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Teen in provincial care dies in secrecy despite transparency vow

Teen in provincial care dies in secrecy despite transparency vow

Despite introducing amendments Tuesday aimed at releasing more information about children who die while in provincial care, a 15-year-old girl's death in an Edmonton group home Monday went undisclosed until Thursday.

The girl, originally from Maskwacis, Alta., hanged herself after struggling with depression.

On Tuesday, Alberta's Children's Services Minister Manmeet Bhullar tabled Bill 11 aimed at making the child care system more open, accountable, transparent and doing away with a publication ban that applies to children in care even after they die.

But the girl's family are the only people speaking out about the teen's death, a death that need not have happened, the mother told CBC News Thursday.

The woman, who along with her daughter cannot be named under The Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act, learned of the tragedy from a police officer on Tuesday.

"'Your daughter committed suicide last night,'" she said she was told. "'And she's at the medical examiner's office.'

"I asked if I could go see her."

The 15-year-old was placed in a Edmonton group home in October.

The mother agreed to a Permanent Guardianship Order two years ago after she was told her daughter needed help.

However her daughter did not receive what she needed, she said.

"She was not put back on her medication," she said. "She wasn't doing any psychological testing. As soon as they moved in there, they just forgot about her."

The teen's family said there were many warning signs they believe were ignored.

The troubled girl expressed her depression in her diary, on her Facebook page, even in her sketchbook, the family said.

The woman believes if her daughter had remained with her, she'd still be alive.

In an email Thursday Bhullar confirmed that a child in care died.

"My thoughts are with this child and family during this very difficult time," he said.

He said Bill 11, if it passes, will empower families "by allowing their names and photographs, as well as the name and photograph of their deceased child, to be published with their stories and viewpoints about their involvement with the child intervention system."