Well you go to the Youth Emergency Shelter, you go to the Hope Mission," Cherrington said.
Children in government care using shelters

More children in care are ending up at these facilities, and that shouldn't be happening, Cherrington said.

CBC News spoke with one of those children, a 15-year-old boy who will be referred to as Shadow but cannot be named under the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act.

Shadow is under a permanent guardianship order — when the court decides a child isn't being properly protected by their parients or other guardian, the province becomes the legal parent.

Shadow was living in a group home, but started using drugs and was kicked out.

Some homeless youth are sleeping in this tent that has been set up in Edmonton's river valley. (CBC)Some homeless youth are sleeping in this tent that has been set up in Edmonton's river valley. (CBC) After a week of living on the street, Shadow was hoping for a bed at the youth shelter.

"I was pretty much a goody good until I moved into this group home, and now I'm homeless," Shadow said.

"I know that they [the government] legally have to [take care of me] .. they have to by law I think because they're my legal guardians ... so they have to provide food, shelter and clothing," he said.

"That's because of my own fault," Shadow said when he spoke about why the government isn't taking care of him now.

Alberta legislation for these children states "the child should be provided with a level of care that is adequate to meet the needs of the child and consistent with community standards and available resources."
To meet basic needs, youth turn to crime

The province is breaking its own law, Cherrington said.

. . . . .

The province needs to look after these children beyond just meeting their basic needs, Cherrington said.

"You can't manage a kid on a dollar fifty a day, but you might be able to manage a kid on five dollars a day ... I think the government needs to step back and look at how to deal with these high-risk youth, accepting the fact that we have an obligation to look after their needs," Cherrington said.

They need more than to be dumped into shelters, he said.


quelle

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/...less-wards.html

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nicht zu vergessen - edmonton ist der regierungssitz von Alberta