Editor:
Re: Reality check on teen suicide, Nov. 20 column.
Kudos to columnist Tom Fletcher for drawing attention to the recent report by B.C.’s Representative for Children and Youth, highlighting the troubled journey of 89 children in protective care.
While the plans for the casino seem to be getting most of the attention, what’s happening to our children right here in B.C. easily goes unnoticed.
Fletcher’s point, that our more vulnerable children are not getting the support and treatment they require to heal, is an issue that affects the future of B.C. in more ways than one. Children who experience violence in their lives easily learn to become violent as adults. Children with attachment disorders grow up without empathy, which can turn to rage. The cycle of abuse and violence will continue without intervention.
The Ministry of Child and Family Development addresses our youngest and most vulnerable citizens. It must be fully funded, and they must partner with community groups who help children heal.
Children grow up to be adults, and what they learn in childhood about the world and themselves is how they will act in the world as adults.
And there are many children right here in B.C. who are abused, neglected and witnesses to violence.
Christine Mayworm, White Rock