‘It’s really worrying:’ Staff raise safety concerns after boy flees Saskatoon care home

An employee with a children’s care home in Lawson Heights says a boy who ran away and ended up naked at a Tim Hortons was flagged as a runaway risk months before, but the company that owns the home did nothing to improve safety.

Staff at the restaurant had barely unlocked the doors the morning of June 2, when they noticed the boy wandering by.

Workers sheltered the boy, who was described as “non-verbal and cognitively delayed,” while police searched for his caregiver.

It was three hours later before the youngster was claimed by staff at CBI Health Group, an Ontario company which operates the care home for children with intellectual disabilities.

A staff member at the group home said the boy escaped before sunrise by crawling out a window. The only staff member on shift at the time was downstairs caring for another client and wasn’t aware he got out.

650 CKOM has agreed not to name the worker, who wasn’t granted permission to speak about cases.

“I can’t work like this anymore. It’s really affecting my mental health, but also my clients.”

“We have told upper management more than a year ago, when this house first started, that we need more than one person at night. We knew something bad was going to happen,” the worker said.

CBI has three contracts with the province. Two homes provide short-term care for children, while the third is for children with a developmental disability, including Autism Spectrum Disorder.

It’s not the first time the company has been alerted about the boy’s running risk.

The employee says last September, the boy had to be rescued from the South Saskatchewan River after taking off from staff at the Nutrien Wonderhub.

He got loose again in February when staff say he figured out how to unlock the deadbolt. He made it several blocks in just a T-shirt and shorts before staff found him. The boy made two more attempts in May.

The worker said suggestions by staff of more childproof locks and extra staffing at night have been ignored.

“The Ministry of Social Services actually offered us more resources during a meeting a couple months ago, but a (CBI) manager turned the resources down.”

“There’s a lot of issues with this company that changes can be made to prevent a situation like this from happening, but they’re not doing it.” They added, employees have also had to work with a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning supplies.

CBI declined to comment for privacy reasons.

Since the latest incident, the boy has been moved to the basement bedroom and is under constant watch, but the extra supervision is only temporary.

“It’s really worrying. Out of everything this (is) probably the best outcome. He might have (been) hit by a car.”

The Ministry of Social Services said it doesn’t comment on specific cases, but allegations brought forward are fully investigated to ensure that children are safe.

All group homes are licensed under the Residential Services Act and must adhere to provincial regulations.

“The ministry also has mechanisms outside of the investigation and quality of care review processes to review organizations’ licenses, contracts, compliance to policies and the services they provide,” said a statement. “These reviews may result in recommendations which the organization works to implement and reports progress to the ministry.”

The ministry would not confirm whether CBI’s contract was under review.

In the 2020-21 provincial budget, CBI received $3.7 million through child and family programs and $6.03 million for residential and vocational services through disability services.