I am a concerned grandmother, called upon by the Ministry for Children and Families in British Columbia, Canada to care for my 10-month-old granddaughter. Her parents were battling drug addiction, and it was deemed unsafe for her to be in their custody. Now, after the father has completed rehab, the ministry is considering returning her back into his care.

The father has been using drugs since he was 15 years old. While we commend his completion of rehab and acknowledge it as an important step towards recovery, we believe that a longer period of demonstrated sobriety is necessary before granting him custody of a child so young.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), relapse rates for drug addiction are between 40% - 60%. This high rate demonstrates that recovery from drug addiction is not guaranteed after completing rehab. It's crucial that we consider this risk when making decisions about child custody.

We request that the Ministry for Children and Families establish guidelines requiring individuals recovering from substance abuse to demonstrate several years of sustained sobriety before regaining custody of their children. This will ensure due diligence in protecting our children's safety while also supporting parents' recovery efforts.

Please join us in advocating for these changes which prioritize our children’s safety above all else. Sign this petition today!            The ministry has decided to send my 10 month old granddaughter with her dad on January 16 th . I need to protect her. Please sign and share if you agree with my petition.                                                                                               The social worker told us to get a lawyer so we have paid one to come to court . Then without letting our lawyer or us know they cancelled the court case on January 16th leaving us with the bill and no fair hearing.                         Also there is no plan for an easy transition for the baby who hadn’t seen her Dad since September and he refused to come visit her.It will be traumatic for her to be taken suddenly without any contact with us and we have been talking care of her since July 13th . So six months. It will also be hard for us as we love her very much.