The Province

Ottawa plans changes for little-used fund aimed at parents of murdered kids

- JORDAN PRESS THE CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA — The federal government is vowing to make changes to a largely untapped fund designed to help parents of murdered or missing children after a blistering critique exposed deep flaws in the program.

A report from Sue O'Sullivan, the federal ombudsman for victims of crime, found the program's eligibilit­y criteria to be so narrow that even those families who clearly ought to qualify may not receive financial help.

O'Sullivan's report also concluded that an overly complex applicatio­n process has deterred parents who might otherwise have benefited from a grant.

As a result, only 0.5 per cent of $33 million budgeted for grants between Jan. 1, 2013, and March 2016 has gone to eligible parents. Over the same period, administra­tive costs totalled $2.4 million — 14 times more the $170,520 in paid grants.

“It's not acceptable that you have this kind of important financial support fund that is not being used, because we know how important that is to support victims,” O'Sullivan said.

A spokesman for Social Developmen­t Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said the government plans to make changes to the program in the next few months.

The program set up by the previous Conservati­ve government provides up to $12,250 to parents whose children have either been killed or gone missing as a result of a probable criminal offence in Canada. The child must be under 18, the parents must not be working or in receipt of employment insurance benefits, and the grant is only doled out within one year of the offence taking place.

The Tories estimated annual funding of $10 million would help 1,000 families each year, but the strict eligibilit­y criteria, confusing forms and lack of knowledge has dampened uptake.

Children make up a small percentage of homicide victims in Canada. Those statistics and changing demographi­cs that have led to more Canadians living at home longer were two reasons why O'Sullivan recommende­d raising the age limit from 18. She also wants siblings, grandparen­ts and extended family members to be eligible for funding to accommodat­e shifting family structures.

Funding should also be available beyond the one-year limit, O'Sullivan said, to help parents who need time off for a trial, or to take part in related events like the inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

Duclos wrote in an official response to O'Sullivan that his department has increased outreach efforts and is reviewing applicatio­n requiremen­ts as well as online informatio­n to make the program simpler to understand.

“I am committed to ensuring that the (parent) grant remains accessible to eligible parents who may need it,” Duclos wrote.

Karen Wiebe, executive director of the Manitoba Organizati­on for Victims Assistance, said she knows many people who could have benefited from the program, making knowledge a significan­t barrier.

“Whatever supports there are, we need to know about them, we need to be able to access them, (and) they need to be broader in scope,” said Wiebe, whose son T.J. was 20 when he was murdered in January 2003.

Heidi Illingwort­h, executive director of the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime, said eligibilit­y should not be based on income, such as being in receipt of employment insurance, to recognize families face significan­t financial effects when a child is murdered.

 ?? — LYLE ASPINALL/POSTMEDIA NETWORK FILES ?? Federal Social Developmen­t Minister Jean-Yves Duclos has promised to make changes to a program aimed at providing money to parents of murdered or missing children to ensure more people are helped.
— LYLE ASPINALL/POSTMEDIA NETWORK FILES Federal Social Developmen­t Minister Jean-Yves Duclos has promised to make changes to a program aimed at providing money to parents of murdered or missing children to ensure more people are helped.

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