A quarter of South Auckland foster parents quit
The Herald reports that the chair of the South Auckland Caregivers Association cites a quarter of foster parents have quit, because of concern over the changes to Section 59.
Other groups have said they have not detected their foster parents leaving for the same reason, but South Auckland probably is a more challenging area than most.
Many foster parents could qualify for sainthood. It is a very demanding emotionally challenging job.
There are now a whopping 5,049 children in the care of the state. I’m not sure what proportion of those are fostered out, but generally the more the better.
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January 21st, 2008 at 10:36 am
So the up roar about Section 59 was all a storm in a tea cup No unforeseen negative consequences just the frothing of the Right etc etc .
January 21st, 2008 at 10:49 am
Although:
and:
Although i’m not sure how much CYF has to do with the South Auckland organisation.
What worries me a bit is this quote from the afore-mentioned South Auckland Caregivers Association:
Hurt them back??
January 21st, 2008 at 10:56 am
Calling bullshit on this section 59 beat up, all approved foster parents agree to cyfs no smacking policy.
January 21st, 2008 at 11:02 am
Yeah! (see second quoted paragraph) All I could think of is if this org is private, but not sure if that’s the case ?!
January 21st, 2008 at 11:33 am
People too busy beating up on the Standard ’scandal’ methinks
January 21st, 2008 at 11:35 am
For the hard of reading, or those with no comprehension skills, government “spinners”, “bullshit callers” and other ingenuine individuals:
“…South Auckland Caregivers Association chairwoman Allysa Carberry said the repeal of section 59 of the Crimes Act, which allowed caregivers to use reasonable force to “correct” children, had made a chronic shortage worse.”
REASONABLE FORCE
I typed it slow. Know what it means? It doesn’t soley mean hitting, as the supporters of the amendment to S59 well know.
And when taken in context with this:
“These kids are really hard. They just don’t care who they hurt, and you need really special people to take them on. If you have a kid that is yelling and screaming at you, what are you supposed to do?”
Understand it now? No, didn’t think so. Carry on then. Ignorance is bliss, they say.
January 21st, 2008 at 11:57 am
Standards for approval
For Child and Family Support Services and Community
Services under s 396 (3) and s 403 (1) of the Children,
Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989
The organisation ensures that its staff and caregivers do not use methods of
discipline or control that involve physical or emotional punishment.
http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:o-OPbyJm-fcJ:www.cyf.govt.nz/documents/standards(1).pdf+cyfs+policy+on+foster+parents&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=49&client=firefox-a
January 21st, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Some close friends of mine, who already have a blended family and live in Manurewa, have just been accepted as foster parents. Those of us who know & love them can’t think of a better couple to take on the challenges, but we hope the strain is not too much for their own family. The rest of us have enough trouble handling our own offspring & their mates!
January 21st, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Yes goodgod ‘reasonable force’ didn’t really ever seem to mean ANYTHING, that was the problem I believe. Foster parents were never allowed to use it anyway, what kind of half assed post is this?
January 21st, 2008 at 2:08 pm
We give quite a few donations a year to various charities. Alot of donations were insupport of child charities, we now ask if their organisation supported the smacking bill. To those who answer yes we withdraw our donation. Some are “upset” and ask why, it’s simple. We say you are your own organistion and must do what you think is right but this is our money we think the bill is bullshit so we will keep our money. I bet many organisations are having second thoughts as they rushed in with all guns blazing insupport of this crap, when the polls clearly said the people think this is shit. I feel sorry for the children and I doubt if our protest would make a scrap of difference but it sends a clear message to those who lick the governments arse that there is a consequence.
January 21st, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Probably a similar situation with people who DID support the repeal. Your prerogative.
January 21st, 2008 at 4:22 pm
It is interesting that we all seem to acquaint poor areas as those that have the most problem with section 59. My grandmother was a foster mother to 11 over her life. As a result we grew up in one of the poorest parts of NZ, which was not south auckland but eastern Chch. Violence was not a factor in our home, but it was prevelant in the community. People have a choice what tools to raise their kids parents need the skills and the space to manage problem children. I was often told I was one!
January 21st, 2008 at 4:29 pm
As the person quoted in this article I would like to put some things straight.
I was never interviewed about the repeal of s59 – I was phoned about the new organisation – Key Assets NZ that is due to be launched shortly. At no time was I aware that I was being interviewed re the repeal of s59. This interview should also have never mentioned the South Auckland Caregivers Association.
As a caregiver for many years, I have always been aware that caregivers are unable to harm foster children in any way. There has however been times when caregivers have needed to restrain a child/young person in order to stop that child/young person either harming themselves or others.
It is with this in mind that some caregivers have a very real fear with the repeal of s59 of the possibility of being charged should they need to restrain a child/young person or should the child/young person need to be placed in time out.
This fear is quite real, and with the recent cases in the media regarding parents and their own children, it is obvious why.
Caregivers often take in children from very sad and disturbed backgrounds. These children/young people are very hard at times and it does take very special people to take care of these children/young people.
I am also aware of caregivers that have left caregiving because of the fear of being charged as well as because of the other reasons that were sited in the article by Byron Perkins.
I am very sorry that this article came about
January 21st, 2008 at 4:50 pm
I’m afraid that the “problem children” who turned out to be success stories in the past, had to be given good doses of traditional discipline – and these foster parents know it.
It is all very well for some childless feminists or some who were lucky enough to have docile children, to foist anti-smacking legislation on everybody. Sue Bradford and Helen Clark should have to look after some of the most difficult foster children for even a short period and see how they cope.
January 21st, 2008 at 4:54 pm
If anyone moans ,i will CLIP them around the ears ,OPPS
section 59 , arsehole bradford GREENEE, NZ the way we have got it ,sigh,
January 21st, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Are you suggesting Phil that you look after difficult children for CYP.
January 21st, 2008 at 5:09 pm
John Dalley ,a blast from the past,shit JD your mates are falling like flies.here
WATCH your words lefty , CAUTION, you are NOT posting to the converted
but you are a extinct reminder of a piss poor political system thought up by lenin, stalin, and mao,and various arseholes from various universities here and there. IE DICKS
January 21st, 2008 at 5:15 pm
While those good folk get only $147 to $174 a week to look after these kids, is it any wonder they give up? And the same government demands that I pay my ex $225 a week for one child.
January 21st, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Kids need a good hard run in with consequences to get them in line with socieities requirements….if that means a whack then good….better when young then in prison later when its too late…
January 21st, 2008 at 6:43 pm
The issue is not that foster parents want the right in law to beat their charges into submission, nor that they believe tht discipline is necessarily administered with a slap or with restraint, or with a harsh telling-off.
The problem is that they are asked to take chrge of damaged and street-smart chilkdren who now now that any allegaation of misuse or abuse must be investigated.
Ask yourself this, if you are a hard-working couple who wants to give something back, but could jeaopardise your employment and therefore your living as a result of gaining a criminal record caused by the allegation of a child who knew S59 was another tool in his or her kit for manipulating the system, would you step up to the plate?
No-brainer. Caused by no-brainers.
January 21st, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Read in the listener (I know) about a long term study of children by Dunedin Uni. It showed that affection,boundaries and affirmation before 3 are at least the starting blocks to a well rounded individual. You look at foster families but it’s become very hard by the time a child has arrived here.
We really need to go back to the start and ask why do woman have children that they are not prepared to love and care for?
January 21st, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Kiki – D-P-B- for 1
January 21st, 2008 at 7:36 pm
john who asked you to butt in. D4J seems to have bitten the dust for the time being, is john the split personality kicking in your sure as hell starting to sound as ponsy as he is.
February 6th, 2008 at 9:24 am
I’ve been a care giver for 12 years and we would never dream of resorting to physical chastisement. The kids in our care have generally come from horrific life experiences and we are charged with showing them a different way of being parented, thats our job and thats what we strive to do! I’d love to know more about this Key Assets NZ fostering agency where are they launching, can anyone throw any light on that?? I had a look at their sister agency in the UK website and their services sound really interesting….. I’ve taken to not believing everything I read in the Newspapers!
March 18th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Hi fosterdad2,
Just came across your comment. If you haven’t already seen the info on Key Assets NZ, then check out their website at http://www.keyassets.co.nz. Key assets has already launched and they are based in Manukau – South Auckland.