Agency running Alex Gervais's former group home subject of serious allegations
B.C. minister says province terminated agency's contract with group home after investigation
A B.C. teenager who recently died while in the care of the province had formerly been living in a group home run by an agency whose contract was terminated by the province due to serious concerns about its standard of care.
Alex Gervais, 18, was living in a Super 8 hotel in Abbotsford, mostly alone, when he either jumped or fell from the fourth-floor window.
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Prior to living in the hotel, Gervais had been a resident for seven years of one of 23 group homes run by Community Vision. The agency has been working with B.C.'s Ministry of Children and Family development for 15 years, providing a "safe, secure and comfortable home-like setting," according to its website.
All 23 group homes run by Community Vision were shut down in June, affecting 33 children and teens in the province's care — including 18-year-old Alex Gervais.
Drugs, sex and porn on premises
The province's representative for children and youth, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, alleges that staff at some of those group homes were engaging in inappropriate behaviour.
"The kids were calling and talking to me about inappropriate physical discipline, caregivers using substances, caregivers viewing pornography," said Turpel-Lafond on CBC Radio One's B.C. Almanac on Thursday.
"Some had possession of child pornography. There were some weapons issues."
The accusations were outlined in a Turpel-Lafond's December 2014 report, Who Cares?, although the agency was not named.
In addition to those concerns, Turpel-Lafond said there were serious health issues.
"There were also mouldy homes that were condemned by the local municipality, but the kids were forced to live in them," she said. "So there were some pretty Dickensian things coming forward."
Agency and ministry respond
In a written statement, Community Vision told CBC that none of the concerns raised by Turpel-Lafond occurred in any of its homes.
It said the contracts were terminated without cause after a ministry review.
B.C.'s Minister of Children and Family Development, Stephanie Cadieux, said the ministry launched an investigation into Community Vision earlier this year, during which some of its caregivers were suspended.
The ministry terminated its contract with Community Vision after its review. Cadieux said the province had lost confidence in Community Vision's ability to provide a safe and acceptable standard of care for children.
CBC host Andrew Chang demands answers
B.C. opposition leader John Horgan said it was Cadieux who ultimately failed Alex Gervais by placing him in an Abbotsford hotel.
"I don't know how many swings at the plate you get," he said. "We need to stop defending the ministry and start defending children."
The ministry is reviewing how Gervais ended up in a hotel instead of in better care.
With files from Eric Rankin