QUEEN'S PARK – During question period Thursday, Monique Taylor, the NDP’s critic for children and youth services, demanded the Wynne government answer families for Motherisk posters ordered in schools that are “potentially damaging to vulnerable children,” according to the province’s independent advocate for children.
“Children were removed from their families based on the results of faulty testing done by Motherisk going back to 2005,” Taylor said. “It’s not difficult to understand how deeply emotional it is to be taken from your family in the first place.
“Yet the ministry recently ordered insensitive posters to be distributed widely in schools suggesting to children that their removal from their family may have been unjustified, leading to panic and embarrassment for families.
The Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth, has said “on 100 levels (these posters) are potentially damaging to vulnerable children.”
“Can the acting premier tell us if she thinks this is appropriate and explain how in the world this was allowed to happen?”
Taylor said the flawed Motherisk program has “caused unbelievable damage to children and families across Ontario and beyond.”
“These inappropriate posters, placed in schools across the province, have only served to incite fear and panic and make things worse for vulnerable kids,” Taylor said.
“One mother described the impact on her adopted children as a “punch in the stomach.’ She talked about children being scared that they would be asked questions by their peers or teachers.”
Taylor said the Adoption Council of Ontario is asking where the consultation was with adoptive families before these damaging posters were put up.
“Will the acting premier explain why the government distributed these damaging posters and requested schools to put them up?”