Manitoba child welfare under scrutiny again; man charged in murder of foster son

WINNIPEG — The tattered reputation of child welfare in Manitoba was dealt a further blow Wednesday when police laid a charge in the death of yet another youngster in care.

Roderick Tobie Blacksmith, 29, a foster parent from the northern community of Gillam, is accused of the second-degree murder of his 13-month-old foster son Cameron Ouskan.

The young boy was brought to hospital with injuries last November and died. RCMP said they would not release the cause of death.

The boy had been in foster care for about 10 months under the supervision of the Awasis child and family services agency. Two months before he died, he was brought to hospital with an injury and the Mounties were called in.

"The RCMP detachment did receive a complaint ... with the inference that there may have been some child abuse at that time," RCMP Sgt. Line Karpish said Wednesday.

"They conducted an investigation, and there were no criminal concerns that came out of it, and the file was concluded. Now, in light of the homicide ... our serious crimes unit (is) going back and (is) going to examine the circumstances of that incident."

Ouskan's death is the latest among children who were supposed to be well cared for.

Last month, Samantha Kematch and Karl McKay were convicted of murdering Kematch's daughter, Phoenix Sinclair, on the Fisher River reserve.

The five-year-old girl had spent most of her life in foster care before being returned to her mother. The girl was repeatedly battered, abused and neglected, court was told, and was dead nine months before anyone reported her missing.

In 2007, two-year-old Gage Guimond of Winnipeg died after being placed with his great-aunt, who is now charged with manslaughter. Her preliminary hearing is set for November.

Manitoba's Opposition Tories are calling for an all-party task force to find ways to prevent further deaths.

"We need to try to get a handle on what's happening within the system," said Bonnie Mitchelson, the party's child and family services critic.

"Clearly, there's a breakdown in the system somewhere."

The regional authority that oversees Awasis and other local child welfare agencies would not comment other than to say an internal investigation will look into the latest death.

"We will not compromise the ongoing criminal proceeding in the case," said Marie Lands, interim CEO of the First Nations of Northern Manitoba Child and Family Services Authority.

Child welfare has already been the subject of several reviews over the last four years in Manitoba. Investigations by the provincial children's advocate, the Department of Child and Family Services and others have pointed to problems that include high caseloads and inconsistent staff training.

The NDP government has promised to address the shortfalls by hiring more staff and setting out clear guidelines for training and child supervision. It has also promised a public inquiry into Phoenix Sinclair's death, although that may have to wait until her mother's appeal of her murder conviction is dealt with.