Matthew Reid Inquest

February 2, 2010

Testimony has started in the inquest into the death of Matthew Reid, smothered to death by a fourteen-year-old foster girl in 2005. It may be more of a cover-up than public disclosure, since publication of names has been banned. The first day's testimony showed that Reid had been molested earlier by a different foster girl.

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Foster mom relives tragedy

SOCIAL SERVICES: Inquest opens into smothering death of boy in foster home

Posted By TIFFANY MAYER, STANDARD STAFF, Posted February 2 2010

Friend.

The three-year-old boy signed the word across the dinner table to the daughter of his Welland foster mom.

He did it to show he understood the young woman's message to him -- also said with sign language to quiet the talkative tot -- that the 14-year-old girl joining them at the table, who arrived that mid-December day in 2005 to stay with them, was a friend.

The next morning, foster mom Margaret Hamilton found the gregarious boy lying on his bedroom floor, cold and grey.

He had been smothered by his friend, a Crown ward in the care of Family and Children's Services Niagara, who confessed her crime in a note left near the boy's body and calmly brushed her freshly washed hair in her bedroom as Hamilton and her daughter frantically called for help.

The girl, who cannot be identified, was given a seven-year sentence in November 2007 for second-degree murder.

On Monday, during the first day of a coroner's inquest that will examine the events surrounding the tragedy, Hamilton relived the events leading to the Dec. 15, 2005 death of the boy, who was in the care of the Haldimand-Norfolk Children's Aid Society.

Due to a publication ban, the boy can't be named.

The inquest, presided over by Dr. James Edwards, is being held at the Quality Hotel Parkway Convention Centre on Ontario Street. It is expected to take three weeks.

A five-person jury will hear from about 30 witnesses, including police, a forensic pathologist, social workers, educators who worked with the girl, foster families and, possibly, the perpetrator herself.

At the end of the proceedings, the jury can choose to make recommendations that can be used to prevent similar deaths.

The circumstances surrounding the death "cry out for some kind of examination," coroner counsel Eric Siebenmorgen said.

As she answered Siebenmorgen's questions, Hamilton talked about the notes she took when she got the call that FACS Niagara would like to make use of a bed in her Welland home. It was a bed that she decided to reserve for the agency after moving to Niagara from neighbouring Haldimand County a year earlier.

She had been a foster parent with Haldimand-Norfolk CAS for more than four years when the 14-year-old girl, who had recently been raped and was arrested for stealing a van, would be coming to stay with her.

The list of issues plaguing the teen was long and troublesome to anyone unfamiliar with caring for foster children, Siebenmorgen noted.

But fetal alcohol syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, disruptive, hostile and threatening behaviour -- behaviour that escalated before her period and required antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication to quell -- and functioning at the level of a child half the girl's age didn't faze Hamilton.

"I fostered a lot of teenage girls, a lot of runners, and almost always seemed to have good rapport with them," she said.

What she did question, though, was how the girl was with young children, Hamilton told the inquest.

The boy, who had recently been returned to Hamilton's home after time with his biological mother, had been roughed up by an eight-yearold girl who had stayed briefly with Hamilton a couple weeks earlier.

"I wanted him to get settled and feel comfortable," Hamilton said. "I didn't want anything upsetting him .... The response to that was, 'No, she likes little kids.' "

But looking back, as Siebenmorgen asked her to do, Hamilton said she felt the half-hour that the girl's caseworker spent at her home when dropping off the teen seemed short and rushed.

That evening, as dinner was eaten, TV was watched and everyone called it a night, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, until she went to rouse the boy the next morning and get him ready for a pre-school Christmas party.

In hindsight, Hamilton said she would have liked to have seen some of the notes in the girl's file with FACS, written between 2000 and 2003, before agreeing to accept her. The teen was the first foster child from FACS Niagara that Hamilton welcomed into her home.

Two incidents in particular concerned Hamilton: a report of the girl allegedly putting another child's head through a window and another accusation of her pushing a child down stairs.

"I believe if I had those notes, I wouldn't have chosen to have someone with that background in the home, just because there was a small child in my home," Hamilton said.

The inquest continues Tuesday with cross-examination by counsel for the boy's biological family.

Source: St Catharines Standard

Addendum: A report on Tuesday's testimony.

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Inquest into child death continues

Posted By KARENA WALTER, QMI AGENCY, Updated February 3, 2010

The foster mother who raised a three-year-old boy at the centre of a coroner's inquest recalled an easy-going, likeable child Tuesday who enjoyed cuddling.

"He liked almost every-body. He was easy to get along with," said Margaret Hamilton. "He liked cars. He liked Dora (the Explorer)."

She recalled one humorous moment when the boy, whose name is under a publication ban, was moving on the floor in an attempt at dancing.

"I said to my daughter, what is he doing? She said 'He's break-dancing.' He liked to dance."

The boy's body was found on Dec. 15, 2005 on his bedroom floor in Hamilton's house. He had been smothered by a 14-year-old girl who arrived in the foster home less than 24 hours before.

The girl, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, was handed a seven-year sentence in November 2007 for second-degree murder.

The coroner's inquest began Monday at Quality Hotel Parkway Convention Centre on Ontario Street and is expected to last three weeks.

Ten parties have standing in the inquest, including Family and Children's Services Niagara, under whose care the girl was, and Haldimand and Norfolk Children's Aid Society, which was responsible for the boy.

The five-member jury heard Tuesday that Hamilton was an experienced foster parent under Haldimand-Norfolk CAS, fostering 46 children before moving to Welland.

Sheila Newbatt, a resources worker form the Haldimand- Norfolk CAS testified Hamilton decided to stay with the agency and they discussed sharing her home with the Niagara agency.

They decided to let Niagara FACS use a bed in Hamilton's home for a child in her area.

Newbatt said on Dec. 9, a request came from Niagara FACS for a bed at Hamilton's home for a girl who was a Crown ward, with fetal alcohol syndrome and was developmentally challenged.

Newbatt said she told Niagara FACS a bed was available but there was a toddler in the home.

Newbatt said Hamilton called her on the morning of Dec. 14 to say the child may be coming. Newbatt said Hamilton told her she asked the person who called her and she was told the only time the girl was rough was with schoolchildren who would bug her.

Later that morning Newbatt told her supervisor the girl was in jail for stealing a car so they weren't sure if she'd be out that day. She later got a call from Hamilton saying the child was on her way, and Newbatt notified other people in her department that one of Hamilton's beds had been filled.

The next morning, she received a call from another foster parent at 8:30 a.m. telling her Hamilton sounded like she was in distress.

"Before I could call Margaret I was called into the supervisor's office to be told (the boy) had died," she said.

The inquest continues Wednesday.

Source: Simcoe Reformer

Wednesday's report gets back to calling the dead boy Matthew Reid.

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Another foster home was an option for child killer

Posted February 3, 2010

The former foster mother of a 14-year-old girl was willing to take the teen back two days before she killed a boy in another home, an inquest jury heard Wednesday.

Resources worker Vesna Stec of Family and Children's Services Niagara said she called foster mom Violet McArthur to see if it was an option to return the girl to her Niagara Falls home. McArthur didn't hesitate.

"(The girl) had been in the home for two years and she absolutely, without question, would have taken her back," Stec told a coroner's inquest.

But despite the offer, the girl was placed in a Welland foster home, where, in less than 24 hours, she suffocated three-year-old Matthew Reid.

Matthew, who can be identified with permission from his family, was found smothered on the floor of his bedroom on Dec. 15, 2005.

His death is the subject of the inquest that began this week in St. Catharines at the Quality Hotel Parkway Convention Centre.

The teen girl, whose identity is protected by the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was found guilty of second-degree murder and given a seven-year sentence in 2007.

Stec worked in the placement department of FACS Niagara and picked up the girl's file on Dec. 12, 2005. She was advised by a co-worker the week before that FACS Niagara could speak directly to Margaret Hamilton, a highly recommended foster mother with the Haldimand-Norfolk Children's Aid Society who had moved to Welland.

Stec spoke with Hamilton and was confident Hamilton would take care of the girl.

But because Stec wasn't clear if the girl was being placed in a new foster home at the request of her most recent foster parent, she called Violet McArthur, learning she was willing to take her back.

Stec said McArthur told her the girl's negative behaviour was confined to 5% of the time. The teen participated in volunteer work at a soup kitchen, with scouts and in dance classes. The next day, Stec said the girl's care worker called her and said it wasn't an option for the teen to return to McArthur's home.

She said the worker said the girl was threatening to run away if she returned to the house.

Stec said she indicated to the worker that McArthur had already gone to some extreme measures to deal with that by sleeping on the couch, offering to sleep on the floor and having family members search for the girl. "She was very committed," Stec said.

The worker said they needed something more secure, Stec said.

"We have kids that run all the time," Stec said during questioning. "As much as we put things in place and try to accommodate their issues, they still run."

She said in cross-examination that the decision on placing the girl ultimately came from the worker and supervisor.

Dr, Kathryn Hunter, a child psychiatrist who worked with the girl from age 11 to 18, was asked if the girl wanted to go back to McArthur's house.

"She always had a very strong connection with Violet," Hunter said. "(The girl) would be angry at different people at different times depending on the situation."

Hunter made a note in September 2003 that the girl was hit by a car when running away and that she agreed that running could have consequences.

The inquest will continue Thursday.

kwalter@stcatharinesstandard.ca

Source: St Catharines Standard

Violet McArthur, the foster mother of Matthew's killer up until a week before his death testified about her ward.

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First outbursts, then remorse

Posted By Karena Walter, Posted February 4, 2010

The words of self-hate were like a mantra.

The teenage girl would chant them over and over in a crumpled heap, sobbing on the floor. She was worthless. She was useless. She needed to be flushed away.

"I used to sit on the floor and cry with her," Violet McArthur, the 14-year-old girl's former foster mother, said at a coroner's inquest Thursday.

The mantra of self-abuse would inevitably follow an outburst in which the girl threw her own items around the room. But those tantrums seemed to happen less frequently over time, McArthur said.

McArthur gave the jury at the inquest into the death of three-year-old Matthew Reid an intimate look at the foster girl who came to call her mommy.

The girl, who cannot be identified, was given a seven-year sentence in 2007 for the second-degree murder of Matthew at a Welland foster home.

The boy was found on his bedroom floor on Dec. 15, 2005, smothered with his pillow.

The inquest jury heard Thursday that the girl lived with McArthur for almost two years, up until the week before the death, when she was arrested for stealing McArthur's van.

McArthur believed and desired that the girl would be returned to her house after being released from jail, but instead she was placed in the Welland foster home of Matthew on Dec. 14, 2005.

McArthur testified when the girl first arrived at her door, she was frightened and shy, dressed inappropriately for the cold weather. That first night, the family dog curled up next to her in bed. During the first few months, she seemed to really enjoy school, and McArthur said getting her to go was never a problem. She enjoyed learning.

The girl got along with McArthur's 10 grandchildren, one of whom was only two years old and lived next door. She also played with other teenaged children in the foster home and looked after her pet cockatiel.

The angry outbursts, in which the girl threw objects, would last 20 minutes to an hour, McArthur said.

"It was easiest just to let it run its course," she said. "If you tried to interfere, it seemed to go on longer."

A child psychiatrist put the girl on medication, and McArthur said over time the outbursts seem to lessen. By fall of 2004, after a summer of camp, boating and climbing trees, McArthur said the girl didn't repeat the mantra of blame anymore. "It eventually died away."

But by December 2004, as Christmas approached, the girl became anxious. McArthur said the girl's stepfather died around that time. As well, she was concerned about not seeing her brother, was upset a friend in the foster home left and worried about not having presents.

The girl was assigned a child youth worker to look into the outbursts and to give her some one-on-one time.

The worker noted McArthur said the girl had difficulty controlling her anger and the outbursts increased. It got to a point where McArthur couldn't leave the girl alone.

In January 2005, McArthur was shocked when she was presented with a report by a psychometrist that said the girl functioned at the level of a six- or seven-year-old and would never progress beyond that. McArthur thought the girl was doing well and moving towards independence.

The episodes continued, including breaking branches off a neighbour's tree, slamming a radio on a street and dumping a bowl of cereal on a three-year-old's head because he repeatedly kicked her. Police were called another time to settle the girl down. McArthur said the girl was always very remorseful after she'd done those things and was very hard on herself.

The girl asked if she could stay at the home forever and if she could call McArthur Mommy.

The plan for the fall was for the teen to go to a special class at a different high school, something McArthur said the girl was excited about. "I think (she) struggled desperately, she wanted to be like normal teenagers and probably didn't understand she didn't have the capacity," McArthur said.

"She just wanted to be normal."

But by October 2005, the girl was suspended from school twice, once for swearing at an administrator after being accused of hitting a girl with a book, another time for running away. She was asked not to return.

McArthur said her behaviour changed after that and she started running away again.

In early December, she met a man who sexually assaulted her. The next night, she snuck McArthur's keys out of her purse, climbed out a window and took off in the van.

The inquest continues Monday.

kwalter@stcatharinesstandard.ca

Source: St Catharines Standard

Social worker Ana Meager testified about the abilities of the killer girl. An unfavorable report was kept out of her Ontario School Record.

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Children’s Aid told girl at risk to self

Posted By Karena Walter, Posted February 8, 2010

A Family and Children's Services worker who handled the case of a 14-year-old killer believed the girl was a danger to herself, not to others.

Ana Meager testified Monday she was given a psychometrist's report on the girl that found the teen had an inability to understand boundaries in the community and safety risks.

"She would be easily victimized," Meager said.

Meager, who was assigned the girl's file in November 2004, was testifying on the fifth day of a coroner's inquest into the death of Matthew Reid.

The three-year-old boy was smothered by the teenage girl in December 2005 at a Welland foster home, less than 24 hours after she moved in.

When Meager took over the file, she said the girl's former case worker told her there were no serious behavioral problems since the girl had been in care. "I remember her saying, this is an easy case."

During her first visit with the girl, the foster mother and the former case worker, Meager said she was told the girl was able to follow direction. She was also very good with the foster mother's young grandson.

Three weeks into taking over the file though, Meager requested a child youth worker be assigned to provide extra support to the foster family and the teen and provide anger-management strategies.

Meager said the girl was verbally aggressive and had difficulty managing her anger, which made her a risk to herself. The teen would become oppositional, a lot of times when confronted by someone who said no, Meager said.

Once, Meager said she called police to come and talk to the teen about her behaviour.

She said the girl was very remorseful after any problems.

"She was pleasant. She was happy. She loved Violet (the foster mother) very much. She loved being there," Meager said. "She was in Scouts. She was in dance."

The psychometrist report by Paula Shapiro, who testified earlier in the inquest, was received by Meager in January 2005. It found the girl functioned at the level of a six- or seven-year-old.

Shapiro said the girl should be considered at risk for life-long problems and can't be left alone in the community because she's "needy" and "vulnerable."

Meager said she was surprised by some aspects of the report because her school didn't feel the girl was developmentally delayed. Instead, they found she had a mild intellectual disability that didn't require associated community living. The girl, for instance, could make dinner and cookies, she said.

The girl's school counsellor felt the teen could do more than what the report suggested, Meager said, adding the counsellor thought the report was outdated and off in terms of academic capacity.

Meager said the counsellor felt the report would limit the girl and she would not receive the academic education she should get if the report went into the Ontario School Record, so it wasn't put in her record.

The inquest continues Tuesday at the Quality Hotel Parkway Convention Centre on Ontario Street.

kwalter@stcatharinesstandard.ca

Source: St Catharines Standard

Cross-examination of the social worker.

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‘No indication’ girl was homicidal, FACS says

Posted February 9, 2010

The case worker who placed a teen with a history of behavioural issues into a foster home where she killed a toddler broke down on the witness stand Tuesday during questioning by the lawyer for the dead boy's mother.

"There was no indication the child was going to smother a three-year-old child, or that child would never have been placed there," Family and Children's Services Niagara worker Ana Meager testified through tears. "No indication."

Meager spent the entire day answering questions at the coroner's inquest about her role with the girl, who cannot be identified.

Matthew Reid was found on his bedroom floor smothered by his pillow on Dec. 15, 2005, less than 24 hours after the girl was placed in his Welland foster home. She was handed a seven-year sentence in November 2007 for second-degree murder.

The jury heard Tuesday that documents in a FACS Niagara file detailing a history of alleged assaults by the 14-year-old against her peers and other children were not reviewed by Meager.

Meager said she was not aware the teen attacked another girl in gym class, ran away and hit a Grade 1 boy in Oct. 2000.

Lawyer Ryan Steiner, acting for Matthew's biological mother, Tania Reid, asked a series of questions about incidents in the FACS Niagara file.

Meager explained there was a 9,000 page file on the girl's family. She reviewed another file, specifically about the girl, which was started when the teen entered into FACS Niagara care in January 2004.

She said she was not aware that in November 2000, the girl, who had mental-health issues and functioned at the level of a six- or seven-year-old, physically attacked a girl in class or that in February 2001 she scratched someone's arm.

Meager hadn't seen information that the girl threw a pencil case at a teacher later that month and was suspended for pulling out some of her sister's hair and pushing another student down a set of stairs.

Another file note from April 2003 said the girl was asked not to return to school because of acts of aggression towards other students. A note from September 2003 said the girl assaulted people around her — she pushed a class of kindergarten children and pushed a child's face in a window.

But Meager told Steiner even if she had known that information, the events would have to be put into context. She said workers have to look at the positives and negatives of a child's behaviour.

Over the two years the girl was in FACS Niagara care, there was no indication the girl had hurt a child or was aggressive to children, she said. "There was no indication she was homicidal."

Steiner asked if behaviour issues should be moved to the front of a child's file. Meager said a child could be set up for failure if only their negative behaviour is looked at.

But Steiner asked if it's not a set up for failure if information about behavioral issues are in a box somewhere "collecting dust."

"You put it into context," Meager said. "It has to be a balancing act because we can't set a child up for failure."

Steiner asked if it would have been helpful for the Welland foster mother caring for Matthew to have known information contained in the file before accepting the girl into her house.

"We have to look at the context of everything that happened in the past. I'm not sure it would have made a difference," Meager said, adding the girl was getting better and had treatment.

But Steiner asked why Meager wouldn't let the girl volunteer in a day care because of her behaviour, but it was OK to put her in a house with a three-year-old.

Meager said she told the Welland foster mother the girl sometimes yelled and screamed, which was the concern at the day care,

The jury heard the girl was being moved to the Welland foster home because of concerns about her running away from her Niagara Falls foster home.

Steiner asked if the Niagara Falls foster home would be a more viable placement anyway, given those safety concerns still existed in the Welland home and Matthew was there.

"I didn't understand there were safety concerns for Matthew at that time," Meager said.

The inquest continues Wednesday.

kwalter@stcatharinesstandard.ca

Source: St Catharines Standard

Donna Zan, a member of the pediatric death review committee, testified that Matthew's death could not have been foreseen. She seems unaware that the most severe abuse of foster children comes from other children, nor has anyone considered that a girl who just stole a car might commit other anti-social acts.

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Foster care agencies told to share more information

Posted By Karena Walter, Posted February 10, 2010

A committee that reviews child deaths in Ontario found the murder of foster care child Matthew Reid by a teenage girl also in care could not have been predicted.

But the pediatric death review committee, under the office of the chief coroner, did make recommendations about sharing information within and between child-care agencies.

The jury at the coroner's inquest into the death of Matthew heard Wednesday from three authors of reports written following the three-year-old's smothering death.

Donna Zan, a member of the pediatric death review committee, said no one could reasonably predict the tragic outcome.

She told the jury that at the time of the 14-year-old girl's placement in Matthew's foster home, there were concerns about the girl's behaviour, such as having difficulties at school and being aggressive with peers. But Zan said there weren't any documents about incidents concerning younger children in the two years prior to the murder.

"We really did not feel this was an event that could be predicted," said Zan, who works at the Catholic Children's Aid Society of Hamilton.

Matthew was smothered with his pillow on his bedroom floor by the 14-year-old girl, who was sentenced in November 2007 for second-degree murder. The girl, whose identity is protected, was placed in the Welland foster home on Dec. 14, 2005, and killed the boy sometime overnight.

Zan conducted two reviews that were directed at Family and Children's Services Niagara, which was responsible for the girl, and the Haldimand-Norfolk Children's Aid Society, which was responsible for Matthew and the foster home.

She said the death review committee believed FACS Niagara should do a thorough review when a child's case is transferred from one case worker to another.

The inquest has heard that the girl's case worker had not seen documents about the girl's behaviour prior to January 2004, when she entered care. Historical information, containing alleged assaults by the girl against her peers and children, was contained in a 9,000 page file, which the girl's prior case worker hadn't seen either.

Zan said she appreciated the shear volume of files but the committee felt having past history is important in terms of planning for a child's future.

Zan said the committee found there should have been more contact between workers from both children's aid societies before placing the girl in the Welland foster home.

The jury has heard that FACS Niagara negotiated the placement of the girl with the Welland foster mother, after a series of voice-mail messages between agencies.

Helen Mullen-Stark, an independent consultant who conducted a review for the Haldimand-Norfolk Children's Aid Society, said there wasn't a lot of direct contact between the agencies.

Mullen-Stark said had there been a conversation between workers, it may have led to more questions asked about the girl.

The inquest has heard that the girl had lived at a Niagara Falls foster home for two years, but by fall 2005, she would run away at night. In December 2005, she stole her foster mother's van and was arrested by police. When she was released from custody, it was into the Welland foster home.

Sandra Moshenko, a child-welfare consultant asked by FACS Niagara to review the case, said the agency should have looked into ways of keeping the girl in the Niagara Falls foster home.

Moshenko said she understood the agency's concern about the girl's behaviour, lack of judgment and the girl's fear of putting herself in a dangerous situation, but her foster parents provided a stable, loving environment. During the girl's period in detention, the agency could have pulled the foster parent, workers and others together to talk about options, she said.

"The agency missed an opportunity to sit down and at least think about what those options were," Moshenko said.

The jury was told that representatives from the agency will testify in the inquest about what changes they have made since the death.

The inquest continues Thursday.

kwalter@stcatharinesstandard.ca

Source: St Catharines Standard

February 11, 2010

The killer girl had a blood-curdling scream, coupled with an inability to handle stress.

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Girl’s outbursts intense, inquest told

Posted By Karena Walter Standard Staff, Posted February 11, 2010

The girl made a sound so distinct and disturbing, Inara Heidebrecht is certain she could identify it again five years later.

A former high school vice-principal, Heidebrecht was on the phone with a parent on Oct. 5, 2005 when she heard yelling from another office. And not just any yelling.

"It was alarming," she told a coroner's inquest Thursday. "I stopped at first and it continued. It was a pitch. It was an intensity."

It was the kind of yell, Heidebrecht said, which made her drop everything. Students in the office and the secretary all sat agape. She hung up the phone and tried to move the students out of earshot.

"It was very intense. It was like someone in a rage."

After a brief reprieve, she heard the sound again and a lot of banging. A 14-year-old girl was in a full rage, yelling and slamming doors.

"I remember looking at her and she just wasn't there. A vacant look."

A little over two months later, the girl was arrested for smothering three-year-old Matthew Reid with his pillow. The boy was found on the bedroom floor of his foster home on Dec. 15, 2005, less than 24 hours after the girl was brought into the house. She was convicted of second-degree murder and given a seven-year sentence in November 2007.

Her name is protected by the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The girl arrived at the Niagara Falls high school in the fall 2005 for its school-to-work program, which involves smaller classes.

Her first outburst at the school that October happened after a boy complained she was hitting, scratching and pinching him. Heidebrecht said an administrator was talking to the girl about the incident and trying to get her to understand the consequences, when she started yelling.

She received a mandatory suspension for the action against the boy, not for the tantrum.

Because the girl's response was so explosive, school principal Linda Kartasinski put a plan in place allowing her to go to a specific staff member any time she felt like she was going to have an outburst. Kartasinski, now a board superintendent, testified a memo was sent to teachers explaining the girl was allowed to leave class and they should not stop her. The teacher should then buzz the office to let them know the girl had left class.

But on Oct. 19, the girl was suspended a second time after a shoving match with another girl.

Heidebrecht said the administer tried to speak with the girl and she started screeching and yelling, similar to the time before. The girl ran outside the school, ripped out plants and banged her backpack around. A police officer doing reports outside the school was asked to come and he calmed her down in his cruiser.

"She seemed to go from zero to 100, nothing in between," Heidebrecht said. "I was really bothered by this because these weren't new behaviours. This wasn't something someone starts to do in October 2005."

Heidebrecht checked the girl's Ontario Student Record because although she knew the girl had behavioral problems, but felt she was missing some key information. "I had this really nagging feeling that I didn't know something," she said. "I had some real safety concerns after this second incident."

There was nothing about her previous behaviour in elementary schools, she said.

It was at a fact-finding meeting on Oct. 26 that the girl's Family and Children's Services Niagara case worker gave the school a psychological assessment by a psychometrist.

The jury has heard the Paula Shapiro report found the girl functions at the level of a six or seven year old and doesn't have the capability of handling herself in stressful situations.

The inquest will continue Tuesday at the Quality Hotel Parkway Convention Centre on Ontario Street.

kwalter@stcatharinesstandard.ca

Source: St Catharines Standard

February 17. Today's testimony comes from the standard script.

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FACS Niagara reviewed safety after child's death

Posted By KARENA WALTER , STANDARD STAFF, Posted February 17, 2010

The agency that handles foster family placements in Niagara underwent an internal probe after a child's 2005 murder, including reviewing all 650 children in care at the time.

Former executive director Bill Charron told a coroner's inquest Tuesday that Family and Children's Services Niagara tried to ensure they were looking at what happened to Matthew Reid in a thorough manner.

Charron told the inquest the day the three-year-old was killed was difficult for everyone at the organization.

"It was probably one of the saddest days in the history of our agency," Charron said. "There was a tremendous amount of grief."

Charron added it was nothing near what the mother, grandmother and foster family felt, but it was a very difficult time.

Matthew was under the care of the Haldimand-Norfolk Children's Aid Society and his foster mother moved to Welland. He was suffocated with his pillow at the home by a 14-year-old foster girl, who was placed there by FACS Niagara.

The girl, who had a history of behavioural problems, arrived at the foster home on Dec. 14, 2005, and killed Matthew sometime overnight. She was given a seven-year sentence for second-degree murder in November 2007.

Since Matthew's deat , Haldimand-Norfolk CAS has had a moratorium on accepting children from other agencies in its own foster homes, director of services Anne-Marie Watson testified Tuesday.

The inquest began Feb. 1 at the Quality Hotel Parkway Convention Centre on Ontario Street and will resume Thursday.

Charron, executive director of FACS Niagara from 1989 until his retirement in 2008, said that on the day Matthew's body was discovered, the agency was trying to find out any details it could about the girl's placement.

The agency looked at all aspects of the operation and steps taken in the resources department that placed her in the home.

Charron said it wasn't long before the agency decided an outside review would be done, even though it wasn't a requirement because Matthew was not in FACS Niagara's care.

A review was undertaken of all children in care to ensure safety issues were dealt with right away, he said. In cases where there wasn't a safety plan dealing with the characteristics of a particular child, one was put in place to ensure everyone in a home was safe.

The review revealed 47% of children in care had a history of aggressive or threatening behvaviour, which Charron said wasn't surprising.

But Charron said the review did expose the agency to an area it needed to address immediately -- a third of the aggressive children did not have a safety plan in place.

The agency took other measures as well, including creating a new position of educational consultant to help staff navigate the education system.

And the agency is currently in transition, trying to automate files from paper to electronic format so they can be more readily accessed.

The girl was placed in Matthew's foster home when she was released from jail for stealing her foster mother's van.

Charron said FACS Niagara has never had a surplus of foster homes. When Matthew died, the agency had 650 children in care and 220 foster parents.

"You do the math and see very clearly there wasn't an abundance of resources in the region."

kwalter@stcatharinesstandard.ca

Source: St Catharines Standard

February 18. School staff failed to diagnose the killer girl's problems.

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Teen killer could have been handled differently, school officials tell inquest

Posted By KARENA WALTER/QMI Agency, Posted February 18, 2010

ST. CATHARINES — School board officials say they would have handled a 14-year-old girl with behavioral problems differently if they'd been given a psychological report that found she functioned at a six- or seven-year-old's level.

Instead of placing the girl in a smaller-sized regular classroom, she would have gone into a special needs program, said Suzanne Palumbo of District School Board of Niagara.

"It was significant," Palumbo said of the report, which she saw as an acting consultant for special education in 2005. "There were things in this report that showed the student should be in a special needs program, not a school-to-work program."

The girl is currently serving a sentence for second-degree murder after smothering a three-year-old boy at a Welland foster home in December 2005.

The death of Matthew Reid is the subject of a coroner's inquest this month in St. Catharines.

The coroner's jury has already heard that the girl's behaviour became more and more erratic after she was kicked out of her Niagara Falls school in fall 2005 and was waiting to be placed in another class.

Why school board officials didn't see the psychological report has been one of the focuses by lawyers during the inquest.

The report was written by psychometrist Paula Shapiro, who testified earlier in the inquest, and it was received by the girl's Family and Children's Services Niagara caseworker in January 2005.

Shapiro found the girl was easily frustrated and prone to misunderstanding. The girl was unable to come up with alternate approaches to problem-solving and would not have the capability of handling herself in stressful situations, Shapiro said.

Palumbo agreed under cross-examination by Paul Osier, representing Matthew's foster mother, that not having the report cost time and was a waste of the girl's efforts.

She said if the board had the information, it would have integrated the girl slowly, starting with one or two periods in a special needs program.

Linda Kartasinski, the Niagara Falls school principal at the time, said it would have been a nice report to have. "It would have changed the decision on placement."

Shapiro had testified she sent the report to DSBN's special services department but Kartasinski, the vice-principal and Palumbo said Thursday they didn't see it.

The girl's FACS Niagara worker gave the school the report on Oct. 26, 2005, during a fact-finding meeting held because she'd been suspended twice.

Although suspended for physically assaulting other students, the girl was distinctly memorable to staff for her outbursts of screaming and slamming doors when being questioned about the events.

Palumbo said she brought the report back to school board staff for a psychological interpretation.

Because the girl had shown earlier success in a day treatment program run by Niagara Child and Youth Services, a mental health agency, Palumbo said educators felt she could build on that success again. They planned to get her into an NCYS class and integrate her into a technical school in fall 2006, which she was too young to attend until then.

While waiting to be placed in an NCYS class, the girl would receive school work to do at home. Palumbo also suggested volunteer work to build her confidence and self-esteem.

The jury heard during earlier testimony that the girl began running away from her Niagara Falls home in the interim, eventually being arrested for stealing her foster mother's van.

After a weekend in jail, the girl was placed by FACS Niagara into the Welland home run by Haldimand-Norfok Children's Aid Society. She killed Matthew on her first night there.

The inquest continues Friday.

Source: Welland Tribune

February 19. School board officials suggest failure to transmit a psychological report contributed to the tragedy.

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Teen killer’s education plan questionned

Posted February 19 2010

School board officials say they would have handled a 14-year-old girl with behavioral problems differently if they'd been given a psychological report that found she functioned at a six- or seven-year-old's level.

Instead of placing the girl in a smaller-sized regular classroom, she would have gone into a special needs program, said Suzanne Palumbo of the District School Board of Niagara.

"It was significant," Palumbo said of the report, which she saw as an acting consultant for special education in 2005. "There were things in this report that showed the student should be in a special needs program, not a school-to-work program."

The girl is currently serving a sentence for second-degree murder after smothering a three-year-old boy at a Welland foster home in December 2005. The death of Matthew Reid is the subject of a coroner's inquest this month in St. Catharines.

The coroner's jury has already heard that the girl's behaviour became more and more erratic after she was kicked out of her Niagara Falls school in the fall of 2005 and was waiting to be placed in another class.

Why school board officials didn't see the psychological report has been one of the focuses by lawyers during the inquest.

The report was written by psychometrist Paula Shapiro, who testified earlier in the inquest, and it was received by the girl's FACS Niagara case worker in January 2005.

Shapiro found the girl was easily frustrated and prone to misunderstanding. The girl was unable to come up with alternate approaches to problem-solving and would not have the capability of handling herself in stressful situations, Shapiro said.

Palumbo agreed under cross-examination by Paul Osier, representing Matthew's foster mother, that not having the report cost time and was a waste of the girl's efforts.

She said if the board had the information, it would have integrated the girl slowly, starting with one or two periods in a special-needs program.

Linda Kartasinski, principal at the Niagara Falls school at the time, said it would have been an important report to have. "It would have changed the decision on placement."

Shapiro had testified she sent the report to the DSBN's special services department, but Kartasinski, the vice-principal and Palumbo said Thursday they didn't see it.

The girl's FACS Niagara case worker gave the school the report on Oct. 26, 2005, during a fact-finding meeting held because the girl had been suspended twice.

Suspended for physically assaulting other students, the girl was distinctly memorable to staff for her outbursts of screaming and slamming doors when being questioned about the events.

Palumbo said she brought the report back to school board staff for a psychological interpretation.

Because the girl had shown earlier success in a day-treatment program run by Niagara Child and Youth Services, a mental-health agency, Palumbo said educators felt she could build on that success again. They planned to get her into an NCYS class and integrate her into a technical school in fall 2006, which she was too young to attend until then.

While waiting to be placed in an NCYS class, the girl would receive school work to do at home. Palumbo also suggested volunteer work to build the girl's confidence and self-esteem.

The jury heard during earlier testimony that the girl began running away from her Niagara Falls home in the interim, eventually being arrested for stealing her foster mother's van.

After a weekend in jail, the girl was placed by FACS Niagara into the Welland home run by the Haldimand-Norfok Children's Aid Society and killed Matthew on her first night.

The inquest continues Friday.

kwalter@stcatharinesstandard.ca

Source: St Catharines Standard

February 23. Today's testimony strains credulity. From the 1990's, just about all communications from children's aid, including case files, has come in the form of computer printouts. So the claim that CAS is burdened with paper files is false, unless you are talking about decades old data. The suggestion to improve computer systems in response to a death is right out of our script.

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Children’s aid agencies need to shore info

Posted February 23, 2010

The head of human resources for Family and Children's Services Niagara believes Ontario needs a single, standardized electronic data-sharing system that will allow agencies to easily share and collect data with each other.

During the last day of testimony at the inquest into the death of three-year-old Matthew Reid, Brian Minard urged the provincial government to hasten the development of a pilot system that would drastically improve record keeping for children's aid societies in Ontario.

Most agencies have digital record-keeping systems and FACS is slowly trying to scan images of hard-copy records into the system. However, Minard told the coroner's jury that every agency has its own systems that are often not compatible.

"None of the agencies, none of their systems, can electronically talk to each other," he said. "It seems like an obvious thing, but we need a single information system."

The inquest is probing the death of Reid, who was killed while in foster care.

In 2005, he was murdered in Welland by a 14-year-old girl also in foster care at the home. The boy was smothered by the girl with his pillow. The teenager, who cannot be named, was sentenced to seven years in November 2007 for second-degree murder.

While the inquest previously heard the murder could not have been predicted, a previous witness said that FACS, the agency responsible for the girl and the Haldimand-Norfolk Children's Aid Society, which was responsible for Reid, should have been in communication more often and more directly.

Minard said computer record keeping is something that is relatively new for children's aid societies, which kept most of its records in the past on paper.

Even now, aid workers will take hand-written notes that are either scanned and saved as a digital image or transcribed and stored in their computers.

Although more recent data is recorded on computers, getting at critical information from the past can be time consuming. While the agency is storing digital images of critical paper records, they are still difficult to search for, Minard said.

Minard said hand-written notes, for example, can be scanned into a computer. But the system's key-word search function, which can help quickly find critical data, cannot search the contents of that image, only the image itself.

More problematic, he said, is that each regional aid agency has it's own computer system. None of them were designed to interface with others, and sometimes it is even impossible to send relevant records by e-mail.

"It's not like if I am using Microsoft Word I can open up a document sent to me in Word Perfect," he said. "These are ancient systems in some respects."

Minard said present electronic systems are a vast improvement over the old hard-copy-only methods, but more needs to be done and will likely require an infusion of provincial dollars and about five years to roll out.

A coroner's inquest does not attempt to assign blame to a death, but rather to discover why the death happened, and the jury is charged with making recommendations for changes that will prevent similar deaths from happening in the future.

With no more witnesses left to testify, on Wednesday the jury will hear suggested recommendations from the lawyers representing the coroner's office, the aid agencies and other interested parties.

glafleche@stcatharinesstandard.ca

Source: St Catharines Standard

February 24. In today's story we hear more of the character of the killer girl. The press has also disclosed the name of Matthew's mother, Tania Reid. The case has now been handed to the jury.

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Inquest jury deliberates in foster boy’s death

Posted By Karena Walter, Posted February 24, 2010

The teen murderer at the centre of a coroner's inquest into the death of Matthew Reid doesn't feel sorry for herself, but for the boy she killed, her former foster mother said Wednesday.

The girl wrote a letter to Matthew to that effect and to the three-year-old's mother, Violet McArthur told a jury.

"She remembers clearly what she did and is upset with herself. It's a burden she lives with daily and for the rest of her life."

McArthur, who cared for the girl for two years, asked the jury to recommend more information be publicized about the dangers of consuming alcohol while pregnant.

Her recommendation was one of dozens made Wednesday before jurors began deliberations in the four-week inquest.

The jury has heard that the girl, whose name is protected by a publication ban, had fetal alcohol syndrome, which made her frustrated that she couldn't do things other children her age could. She yearned to have friends and wanted to help out and feel needed, McArthur said.

The girl was 14 when she smothered Matthew with a pillow in his bedroom in December 2005. She had been placed in the Welland foster home less than 24 hours earlier.

Matthew and his foster home were under the care of Haldimand-Norfolk Children's Aid Society and the girl was under the care of Family and Children's Services Niagara.

The girl is currently serving a seven-year sentence for second-degree murder.

Jurors were given 23 proposed joint recommendations made by the nine parties with standing and the coroner's counsel Wednesday, along with several individual party proposals. Jurors are under no obligation to make any recommendation.

It's expected they will continue to deliberate until Tuesday.

"This tragic incident causes us as a society to pause and re-evaluate what we're doing," said Paul Osier, lawyer for Matthew's foster mother Margaret Hamilton.

Osier said it was a tragic event, but an opportunity to tighten up the system.

One key joint proposal, he said, is that a package of information about a child's strengths and safety considerations be provided to prospective foster parents. In this case, Hamilton was told by a case worker that the girl was aggressive in school, but "aggressive" means different things to different people, he said. A package about a child would be something foster parents could read and assess for themselves.

Osier said the girl's behaviour was somewhat under the radar and when it became a crisis, it happened faster than anyone could respond to.

The death affected not only Matthew's family but Hamilton and McArthur too, he said.

"These are all good people whose lives have been severely affected."

The lawyer for Matthew's biological mother, Tania Reid, said neither FACS Niagara or Haldimand-Norfolk CAS had a plan in place to ensure Matthew's safety. Ryan Steiner told the jurors there was evidence the girl, who lashed out in cycles, would act out in some way. She was under immense pressure and made poor decisions when stressed, he said, including crossing the highway on her bike, getting hit by a car, driving a vehicle through a fence and pursuing a 40-year-old man.

At the time of the death, she had just got out of detention, was not permitted to see friends or go to school and was not allowed to go back to McArthur's home.

Steiner recommended a single information system for foster children to improve information gathering so their old history is not lost. "There was key information that needed to be at the fingertips of case workers and this will help with that," Steiner said.

He also suggested a system be put in place to ensure workers are actually reviewing information.

Steiner said the recommendations, among others, would help children's aid society workers make children's safety a priority.

"Tania Reid is concerned this doesn't happen again," he said.

kwalter@stcatharinesstandard.ca

Source: St Catharines Standard

March 2. The jury recommendations are in, but only indirectly through a summary by a reporter.

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'We still don't have closure'

Inquest jury offers 45 recommendations after tot's death in foster care

Posted By Karena Walter, Standard Staff, Posted March 2, 2010

Matthew Reid's foster mother said she wanted someone to blame for his death, before the start of the inquest that looked into his killing.

But by its four-week end Tuesday, there really wasn't one person, Margaret Hamilton said. And she was glad of that.

"I think a lot of relationships have been repaired through this process, a lot of people who have never spoken to each other, case workers, families. I feel pretty good about that," said Hamilton, after a coroner's jury looking into the death of Matthew made 45 recommendations directed at multiple agencies.

"I think you finally get to see people as being human now. They're not just a case worker, they're a name and a face, and I still believe in the system."

Hamilton found the three-year-old lying on his bedroom floor at her Welland home, cold and grey, on Dec. 15, 2005. He had been smothered with his pillow overnight by a 14-year-old foster girl placed in the home the day before.

The girl, who the jury heard had a history of behavioural problems, is serving a seven-year sentence for second-degree murder.

One of the jury's recommendations was that the Child and Family Services Act be amended to require children at risk to harm others be assessed before being placed in a foster home.

Matthew was under the care of Haldimand-Norfolk Children's Aid Society, while the girl was a Crown ward in the care of Family and Children's Services Niagara.

It was also recommended a checklist of questions be developed for prospective foster parents to ask when considering whether to accept a particular child.

During the inquest, which began at the Quality Hotel Parkway Convention Centre Feb. 1, the jury heard Hamilton was not given information about the girl's prior violent behaviour.

She said she was fairly satisfied with the recommendations overall.

"I wish there would have been one that could have said, 'You could do this, so this will never happen again,'" she said.

"I don't think there is one answer."

The jury heard the girl — whose name is protected by a publication ban — had a long and troublesome list of issues plaguing her, including fetal alcohol syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and was at the functioning level of a six or seven-year-old.

She had temper tantrums and behaviour problems, including running away, that escalated after being kicked out of school in fall 2005.

She lived with the same Niagara Falls foster family for two years, but after stealing foster mother Violet McArthur's van and spending a weekend in jail, she was placed by FACS Niagara into Hamilton's home despite McArthur's request she return.

"My purpose was to tell them this was not an evil person," said McArthur, one of 10 parties who had standing at the inquest. "Her stress went to such a point that she snapped."

FACS Niagara executive director Chris Steven said the inquest process was an opportunity to look for improvements, something his agency has done and continues to do.

"When there's an inquest, you're trying to understand not only what happened but was it preventable and I think resoundingly the testimony of a respected psychologist and three independent reviews showed that this was not a foreseeable event," Steven said.

"It was tragic and highly unusual and unpredictable."

At the same time, Steven said he hopes the commitment of the agencies and parties involved to work toward continuous improvement was reassuring for the community. Many of the recommendations can be implemented at the agency level or systemic level, he said.

Matthew's biological family felt most of the inquest was concerned with the girl's needs, and not his.

"They didn't bring up Matthew enough. It was her inquest, not Matthew's," said his biological grandmother, Ramona Jakucinskas, who was in the process of gaining custody of the boy when he was killed.

"They know more about her than she knows about herself. They know nothing about Matthew."

Jakucinskas, of Stratfordville, near Tillsonburg, had already undergone a home inspection for custody and was nearly finished decorating Matthew's SpongeBob-themed room. Her husband, Len, had a custody interview scheduled the day Matthew was killed.

"We still don't have closure. I'm glad I came, but we still don't have closure for us, for the family."

She said she would have liked to hear more from Haldimand-Norfolk Children's Aid Society and from the girl herself, who did not appear at the inquest but did write an apology letter.

Jakucinskas's daughter, Matthew's mother Tania Reid, declined to comment on the recommendations.

"It doesn't change anything," Reid said. "It's not going to bring him back."

kwalter@ stcatharinesstandard.ca

Source: St Catharines Standard

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Murdered three-year-old's foster mom still believes in the system

Coroner's jury makes its recommendations

Posted By KARENA WALTER/QMI Agency, Posted March 2, 2010

BOB TYMCZYSZYN QMI Agency

Matthew Reid's foster mother Margaret Hamilton said she wanted someone to blame for his death, before the start of the inquest that looked into his killing in Welland in December 2005. But by its four-week end Tuesday, there really wasn't one person, she said. And she was glad of that.

ST. CATHARINES — Matthew Reid's foster mother said she wanted someone to blame for his death, before the start of the inquest that looked into his killing.

But by its four-week end Tuesday, there really wasn't one person, Margaret Hamilton said. And she was glad of that.

"I think a lot of relationships have been repaired through this process, a lot of people who have never spoken to each other, case workers, families. I feel pretty good about that," said Hamilton, after a coroner's jury looking into the death of Matthew made 45 recommendations directed at multiple agencies.

"I think you finally get to see people as being human now. They're not just a caseworker, they're a name and a face, and I still believe in the system."

Hamilton found the three-year-old lying on his bedroom floor at her Welland home, cold and grey, on Dec. 15, 2005. He had been smothered with his pillow overnight by a 14-year-old foster girl placed in the home the day before.

The girl, who the jury heard had a history of behavioural problems, is serving a seven-year sentence for second-degree murder.

One of the jury's recommendations was that the Child and Family Services Act be amended to require children at risk to harm others be assessed before being placed in a foster home.

Matthew was under the care of Haldimand-Norfolk Children's Aid Society, while the girl was a Crown ward in the care of Family and Children's Services Niagara.

It was also recommended a checklist of questions be developed for prospective foster parents to ask when considering whether to accept a particular child.

During the inquest, which began at the Quality Hotel Parkway Convention Centre Feb. 1, the jury heard Hamilton was not given information about the girl's prior violent behaviour.

She said she was fairly satisfied with the recommendations overall.

"I wish there would have been one that could have said, 'You could do this, so this will never happen again,'" she said.

"I don't think there is one answer."

The jury heard the girl — whose name is protected by a publication ban — had a long and troublesome list of issues plaguing her, including fetal alcohol syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and was at the functioning level of a six or seven-year-old.

She had temper tantrums and behaviour problems, including running away, that escalated after being kicked out of school in fall 2005.

She lived with the same Niagara Falls foster family for two years, but after stealing foster mother Violet McArthur's van and spending a weekend in jail, she was placed by FACS Niagara into Hamilton's home despite McArthur's request she return.

"My purpose was to tell them this was not an evil person," said McArthur, one of 10 parties who had standing at the inquest. "Her stress went to such a point that she snapped."

FACS Niagara executive director Chris Steven said the inquest process was an opportunity to look for improvements, something his agency has done and continues to do.

"When there's an inquest, you're trying to understand not only what happened but was it preventable and I think resoundingly the testimony of a respected psychologist and three independent reviews showed that this was not a foreseeable event," Steven said.

"It was tragic and highly unusual and unpredictable."

At the same time, Steven said he hopes the commitment of the agencies and parties involved to work toward continuous improvement was reassuring for the community. Many of the recommendations can be implemented at the agency level or systemic level, he said.

Matthew's biological family felt most of the inquest was concerned with the girl's needs, and not his.

"They didn't bring up Matthew enough. It was her inquest, not Matthew's," said his biological grandmother, Ramona Jakucinskas, who was in the process of gaining custody of the boy when he was killed.

"They know more about her than she knows about herself. They know nothing about Matthew."

Jakucinskas, of Stratfordville, near Tillsonburg, had already undergone a home inspection for custody and was nearly finished decorating Matthew's SpongeBob-themed room. Her husband, Len, had a custody interview scheduled the day Matthew was killed.

"We still don't have closure. I'm glad I came, but we still don't have closure for us, for the family."

She said she would have liked to hear more from Haldimand-Norfolk Children's Aid Society and from the girl herself, who did not appear at the inquest but did write an apology letter.

Jakucinskas's daughter, Matthew's mother Tania Reid, declined to comment on the recommendations.

"It doesn't change anything," Reid said. "It's not going to bring him back."

Source: Welland Tribune

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45 recommendations come from toddler's inquest

Posted By QMI Agency, Posted March 2, 2010

ST. CATHARINES — A coroner's jury made 45 recommendations Tuesday after overseeing a four-week inquest into the death of three-year-old Matthew Reid.

Matthew was in foster care in Welland and under the responsibility of Haldimand-Norfolk Children's Aid Society. He was smothered with a pillow by a 14-year-old foster girl in the care of Family and Children's Services Niagara on Dec. 15, 2005.

Various recommendations were directed to both agencies, along with the Ministry of Children and Youth Services of Ontario, Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies, the District School Board of Niagara, Niagara Child and Youth Services, the Ministries of Health and Education and Ontario Foster Parent Association.

Some highlighted recommendations:

• That children's aid societies review with thir workers and supervisors the need for a thorough review of the case history when a case is transferred to a new worker and/or supervisor;
• That a placement team meeting occurs whenever there is an issue or concern expressed about residential placements;
• That the children and youth services ministry continue and accelerate the development of a single information system for child welfare in Ontario to provide child welfare workers quick access to key and relevant information that would inform critical decision-making in the care and placement of children and allow sharing of information between agencies;
• That the ministry also provide discreet funding to children's aid societies for securing the expertise of educational professionals to assist children or youth in care who have special educational needs;
• That the Child and Family Services Act be amended to include a requirement that an assessment of the child's behaviour that might present a risk of harm to any person, be conducted prior to the placement of that child in a foster home;
• That the ministry develop a mandatory "passport" for each child in the care of the children's aid society. This passport shall accompany the child on all placements. The passport document shall include all information vital to the child's health, history and safety;
• That the ministry ensure outside paid resource placements can occur on an emergency basis when necessary;
• The OACAS develop a checklist of questions for prospective foster parents to ask when considering whether to accept a particular child;
• That a feasibility study be done regarding the placement of security systems in foster homes;
• That the Ministry of Health launch a public information program to educate people about the consequences of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Source: Welland Tribune

Jury Recommendations

March 3, 2010

The jury has returned recommendations. As usual in these inquests, they ratified a set of suggestions originating within the child protection system, all suggesting more power for, or scrutiny by, the social services system to ensure the safety of children. Left out: if Matthew Reid had been left with his natural family, he would still by alive.

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INQUEST TOUCHING THE DEATH OF MATTHEW REID

JURY RECOMMENDATIONS

TO THE MINISTRY OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES (MCYS) OF ONTARIO:

1) It is recommended that the Ministry of Children and Youth Services strike a Task Force and/or Implementation Working Group to specifically consider and address the findings and recommendations of the jury in this inquest and, more generally, determine how best to avoid future similar deaths of children in care. The memory of Matthew Reid deserves no less. It is recommended that this Working Group include representatives from key stakeholder groups, which may include: the Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies; the Chief Coroner's Paediatric Death Review Committee; Family and Children's services of Niagara; the Children's Aid Society of Haldimand-Norfolk; the organizations that represent children's aid society workers; and the Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth,

2) It is recommended that the Ministry of Children and Youth Services continue, and if feasible, accelerate, the development of a single information system for Child Welfare in the Province of Ontario which shall remain within the care and control of the Province of Ontario. Such a system should, among other features, provide child welfare workers quick access to key and relevant information that would inform critical decision making in the care and placement of children and service to families, and would allow for the timely sharing of information between agencies. This system would also help facilitate, among other things the current Ministry goals of creation of a single information system, strengthening youth voice, and building resilience. The system should include a capacity to perform keyword searches, be user friendly and contain a cumulative record of behavioural issues and concerns respecting the child.

3) It is recommended that irrespective of the development and implementation of a single information system, the Ministry of Children and Youth Services support a project to electronically image all historical paper and micro film of current and new cases of all Children Aid Societies in the province of Ontario,

4) It is recommended that the Ministry of Children and Youth Services provide discreet funding to children's aid societies for the purpose of securing the expertise of educational professionals to assist children or youth in care who have special educational needs or may be at risk for educational placement breakdown and ensuring the ease of transitions of children and youth from one educational environment to another,

5) It is recommended that the Ministry of Children and Youth Services conduct an audit of resources available to support children and families in the care of children's aid societies in Ontario. The audit should identify current service levels and gaps in services provided with a goal of ensuring the children of Ontario have an accessible and readily available integrated system of services. The audit should be performed in conjunction with stakeholders in the child welfare system, including youth, children's aid societies, children's mental health providers, school boards, developmental services and any other related child service providers. The government of Ontario should release for review and consideration any historical reports related to service levels which they have not released to date, including the "2005 Review of Residential Services" and "Mapping Children's Mental Health".

6) It is recommended that all Children Aid Societies should report annually on services being utilized to the Ministry of Children and Youth Services.

7) It is recommended that the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, in consultation with the child welfare sector, develop and implement a prescribed structured decision making eligibility framework for residential services. This would be used by children's aid societies for the purposes of the identification and assessment of a child's needs for residential service, the level of care required, and the particular resource to be utilized.

8) It is recommended the Ministry of Children and Youth Services should conduct a review of the child welfare funding formula to ensure children's aid societies are adequately funded and have flexibility to better reflect the regional residential placement needs required by children in care,

9) It is recommended that sections 110 to 121 of Regulation 70 under the Child and Family Services Act be amended to include a requirement that an assessment of the child's behaviour which may present a risk of harm to any person, be conducted prior to the placement of that child in a foster home.

10) It is recommended that the Ministry of Child and Youth Services develop a mandatory "passport" for each Child in the care of the Children's Aid Society. This "passport" shall accompany the child on all placements, The "passport" document shall include all information vital to the child's health, history and safety.

TO THE MINISTRY OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES (MCYS) OF ONTARIO, TO THE ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETIES (OACAS), TO FAMILY AND CHILDREN'S SERVICES OF NIAGARA (FACS) AND TO THOSE CHILDEN'S AID SOCIETIES WHO CONSTITUTE THE FRONTLINE SYSTEM GROUP OF USERS:

11) It is recommended that any future system development in Child Welfare by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, the Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies or the Frontline users group include the capacity to perform a keyword search of all client records.

TO THE MINISTRY OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES (MCYS) OF ONTARIO AND TO THE ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETIES (OACAS);

12) It is recommended that the Ministry of Children and Youth Services and the Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies work collaboratively with the Ontario Foster Parent Association and with Children's Aid Societies, at the appropriate level, to develop and fund outreach initiatives aimed at the recruitment and retention of appropriately qualified foster parents.

13) It is recommended that subsection 61 (7) of the Child and Family Services Act he reviewed, in consultation with the Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies and other relevant stakeholders, to determine whether the two-year period of continuous residence should be reduced in recognition of the stability and connection experienced by children who have lived within the same home for a period of time sufficient to develop that stability and connection.

14) ft is recommended that the Ministry of Children and Youth Services and the Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies consult with youth and with Family and Children's Services Niagara (FACS) for the purpose of reviewing the content of the FACS memorandum dated January 25,2008 regarding the addition of a ninth "Dimension" to a child's Plan of Care, entitled "Safety Considerations." The purpose of such a review would be to ensure that the children's aid societies across the province of Ontario undertake ongoing assessment and planning regarding safety issues related to children in care. MCYS and the OACAS should consider, as part of such review, whether MCYS should direct, whether by amending the "Ontario Looking After Children" (OnLAC) assessment and documentation system or otherwise, that all children's aid societies incorporate a "Dimension" into the Plan of Care similar to the internal policy developed by FACS.

15) It is recommended that the Ministry of Children and Youth Services' placement considerations be guided by the principle of ensuring that children have safe temporary placement options until such time as a full placement review has been conducted. In particular, emphasis should be put on exploring the feasibility of greater RAC availability (FACS Niagara's Regional Adolescent Centre, or similar facility) and an analysis of the merits of having a child remain in the current placement until a full placement review is conducted.

16) It is recommended that the Ministry of Children and Youth Services and the Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies conduct a review of policies and procedures to develop standardized forms for commonly used documents. Looking forward to the requirements of a single information system, this would include, but not be limited to, intake forms, plans of care, child profiles, case notes, and placement forms.

17) It is recommended the Ministry of Children and Youth Services and Children's Aid Societies, in consultation with youth, develop best practice guidelines with regard to transitions from placement to placement respecting the importance of connection and relationship, the needs of the child, and the voice of the child. Guidelines should include that when a child is being placed in a new home, a Children's Service Worker, has made every attempt to involve the child and foster parent in salvaging the current placement and to minimize disruption. Once the move is decided, consideration must be given to the concerns and safety of any child affected by the proposed placement. The child's belongings and other transitional items (to make the child as comfortable as possible) should be assembled. Before leaving a new placement, the care worker should speak to the child alone and create a safety plan should the child experience crisis. The worker should also inspect the child's room tor suitability.

18) It is recommended that the Ministry of Children and Youth Services and the Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies conduct, in consultation with youth, a review of the policies and procedures of children's aid societies concerning the placement of children into foster homes with a view to the creation of a model or "best practices" document that addresses the relevant factors that are to inform the selection of the most appropriate placement of a child from the available resources.

19) It is recommended the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, in consultation with youth with lived experience in the child welfare system, work with Children's Aid Societies to develop best practice guidelines that will enhance the voice of the child in all aspects of service delivery.

20) It is recommended Children's Aid Societies should ensure that discussions with young people regarding their wishes and views are clearly documented within the plan of care such that they are ascertainable and identifiable as being the child's wishes,

21) It is recommended Children's Aid Societies should develop, with the assistance of young people, "buddy systems" such that when a child enters the care system, the child should be paired with a youth, more experienced in the care system. The older youth can provide a support to the youth who is coming into care - somebody for them to talk to about their concerns, confusion, etc,

22) It is recommended that the Ministry of Children and Youth Services as well as the OACAS ensure that Outside Paid Resource (OPR) placements can occur on an emergency basis when necessary.

23) It is recommended that the CAS should review with its workers and supervisors the need for a thorough review of the case history when a case is transferred to a new worker and/or supervisor.

24) It is recommended that in the case of all paper files, (up to but not limited to family files, child in care files, adoption files etc.), a summary index page should be created and maintained as documents are added. When a file is closed, a copy should be added to any subsequent continuing client file.

TO THE ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETIES (OACAS):

25) It is recommended that the OACAS develop, in consultation with the Ontario Foster Parent Association a checklist of questions for prospective foster parents to ask when considering whether to accept a particular child or youth. This checklist should be included within the foster parenting manual provided by the local children's aid society,

26) It is recommended that unless it is impracticable to do so, given the emergent nature of the need for a foster home immediately, the prospective foster parent(s) be given a copy of the completed Placement Form before a child or youth is placed in the home.

27) It is Recommended that a placement team (appropriate decision maker(s) including case worker, supervisor, resource worker, foster parents, child in care) meeting occurs whenever there is an issue or concern expressed about residential placements.

28) It is recommended that the Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies facilitate any revisions to the "Provincial Interagency Protocol between Children's Aid Societies" to incorporate the jury's recommendations as appropriate.

29) It is recommended that all shared resource policy and procedures should be revised such that only planned placements occur when sharing resources with another agency.

30) It is recommended that the OACAS develop a process of auditing the files of children in care including case notes of which all notes should be legible and preferably electronic.

31) It is recommended that a feasibility study be done regarding the placement of security systems in foster homes.

32) It is recommended that in foster homes caring for young children, the use of an electronic baby monitor in a child's bedroom be considered.

33) It is recommended that training and resources be provided by the agency for the foster parent regarding the parental controls on home computers.

TO FAMILY AND CHILDREN'S SERVICES OF NIAGARA (FACS):

34) It is recommended that the Society engage in a consultation with the Children's Aid Society of Haldimand-Norfolk for the purpose of discussing the matters learned from the evidence at this inquest and in order to discuss ways of collaborating effectively in the future, in the best interests of the children for whom both societies provide care.

TO THE CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY OF HALDIMAND-NORFOLK:

35) It is recommended that Children's Aid Society of Haldtmand-Norfolk continue to review the moratorium on placements from other children's aid societies, dated December 16,2005, in light of subsequent developments, including the evidence heard at this inquest

36) It is recommended that the Society engage in a consultation with Family and Children's Services of Niagara for the purpose of discussing the matters learned from the evidence at this inquest and in order to discuss ways of collaborating effectively in the future, in the best interests of the children for whom both societies provide care.

TO THE DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD OF NIAGARA (DSBN):

37) It is recommended that the District School Board of Niagara continue to utilize the services of a Special Education Team ("wraparound team" as referred to in the evidence) in order to deal with the educational needs of difficult-to-serve students, including those who are in care of a children's aid society and/or present with special needs/developmental disabilities or where the appropriateness of the student's placement in the school is in question. Such a team should include someone knowledgeable about the workings of the Children's Aid Societies or a liaison person from FACS Niagara.

38) It is recommended that the District School Board of Niagara ensure that there Is a comprehensive review of a student's needs, including measures previously adopted, in order to meet those needs, whenever preparations are being made to move a student into a regular school from a Section 23 (Education Act) class.

TO THE DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD OF NIAGARA (DSBN), FAMILY AND CHILDREN'S SERVICES NIAGARA (FACS) AND NIAGARA CHILD AND YOUTH SERVICES (NCYS):

39) It is recommended that the District School Board of Niagara, Family and Children's Services of Niagara and Niagara Children and Youth Services continue to develop protocols for the sharing of information/reports in relation to the educational needs of children.

TO THE MINISTRY OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETIES, FOSTER PARENT ASSOCIATIONS:

40) It is recommended mat the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, in conjunction with other Ministries, including the Ministry of Health, supports training and addresses issues raised in the context of this inquest. The Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies, and where applicable, Foster Parent Associations and the unions that represent front-line workers, need to strengthen the current mandatory and supplemental training to ensure they have the necessary skills and knowledge to provide quality care to the children entrusted to them, including but not limited to children that have special needs such as;

1. Running
2. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
3. Developmental disabilities and. delays
4. Dual Diagnosis children
5. Behavior Management Strategies
6. Children in crisis and transition
7. Interaction between children and the education system
8. Developing the child's plan of care
9. Developing the child's social history
10. Developing the child's life book

41) It is recommended that plans of care should include individualized behavior management intervention strategies that are consistent among all care providers (e.g., school, foster home, residential, treatment) for that child/youth. All deviation from the plan of care should be documented. This will assist with consistency in care for the child/youth and quality assurance.

42) It is recommended the Ministry of Children and Youth Services should conduct a comprehensive workload measurement study. The study would assess the impact of current legislative requirements and best practice implementation on workload with a goal of identifying reasonable workload/caseload bench marks to support the delivery of quality service to children and families.

TO THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH

43) It is recommended that the Ministry of Health launch a public information program to educate people about the consequences of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

TO THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

44) It is recommended that boards of education review practices related to suspensions. Considering children's rights develop a protocol for the management of children who are under suspension. In consideration of children's rights, boards of education should develop a protocol for the management of children who are under suspension.

45) It is recommended that the Ministry of Education undertake a review of the management of the child's "Ontario School Record" and "Central File" to ensure that the child's educational progress is informed by all relevant information and is easily accessible to the appropriate persons, particularly at key transitional points.

Source: Ontario Coroner (pdf)

Comments:

1. The jury recommends consulting with all stakeholders except the most important: mom and dad.

3. CAS is using the jury to justify digitizing records going back decades, maybe even to the nineteenth century, so they can bring up several generations of history on Ontario families.

4. Discreet funding from the ministry to CAS: sounds like funding that will be concealed from the public.

8. Just give CAS lots more money ...

9. This could not possibly have helped Matthew Reid. Assessments take time, and Matthews killer had to be placed immediately. What does the jury suggest doing with a foster kid while the assessment is being conducted? Keep him in a jail cell?

10. The suggestion for a passport, containing all information about the child, to be presented to new foster parents is a good one, though with the social worker habit of confidentiality, the passport may omit the most useful data.

13, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 30, 32. These suggestions have nothing to do with the Matthew Reid case. CAS is using the inquest as an excuse to push its wish-list.

31. What security system could have protected a three-year-old boy from smothering?

33. From la-la land: the jury recommends protecting Matthew from exposure to pornography. How would that help him breathe through a pillow?

43. A reader on another forum pointed out that fetal alcohol syndrome has no relevance to the Matthew Reid case, since aggressiveness is a learned behavior, not a consequence of fetal alcohol.