Bring Ayn Van Dyk Home!

We the undersigned demand that 9-year-old Ayn Van Dyk be returned to her father, Derek Hoare, as soon as possible.

On June 16, Child Protection Services (CPS) appeared at Hoare's Abbotsford, British Columbia doorstep and gave him two choices: He could either voluntarily hand Ayn over to them, or they would take her under an agreement from the Ministry of Children and Family Development.

CPS cited 'safety' as the reason. Hoare is a single parent, with two other child aged 10 and 9, and another child who is also severely autistic like Ayn. As Hoare refused to sign over his daughter, CPS took her from her school and, because she was 'deemed unsuitable for foster care at the time,'placed her in a 'specialized hospital' for evaluation. Hoare, his daughter's primary caretaker and her only parental figure since birth, has not yet been able to see or speak to her.

Hoare fears that Ayn is being 'drugged' as she is, he says, 'very volatile and aggressive when she is outside the home.'He describes his daughter as 'well-behaved' under his care and 'succeeding and excelling' in her family home, but still 'difficult to manage in a school setting or outside his care.' None of this is unusual for autistic children. Without people who have a clue around her, Ayn could well be frightened; finding herself in completely strange circumstances with strangers who don't understand her,  Ayn could be having more such behavior issues than usual and very understandably.

What has happened to Derek Hoare is pretty much the nightmare every parent of a child with disabilities fears. Ayn needs to be back home with those who have cared for her for all of her life, and as soon as possible.

Please let Ayn return home to her father and family now.