australwind
lightness of being
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2005
- Posts
- 10,859
Currently have a long time visitor. Other people's kids bring home stray animals they find, mine brings home other kids. Have a young girl who is here for the duration. Rang her Mother to inform her she was here, Mother basically is not interested. Told me she (daughter...16) can go find out what it's like in the world, not interested in child at all, hasn't even rung myself or her daughter since to check on her at least. Um...don't know the Mother, Mother doesn't know me. I'd be here knocking on the door in a flash if my child.
So now have two 16 year old girls...oh yes, so need all those extra hormones. Child has no shoes for school, so gave her money for that. No proper uniforms, hasn't been attending as Mother didn't bother sending them...Mother doesn't value education, child said Mum always after men. When the girl opened our cupboards and fridge, got so excited at how much food there is. Why do people have children and not care.... I understand that it is a challenge and some children do make it extremely hard to have them living in the family. Sometimes hard decisions have to be made for a child to not live there, but you do it properly, through channels. But all she did was be home late from dates. Goodness...my Mother should have kicked me out many a time way back then. Child doesn't drink, do drugs, her boyfriend is a lovely kid, he's been here to visit and always behaved well. But then I lay laws down, watch over them without being a prying eye in their face. Damn....my blood has been boiling for two weeks.
Spent 5hours and 35 minutes on phone to various "help" agencies...to no avail. No one wants to know. Rang Child Safety only to be asked, "what do you want us to do?" So what? I put a child out on the streets? Can't get Youth Allowance as she is from another country and not a permanent resident. She wants to continue education, not a lazy child....how do you keep encouraging them when no one else seems to want to truly help and appropriately help them? Finally got the school to talk to me and have begun the process of gaining support within the school.
Phew...sorry for the rant, but haven't had anyone to do so to. Just so damn angry at systems which will rip a family apart when there is no need and then turn it's back on others who need assistance. I worked in Child Welfare many years ago and it's frustrating to see that the processes haven't improved and are still not truly geared to help a child in deep need.
Okay...shutting up now.
I hope each of you have a wonderful week and enjoy all or who you do....
MsMoon
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Seems your problem is making news here in sunny Victoria as well.....
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/foster-carers-left-out-of-loop-on-schooling-20120201-1qteq.html
This is from today's paper....and there's another article regarding children in residential care not being given the chance to complete schooling....it seems that someone has to stand up and make sure that the rights of children to an education should be protected no matter whose care they find themselves in....after all, it is rarely the fault of the child that they find themselves at the mercy of an overstressed government system that doesn't seem to have the best interests of the child as its guiding principle.
Kudos to you, Ms Moon, for taking up the challenge of ensuring your "house guest" stands a chance of getting a good start in life.


MsMoon