Story Archive

Hare-Raising Foster Care

During their screening process to be foster parents, Derek and Frances Baars told the Children’s Aid Society of Hamilton, Ont., Canada, that they wouldn’t lie to foster children in their care — about anything. The couple doesn’t celebrate Halloween, and they “do not endorse Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny as they do not wish to lie to children.” They passed screening and training, and two sisters, aged 3 and 4, were placed into their care. Later, according to a lawsuit, their placement support worker told them it was “part of their duty as foster parents to teach the girls about the Easter Bunny because it is ostensibly part of Canadian culture.” The Baars said they wouldn’t directly challenge the girls’ beliefs, but wouldn’t lie either. They offered to have a chocolate egg hunt and buy the girls new dresses, or to allow them to spend Easter weekend at another foster home. The CAS’s response, they say, was they must “tell the foster girls that the Easter Bunny was real or their foster home would be closed.” Three weeks before Easter, it was, and the girls were removed. The couple sued, alleging CAS violated their religious rights. “We’re not looking for money,” Derek said. “We just don’t want them to do to others what they did to us.” Hamilton CAS Executive Director Dominic Verticchio said he couldn’t speak about a currently active case, but did talk generally: “I think there should be a balance between being respectful of the foster parent’s beliefs, but also the kids,” he said. “You’ve got to find a middle ground.” (MS/CBC, Toronto Sun) ...Lies: bad; complete truth: bad; half truths: OK. See? Middle ground!