More child deaths disclosed in government review
The Newfoundland and Labrador government has revealed that it found records of more deaths involving children who were receiving government services.
The Department of Child, Youth and Family Services told CBC News that it has found nine additional cases of child deaths, on top of 26 that were reported in August through a request made under access-to-information legislation.
Seven of those deaths occurred since 2009, the period of time that CBC News had requested. The governing Progressive Conservatives created the department that year, in part to address concerns over the care of children at risk. The other two deaths occurred outside the scope of the CBC's request.
Minister Sandy Collins said the second search was carried out after a senior staff member questioned whether there could possibly be more deaths.
Collins said the department contacted the Office of the Chief Information Officer and asked it to come up with a customized search.
"They actually developed a tool in conjunction with the department, and we did apply that to the data that we had, and we did turn up seven additional cases," Collins said in an interview.
The seven deaths involve four due to medical reasons, two accidental deaths, and one suicide.
Those children were not in foster care, but they were all receiving some kind of government services.
All had been known to government
These deaths were known to the department, but did not show up in the original search.
Collins said the Advocate for Children and Youth, Carol Chafe, has been informed.
"Anything that I know, I want the advocate Ms. Chafe to know as well, so that's what we've done," Collins said.
Collins said the department will cooperate fully with Chafe's office, and provide any information that she requests about these additional seven deaths.