Yes it was tragic all around.  In these cases there was no perfect solution.  The government can only try to make the best of a bad situation.  If they didn't act, they'd probably be sued for that too.  So what do you do when faced with these situations....
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https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2009/03/16/nation_of_lost_souls.html

Robert Commanda, 49, a plaintiff in the class-action suit living in Peterborough, says CAS officials took him after his mother ran off and left her five little boys alone. The oldest was 5 and kept his siblings, including Robert, 2, alive on chips and pop.

"She left us to die," says Commanda. "I sort of haven't come to terms with that. ... I'm a mess but I'm working on it.