YOUR SAYShould indigenous children in need be fostered out to non-Indigenous carers?
Over the last five years, the number of Victorian children placed in foster care has increased by 50 percent. Sadly, Indigenous children are over-represented in this group, with 620 now living out of home.
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That Is Appalling!!!
My partner and I are new carers of an indigenous child. As far as Im concerned, as long as the carer provides a safe and loving home for the child, then it shouldnt matter what race they are. After all, arent we all Australian? Our aim is to give our foster child the best possible start to life - to make up for what he didnt have previouslly. Ok, he was with his family, but they may have been incapable of looking after him. We are both capable of looking after him, so why should it matter what colour skin I have? If there were more indigenous carers, then our boy would be in the care of an aboriginal family. There isnt, his not, his got us and we are his best shot at the moment.
I am a non indigenous carer and have an indigenous sibling group of 3 in my care. All children in care "lose" family connections or culture in some way because of being removed from their family. It is our job as carers to help children with that process as much as we can regardless of the child being indigenous or not. We do the best we can with the resources we have but I agree with some comments that more training and support should be offered to any carer willing to take on this huge responsibility.
Too many times I have seen departments placing Indigenous children in one dangerous situation after another just so that that child can live with family. Children have a right to feel safe, they shouldn't be used as a test to see whether someone has what it takes to look after them or not, because we all know, not everyone passes tests. Children should be placed in care that is safe and stable, whether that is with an Indigenous carer or non-Indigenous carer doesn't matter. The woman on your program who had the children coming and going, in and out of care is not providing a secure environment for her children. Parents should not be given chances with their childrens lives. Once they have proved themselves not to be competent parents there should be no second chances. Children should not be used as parental tests. Speak to any psychologist to find out what damage this kind of detachment and abuse has on a child's development.
all the people who say care is more important than identity, need to ask yourself do you know your grandparents and where they came from. Then ask yourself do the children removed from their families know this ? Black or white.
Please advise how it would be possible for me to offer some financial assistance to the wonderful Barbara Shaw in Alice Springs. Barabara epitomises to me the type of individual that we should be honouring in our annual honours lists, rather than all those who are simply doing a job that they are frequently well paid to do. Such selflessness is truly inspirational.
Children in need are children in need, regardless of where they come from. The most rewarding thing I have ever done was raising an indigenous nephew through most of his teenage years. He is now playing AFL and is a wonderful example to all indigenous kids.
As a Registered nurse and recovering alcoholic, I am appalled to see women having children and so many of them when they can't look after them. A free clinic for effective birth control is the obvious answer. One depo provera injection every 6 months is all that it takes to stop this tragedy. I, even with a job and home will not have kids myself because I do not want to pass on the gene of alcoholism to a child. For goodness sake be responsible.
What substitute is there for children being, loved, nurtured and educated. It is important also, that the carers are educated in indigenous culture in order to instill it into the children's life.
I think that kids need to be taken care of and educated in schools and be kept safe and shown love. If their parent cannot do this then it dosn't matter if they are cared for by any race as long as they are loved and paid attention to. non-Indigenous carers should be fine as long as they care for the kids well and do not abuse them.