A six-year-old died in hospital days after being found unresponsive in a pond near a home in Victoria.
Oliver Ratchford was taken into the care of the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) on Feb. 22, according to an online fundraiser made by Steph Paquette, a friend of siblings’ mother, Jade Ratchford.
According to the family, the mother received a call explaining her son was found unresponsive after he had been playing unsupervised by a pond and fell, just four days after he had been placed in foster care. He was taken to hospital but died after two days on life support, in the early morning on Feb. 28.
Paquette described the incident as, “every parent’s worst nightmare,” on the GoFundMe page.
The family has asked for privacy at this time.
The BC Coroners Service was notified of the incident and stated the investigation of the death, “is in the very early stages.”
The Ministry of Children and Family Development told Black Press Media they cannot comment specifically on family situations to protect children’s privacy, but did comment on this investigation.
“My expectation that if a child dies in care, the ministry does everything to get to the truth of what happened. To get families the answers they deserve and to make the necessary changes to make sure that we are doing everything possible to keep children safe and protected, whether they are at home or in care,” said Grace Lore, the Minister of Children and Family Development in a statement.
The leader of the provincial opposition, Kevin Falcon spoke at a press conference on Feb. 29 and addressed the death of Ratchford, while in the care of MCFD.
“This story of a child taken by the Ministry of Children and Family and then four days later found dead in a swimming pool, at a foster parent’s who were supposed to be looking after him, this to me doesn’t sound to me anything that looks remotely reflects looking after a child. This looks like child neglect,” he said.
Falcon then called for answers from Minister Lore.
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