SASKATOON - Saskatchewan's children's advocate says the number of kids in overcrowded foster homes is down since a scathing report came out that likened one place to a puppy mill.
But Bob Pringle says hundreds remain in homes with too many children and are still at risk.
Pringle says 483 children, or 28.8 per cent, lived in foster homes with more than four children at the end of last year -- which exceeds the current capacity guideline.
That's a significant drop from 2008 when nearly half of all children in foster care were placed in overcrowded conditions.
Pringle says he's glad the numbers are down, but adds the Ministry of Social Services can't guarantee the safety of children in such homes.
He says there are serious cases of unsafe physical surroundings, and complaints of abuse or neglect go uninvestigated.
