B.C. Premier David Eby announced Monday Mitzi Dean is leaving her role as Minister of Children and Family Development, to be replaced by Grace Lore.
Dean will now Minister of State for Child Care, which was Lore's old role.
The swap comes after prolonged calls from some members of the public and opposition parties to oust Dean from the role after the ministry faced high-profile failures to protect Indigenous children.
Last June Dean faced calls to resign from the First Nations Leadership Council, which charged Dean with an “inadequate approach and ongoing lack of accountability" in response to the horrific abuse of two First Nations children in foster care.
It was June 16, 2023 when two former foster parents were sentenced to 10 years in prison for manslaughter of an 11-year-old boy in Lake Errock.
“This was not an isolated incident, and it was entirely preventable. I am greatly disappointed to see that MCFD has not demonstrated any sincere steps toward accountability and prevention at a broader level,” Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, stated last June.
At the time, BC Green Party Adam Olsen said the ministry showed a “lack of accountability.”
But on Monday, Eby denied that the demotion of Dean had anything to do with last year's controversy.
“The changes around (the ministry) are really around my goals and everyone’s goal to ensure the child welfare system looks after every child,” said Eby, calling the move a "reset" without specifying what exactly needed to be reset.
Eby said under Dean the ministry had the fewest children ever under its care.
“It is certainly one of if not the most challenging file because of what’s at stake,” said Eby.
In 2017, the ministry reported 54.9/1,000 Indigenous children were in care but last year that rate had dropped to 34.2/1,000. The non-Indigenous rate is 1.9/1,000.
Last September Dean announced an expansion to free post-secondary tuition for any person formerly in care, lifting the 27-year-old age limit.
"Child care is extremely important to families, it is a significant benefit to businesses, and it is quite simply critical to our entire province. Minister Dean will be a tireless champion for B.C.'s first new major social program in a generation. We have made considerable progress on the very difficult files within the ministry of children and family development, and I know that Minister Lore's experience and passion will benefit young people and families," Eby said Monday in a statement.
Olsen called for the ministry to be “rebuilt from the ground up” under Lore’s new leadership. He called for three improvements specifically: “Mandatory BC College of Social Workers registration for MCFD social workers; enhanced family support, including coaching, counselling, respite care, financial aid, and better access to community services; and increased oversight of MCFD staff, group homes, and senior staff accountability.”
Eby also named Andrew Mercier as Minister of State for Sustainable Forestry “to support the important work” of Bruce Ralston, Minister of Forests.
Eby has also appointed MLA George Chow as the Parliamentary Secretary for International Credentials, “building on recently passed legislation from the ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, which removes barriers for internationally trained professionals to work in British Columbia.”
Editor's note: This article was updated Jan. 15 with new information.
