Linda Hall: Kids at mercy of CYF system

Child, Youth and Family. will receive a major overhaul.

At last there's going to be a major overhaul of Child, Youth and Family.

And guess what? One of the recommendations is to "ensure the system is child-centred".

Well, that's a jolly good start.

It's a year since Minister for Social Development Anne Tolley announced there would be a complete overhaul of the system led by an independent expert panel chaired by Dame Paula Rebstock.

I have to take my hat off to Tolley for at last listening to the people at the heart of this establishment - not the carers, not the administrators, not the extended family, but the children.

She said in her speech that they had her in tears in her office at the Beehive after they shared their experiences.

"This is happening to us, they said, but no one ever asks what we want or what is best for us. They told me that above all else they want a loving, safe and stable home and a chance for a bright future.

"And that is what they, and all of the vulnerable children and young people in this country, deserve."

How very, very true. It's a well-known fact that once in the system, most of these children stay in it. Most end up poorly educated, in trouble with the law, lost and lonely.

Do you know what I think is the most important thing they are missing from their lives? Hugs from someone who truly loves them. You just can't replace the love and support of a loving family. That's what these kids want.

Finding families to take in these children should be a top priority. They must undergo vigorous scrutiny to ensure they have the hearts to love these children.

Children aren't silly and they need a lot more than food, clothes and a roof over their heads. They can tell a fake "darling" a mile off, they know if they are in a house or a home.

So please, Ms Tolley, ensure those carers know how to love someone else's child.

Don't get me wrong, I admire foster carers. Most of them do a fantastic job.

The number of children in care is astounding. According to the expert panel, one in five children are known to CYF by age 17. "Using this historical benchmark, we estimate there are about 230,000 children and young people currently under age 18 who might experience vulnerability at some point in their childhood," the panel says.

That is just so sad. Hopefully this overhaul will mean our most vulnerable citizens have a voice that is loud and clear.

Speaking of children, I feel so sorry for the Australian mother, along with a television crew, who tried to abduct her children from Beirut.

While I don't know the full story, Sally Faulkner is obviously desperate to be with her children.

She took drastic measures to do just that after the father, supposedly taking the children on a three-week holiday, failed to return them to Australia.

Imagine how absolutely powerless she must feel. At least in Australia the family law would give both parents a fair hearing - not so in the Middle East. I wish her luck in her ongoing battle to see her children.

- Linda Hall is assistant editor of Hawke's Bay Today.