Alberta sex case 'casts a shadow' on foster parents: advocate

CALGARY — At a time when recruitment of new foster parents in Alberta was gaining steam, allegations of sexual abuse levelled against a Calgary man are likely to "cast a shadow" over many others who have opened their homes to youths who need care, Alberta child and youth advocate John Mould said Sunday.

Concern over last week's arrest of Calgary foster parent Garry Prokopishin, who faces charges of sex crimes against three of the dozens of boys he has taken into his home, have rippled through the foster community, Mould said.

"What goes through my mind instantly is how badly I suspect all other foster parents in the province feel. Something like this casts doubts on all of them," said Mould, whose office reports to the Alberta government on the state and safety of its child welfare system.

"I just hope that they get by that and they're given lots of support from their families and friends and neighbours for doing what's an extremely, extremely important job."

In the wake of the charges, Children and Youth Services Minister Yvonne Fritz ordered a review, but the case is only the latest blow to Alberta's child welfare system.

A series of troubling incidents last year have dogged the department — including four youths charged in relation to homicides and an investigation into how a toddler was severely injured in foster care in the Calgary area.

Meanwhile, the province has launched a recruitment campaign to replace dozens of foster parents who left the system, said Mould.

The number of foster parents in the province has inched upwards since then, with 12,000 children and youths in care, and Mould said he hopes the Calgary charges don't frighten away those who want to help.

"For anybody who knows they're going into it for the right reasons, this shouldn't frighten them off," he said.

The pall cast by the charges is also a major concern for those in care, said Mould. He wouldn't speculate on whether there might be youths who have been abused by foster parents, but haven't stepped forward.

He said it's impossible to guarantee that some young people won't slip through the cracks.

"Unfortunately, I don't think there's any system anywhere that believes it's a foolproof method," said Mould. "I hope through the reporting of this particular incident that if there are other young people who are faced with the same situation that it would encourage them to come forward."

Mould said authorities will pay close attention to the review ordered by the minister and make any changes that could prevent similar situations from arising in the future.

jkomarnicki@theherald.canwest.com