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On Monday, April 17, I read the article "Wards of state deserve better(1)" and I had a sigh of contentment; finally, journalists bypassed all the rhetorical political positioning of our parties and became passionate about their disbelief that this government has been failing in nurturing the growth of the weakest of our citizens, the foster children.

A recent report by the Children's Advocate Deborah Parker-Loewen has stated that some foster children who say they are neglected or abused never have their complaints investigated because social workers are too busy(2). Also, the report states that Social Services is either unwilling or unable to follow its own regulations in placing and monitoring the majority of these children. Instead to take responsibility for the care of the foster children, Minister of Social Services Harry Van Mulligen has attacked the veracity of the Parker-Loewen's report. The attitude of Van Mulligen is typical of a government which is alienated from today's social realities and which continues to spread the propaganda of their GNP economic successes(3), including the statistic that Saskatchewan is the best province in fighting children poverty(4).

Congratulations to our journalists who have condemned the government for our children predicament, and who have stated that our children are our future and that they are more important than balancing the budget. We want to remind our Minister of Finance Eric Cline that a budget is not only a double entry bookkeeping exercise(5) and that social concerns for our children are more important than numbers(6).

Endnotes

Quote by Donella Meadows "challenging a paradigm is not a part-time job. It is not sufficient to make your point once and then blame the world for not getting it. The world has a vested interest in, a commitment to, not getting it. The point has to be made patiently and repeatedly, day after day after day" ftp://sysdyn.mit.edu/ftp/sdep/Roadmaps/RM1/D-4143-1.pdf http://iisd1.iisd.ca/pcdf/meadows/default.htm

General reference: Articles by Mario deSantis published by Ensign 1. - -- Wards of state deserve better, SP Opinions, April 17, The StarPhoenix, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Steven Gibb, Les MacPherson, Sarath Peiris, and Lawrence Thoner collaborate in writing SP editorials.

2. Foster children in peril: review, by Jason Warick, The StarPhoenix, April 13, 2000, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

3. Honourable Janice MacKinnon: debating the economic underdevelopment of Saskatchewan, by Mario deSantis, February 9, 2000

4. Honourable Janice MacKinnon and the NDP Government: Spin-doctoring the Truth, by Mario deSantis, February 21, 2000

5. Honourable Eric Cline has not balanced the budget yet, he forgot our school-children, by Mario deSantis, April 2, 2000

6. The greatest challenge for Saskatchewan: Education and Learning for our troubled children, by Mario deSantis, March 5, 2000