Government vows to change fund for parents of murdered, missing children
OTTAWA — The federal government is vowing to make changes to a largely untapped fund designed to help parents of murdered or missing children after a blistering critique exposed deep flaws in the program.
A report from Sue O’Sullivan, the federal ombudsman for victims of crime, found the program’s eligibility criteria to be so narrow that even those families who clearly ought to qualify may not receive financial help.
O’Sullivan’s report also concluded that an overly complex application process has deterred parents who might otherwise have benefited from a grant.
As a result, only 0.5 per cent of $33 million budgeted for grants between Jan. 1, 2013, and March 2016 has gone to eligible parents. Over the same period, administrative costs totalled $2.4 million — 14 times more the $170,520 in paid grants.