#oranga tamariki

[airyairyaucontraire]

It’s horrible that this is not really surprising at all.

[sandumilfshou]

how insanely racist do you have to be to put a whole entire bill before parliament when the ONLY thing that bill is for is to remove one minor clause from the childrens' wellbeing act (oranga tamariki act) that states that when removing indigenous māori children from abusive or harmful situations that their wider family/whakapapa (whānau, iwi, basically other māori relatives) and their mana (status, dignity, prestige) when making the decision of where to rehome them

like. i cannot imagine how people can be so confident standing up in our parliament and saying this needs to be removed. when worldwide the colonial history of stealing indigenous children is a well-documented practice.

when māori kids already struggle connecting with their identity and culture, don't speak their own native language because it was beaten out of their grandparents and kaumātua, are looked down upon for having an accent and speaking a certain way, are having their rights as tangata whenua stripped away by parliament as we speak. there are so many tamariki ashamed of who they are because of what society says about māori and this is just being pushed by this disgusting, racist coalition that somehow got elected into power

this bill being put forward to parliament is not making ANY other changes to the oranga tamariki act. this is not just one section of a wider series of changes looking to be made. this bill is SPECIFICALLY to just remove this one part of the oranga tamariki act that honours and gives effect to te tiriti o waitangi

i literally cant put into words how disgusted i am. every day it feels like the coalition are doing something evil and i can barely stand it anymore

[holidayvisa]

20 February 2024 - I spent the morning setting up a little baby wall for Maddie on the front porch so that Maddie is free to crawl around on the front porch without being able to get to the stairs. We didn't want her trying to crawl down the stairs when someone wasn't watching and fall down the stairs. So, with Arnie's help, I nailed the baby wall onto the legs of the table that sits out there, and put the other end through the slats of the railing; it was attached at multiple points with no way of pushing through it. Elise picked me up around 11:30. Jimmy and I filled up Elise's tank with the diesel that Jimmy had in a jerry can. Jimmy was so stoked to finally get to meet Elise for real, even though it was a pretty quick meeting. I hopped in Elise's car, and we drove to Piha. On the drive to Piha, I told Elise that I'd had that conversation with Jess the day before, during which Jess asked me to be back by April 1st. Elise said that she'd like for me to stay in New Zealand with her. When we got to Elise's house, Elise made herself some food. She started eating while I started to make myself some food. I cut my thumb with the sharp knife, and Elise gave me some first-aid while I continued to cook. Eventually at 2 pm, Elise had adulting to do. She was leaving for a few days for her women's nationals spearfishing competition in Wellington, and while she and Laura were gone, their landlords were going to stay at their place. I helped vacuum while Elise tidied up the place. At 3 pm, we loaded up the car, and Elise dropped me off at my house on her way to the airport. It was nice to get to spend some time with her before her quick trip to Wellington.

Jisinda, the Oranga Tamariki lady, arrived at our house to meet with Jimmy about Maddie. We'd all spent several hours over the past couple days making the house look good so that we could impress the Oranga Tamariki people. The meeting did not go how Jimmy had hoped, so Jimmy was pretty bummed out for the rest of the day.

I drove the motorbike to Cam's house to pick up the AWOL van. I fueled up the AWOL van and drove it home to my house. I had this moment where I felt like I lived here and belonged here. It was when I was filling up petrol. I was at the petrol station, and as I was filling up, I just looked around and thought to myself, "I'm here, I'm part of something, and this is my life now." I don't know exactly how to describe it. But it was the act of doing this mundane task of filling up petrol that really made me feel like this was my new home. That probably sounds stupid. Maybe I'll be able to explain that feeling better in the future. So anyway, I left the gas station and drove back home. At home, Arnie cooked up some unclaimed mystery pork that was in the bottom of the freezer (and had been since December). I cooked up some frozen veggies (also unclaimed and in the bottom of the freezer). Jimmy, Arnie, and I ate pork chops and veggies together for dinner around the outside table. After dinner, as I washed the dishes, Jimmy came up to me and asked me if everything was okay. I told him what was on my mind - that Elise had said that she wanted me to stay in New Zealand. Elise had said that I need to make the decision, but that she'd like for me to stay. Jimmy and I decided to go on a drive. We drove to the supermarket and bought some shapes and some milk. The whole time, we talked about Elise, about Maddie, about Maddie's mom; we talked about several serious topics. Jimmy told me that I need to follow my heart, not my brain. And I told him that I've never been good at following my heart, and that I've always been good at following my brain. It was really nice to have a heart-to-heart with Jimmy. We have a really good relationship, me and Jimmy. I think we both understand each other and are total softies.

I'm grateful for Elise. I'm grateful for her honesty, confidence, her communication, her straightforwardness. I'm grateful for Jimmy. I'm grateful for his positivity and his unconditional love. I'm grateful for heart-to-heart talks with Jimmy.

[coochiequeens]

Has anyone considered what the impact of having three mothers and still not knowing where half his DNA come is going to have on this kid in the future?

An adoption order has been approved for a little boy with three mothers.

The adoptive mother of the boy, known as Kaspar, is a woman who is unable to have children.

Kaspar’s birth mother is the surrogate mum who carried him in her womb.

Kaspar’s biological mother is an anonymous woman who donated her egg for in-vitro fertilisation.

“Increasingly, this way of being born is becoming common,” Family Court Judge Alayne Wills said in granting the adoption order.

“It will not be unusual for Kaspar, by the age of 12, to be one of a number of children in the same situation.”

Kaspar’s birth story has been recorded in a decision by Judge Wills handed down in 2021 but which has only just been published on a court website.

Under Family Court rules, the people involved cannot be identified, but the court has given them fictitious names for the purposes of publication.

The adoption order was sought by Giselle and Jon Meyer, who brought Kaspar home from hospital when he was four days old.

Jon Meyer is Kaspar’s biological father. Giselle and Jon Meyer are unable to have children of their own together.

A long-standing friend of Jon Meyer, Abigail Lint, offered to be a surrogate mother for the couple.

“That is a gift given to the parents by her,” Judge Wills said.

The surrogate pregnancy was made possible by in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) through Fertility Associates and was approved by the Ethics Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology, which is appointed by the Minister of Health.

It also required approval from Oranga Tamariki, and a social worker gave the green light for Kaspar to be placed into the Meyers’ care.

The egg used in the IVF process was donated by a woman who wished only to be known as Esme.

Judge Wills said that not knowing his biological mother was “probably not ideal” for Kaspar, but that issue could not be addressed without Esme’s consent.

[kaiwuzherenz]

ok if ur parents plan on kicking u out at 16, there has to be some government agencies or smth. You live in New Zealand, right?

“If the parents wish the child to leave, they or the young person can contact Oranga Tamariki - the social welfare agency in NZ.  A social Worker will be assigned to the case. If it could not be resolved and the relationship between child and parent has broken down, the young person would not be forced to go back there.

So long as the young person is not in trouble with the law, they would not be put into a foster home against their will with no say in the matter.

An individual plan would be made with and for that young person. It might be a placement with a family member, or a boarding arrangement for example with parents of a friend of the young person, with financial support as I outlined above so they can continue their education.

If the young person had been in trouble with the law, then there may be orders made by the Family Court as to what happens.”

source: https://www.quora.com/At-what-age-can-parents-legally-kick-you-out-of-the-house-in-New-Zealand

idk how accurate it is, but make sure u have money, some place to stay (with a friend or smth) and at least a job.

Thank you, I mean it for trying to help...

I do live in new Zealand and I know a fair bit of these groups....I'm in no trouble with the law, but I'm fine...

The main thing I worry about is that I'll be alone basically, but overall I have work experience, I can get a job in the shearing sheds again as long as I'm not toxic....and I can easily get a steady pay from that...

So it's not money or a job I'm worried about....but thank you anyways <3

[swldx]

RNZ Pacific 1316 13 Apr 2024

7440Khz 1259 13 APR 2024 - RNZ PACIFIC (NEW ZEALAND) in ENGLISH from RANGITAIKI. SINPO = 55333. English, s/on w/bellbird int. mixed with music until pips and news @1300z anchored by Peter McIlwaine. Six people have been killed in a knife attack at Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre in Sydney's east on Saturday afternoon, NSW Police say. Five of the victims died at the scene and the sixth died from their injuries in hospital, NSW Police said. Nine people, including a small child, were stabbed by a man in the centre and some are in a critical condition. The offender was shot dead at the scene by a police officer. An urgent Waitangi Tribunal inquiry into the repeal of Treaty of Waitangi commitments within Oranga Tamariki is under way. Evidence submitted to the tribunal on Friday showed repealing Section 7AA, which outlines requirements for agency to improve outcomes for tamariki Māori would elicit strong reaction from Māori. It was also told repealing section 7AA may diminish the unique rights, needs and voices of tamariki Māori. Despite objections from government departments, like Te Puni Kokiri, plans to repeal the act continue. One ticket has won $30 million in tonight's Lotto Powerball draw. The winning ticket was sold on MyLotto to a player from Carterton. @1303z trailer for RNZ "Inside Out" @1304z Weather Forecast: Mostly fine with some isolated showers in the afternoon. @1305z "All Night Programme" anchored by Peter McIlwaine. Backyard gutter antenna, Etón e1XM. 100kW, beamAz 35°, bearing 240°. Received at Plymouth, MN, United States, 12912KM from transmitter at Rangitaiki. Local time: 0759.

[tloaak]

In a rare move, the Waitangi Tribunal has summonsed a sitting minister to explain why she wants to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. But Crown lawyers are objecting and have said if she is summonsed, they will seek a judical review by the High Court to stop it. Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has been summonsed to explain to the tribunal why she takes issue with 7AA of the act, and why repealing makes more sense than amending, among other questions. The hearing is set for April 26 though Judge Michael Doogan admits in a memorandum on the matter that this is a hypothetical date if the Crown does go to the High Court. Instead, he pleads for the minister to voluntarily come to give evidence. He says that the tribunal hearing needs to be completed before mid-May when the bill change is introduced and the tribunal loses jurisdiction. The plan to scrap section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 is one of the coalition agreements between National and Act. Section 7AA has served as the organisation’s main legal motivator to improve the system for Māori, narrow the gap between Māori and non-Māori children’s experiences in state care, collaborate with iwi, and ensure mana tamaiti, whakapapa, and whanaungatanga are reflected in their policies and practices. But the Crown argued against the summons, with its lawyers saying that compelling a sitting minister to attend or provide a written statement “is against both authority and constitutional practice and principle.” [...] Section 7AA was introduced following the reform proposals of 2015, which Oranga Tamariki was born out of. It outlines a series of obligations Oranga Tamariki has to tamariki and rangatahi Māori, as well as wider whānau, and is the main legal mechanism to acknowledge the Crown’s duties to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi in state care. It was the first time Te Tiriti o Waitangi had been mentioned in Aotearoa’s child protection laws. Questions remain over the efficacy of this section though, following the highly-publicised 2019 uplift of a child in Hawke’s Bay [link inserted by me], an incident that thrust s7AA into the public eye.

[thxnews]

Empowering Vulnerable Children: Oranga Tamariki Action Plan

  Uniting for a Common Purpose: The Oranga Tamariki Action Plan

In its inaugural year, the Oranga Tamariki Action Plan has already made a significant impact, bringing together various children's agencies to prioritize the welfare of those in greatest need. Chief Executives from Oranga Tamariki, the Police, and the Ministries of Education, Social Development, Health, and Justice have collaborated to achieve better outcomes for children and young people in care.   A Collaborative Effort: Contributions from Diverse Agencies Beyond children's agencies, several others, including the Department of Corrections and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, have contributed to this collective endeavor. Kelvin Davis, a strong advocate for the approach, emphasized the importance of working together with the community to provide comprehensive support, thereby preventing children from entering state care.  

Tangible Impacts: Positive Outcomes in Families' Lives

The Oranga Tamariki Action Plan has yielded tangible results, enhancing the lives of families in various ways. For instance, the collaboration between Oranga Tamariki and Kāinga Ora has increased the availability of homes for disabled children in need of intensive support. Furthermore, a new data system developed jointly by Te Whatu Ora and Oranga Tamariki has facilitated smooth healthcare transitions for children in Oranga Tamariki residences.   Enhancing Support: Partnerships Lead to Notable Initiatives The partnership between agencies has sparked noteworthy initiatives, such as the introduction of senior social worker liaison roles at Starship's acute mental health unit. Following a successful trial, these roles will also be introduced in Wellington and Canterbury.  

Empowering Frontline Workers: A Long-Awaited Approach

Frontline social workers have expressed long-standing support for this collaborative approach, and Minister Kelvin Davis acknowledged the fulfillment of their aspirations. While the foundations are now in place, Davis emphasized that the work has just begun, and he looks forward to rapid progress in the days ahead.   Sources: THX News & New Zealand Government. Read the full article

[evsacademicessaysblog]

Polytechnic Essay on Supporting Example Case Family.

New Zealand Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care (Level 4) There are two families who will be attending the centre over the next few weeks, the purpose of this document is to open a discussion on how best to support these two families with the unique needs of their circumstances. Outlining examples of our legal obligations as teachers and providing examples of what support we can offer as a centre and what community and government services we can refer the families to.

Family 1 have newly arriving in Dunedin from the North Island, as they are new to the region they have no connections with the local community and we have to assume little to no knowledge of what services are availably locally. Family 1’s circumstances involve meeting the Stats NZ definition of poverty (Stats NZ, n.d.) and it is this aspect of their conditions that this document is focusing on.

Under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, a teacher is obligated to obtain information and guidance from agencies with expertise necessary to support the learning and development of enrolled children. (New Zealand Government, 2020)

Additional obligations effect teachers in this situation come from legislation such as the Education Act 1989 which lays out that centres must focus on helping each child and young person achieve the best of their potential and to promote the development (New Zealand Government, 2020) of all children within their care.

The centre can provide platforms for charity, for example my placement centre has a table out each day where parents can leave clothing or other items their children have grown out of or no longer need, free for any to take. Additionally food grown from the centre garden which isn’t used by the centre in activities is shared with the parents to take home. These are examples of measures the centre that can to support whānau in poverty through building community and without singling individual families or tamariki out. A centre with the available budget and outside of COVID times can also provide a fruit bowl allowing tamariki who don’t have lunch to take fruit when needed. When the centre has knowledge that a family is struggling to provide food, toast can be provided in the morning for breakfast, this is served to all the tamariki in the centre so as not to single out however extra care will be taken to make sure the tamariki in need is served.

A community service that we could referrer the whānau to further support them would be the Valley Project, a community lead development project focused on developing the community of North East Valley, Dunedin and supporting whānau within it.

The Valley Project runs many programmes that we could direct Family 1 towards, such as the Kai Share programme which provides food boxes to families in need (The Valley Project, 2020), the Healthy Homes programme and it’s Heat Seeker Clinic which are both about helping whānau have warmer, dryer and healthier homes they do this through providing support and consultation to help identify problems within homes and provide DIY solutions or networking to connect to further services such as the Curtain Bank or Anglician Family Care to facilitate healthy home improvement for in need N.E.V. residents (The Valley Project, 2020). Additionally the Valley Project community has an open door policy and welcomes members of the community to come in for a hot drink and a chat, through this the Valley Project provides advice and connections to community and government services throughout Dunedin and is better equipped to direct the family to services than our centre as well as offering community knowledge and connections to the N.E.V. social community. The Valley Project also has laptops available for use if the family requires internet access to follow up on other support services.

A government service that we could refer this family to is Oranga Tamariki’s Family Start programme.

The Family Start programme is focused on identifying what support families require and providing it, either directly or through connections to other programmes. This is done through, after a referral has been processed, qualified social workers make weekly home visits where the tamariki’s needs are assessed and when needs identified solutions put forward or refer them onto other government support services, such as WINZ, as required and guide through the applications and processes. (Oranga Tamariki — Ministry for Children, 2019)

Family 2 have recently arrived in Aotearoa New Zealand through a refugee programme. They’re two children aged two and four are enrolling in our centre, neither they nor their parents are fluent in te reo or the English language, accustomed to the cultural norms of Aotearoa and as they are recent arrivals have no contacts in or knowledge of the support structures available locally. The following will outline a plan to support this family and these tamariki both within the centre and beyond it.

The Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 give many obligations to kaiako which have applicability in situations as described in the scenario, one is the obligation stated under the curriculum standard that every provider is required to, among other things, encourage children to be confident in their own culture and develop an understanding and respect for other cultures. (citation 43 a iv) Under this the teacher of Family 2’s children would have a responsibility to encourage the children to express their home culture as well as to learn more about it, alongside exposing them to the culture of Aotearoa New Zealand and of tangata whenua. (New Zealand Government, 2020)

Under the Education Act 1989 part 1AA 3c obligates teachers to instil in each child an appreciation of the importance of the cultural knowledge and identities of Aotearoa New Zealand, the three official languages and te Tiriti o Waitangi (New Zealand Government, 2020). In these the family will require additional support as being new to Aotearoa New Zealand they have missed out in the opportunities to have an inbuilt understanding through social osmosis.

We can fulfil these obligations through integrating the celebrations of the holidays from their culture into centre life, practicing greetings and their names of tamariki and their extended whānau so that in conversations with family 2 all is pronounced correctly so as not to make them feel outsiders and put up posters and artwork reflecting their home culture in order to help make them feel welcome, celebrated and accepted into our centre so that they can easily feel as though they belong here. We must make sure these steps are taken positively and mindfully so that an environment which celebrates their culture is instilled in the centre as tokenistic adoptions might only form further barriers to family 2’s integration into our community. Further we can make sure they’re culture is welcomed and accepted so they can feel pride in who they are feel and not be compelled to assimilate into pākehā culture and identity or feel their identity is unwelcome or shameful.

As a majority of refugee support in Aotearoa New Zealand appears to be supplied through the New Zealand Red Cross’ Pathways to Settlement, Ngā Ara Whakatau Tangata programme, this is the first service to direct any concerns the family might have which are related to their refugee status.

The New Zealand Red Cross provides many services for refugees. They can provide care boxes of food, clothing, toys even bikes to provide that are donated through the Red Cross store for their Refugee programmes. The Pathways programme provides day-to-day advice and assistance settling into their new environment and housing, while also running programmes which assist in building links between refugee families and the wider community including connecting refugee families to other support services and government agencies that are relevant to their situation. (New Zealand Red Cross, Kāhore he rā)

Additionally, the Valley project mentioned in relevance to the first family, can provide both those same services as well as hosting a multi-cultural women’s group that could support community integration.

While it appears that no government services specifically support refugees once settled in Aotearoa New Zealand, all government websites appear to point towards the New Zealand Red Cross rather than their own agencies for support for these specific conditions, those government services that address families in poverty would have much the same applicability for Family 2 as outlined for Family 1. As such I would suggest that we would referee them to Family Start for the same support and reasons as outlined above.

As teachers we have an obligation, legal and moral, to support the tamariki who attend our centre and their whānau. Due to the specific needs of two new families currently enrolling I have prepared this document to open a discussion on how best to support their education and wellbeing within our centre. For both families, the symptoms of poverty and lack of home resources has been identified and family 2 also has the specific needs brought by cultural and language barriers. The community organisations of the Valley Project and the New Zealand Red Cross have been put forward as services we could refer these families to, as well as the government service of Family Start. Also outlined is the ways we could support these families directly, through integrating aspects of Family 2’s culture into our centre life to aid their integration and belonging into the centre community and providing platforms for community support through the centre.

This document should provide a foundation to our capacity to support both families in their integration into our centre and furthering their education and wellbeing. Providing a base reference to our teachers in what support we can offer and what services we can refer these families to.

References  

New Zealand  Government. (2020, August 1). Education (Early Childhood Services)  Regulations 2008 (SR 2008/204) (as at 01 August 2020) Contents – New Zealand  Legislation. Retrieved from New Zealand Legislation:  http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2008/0204/latest/DLM1412501.html

New Zealand  Government. (2020, August 1). Education Act 1989 No 80 (as at 01 August  2020), Public Act Contents – New Zealand Legislation. Retrieved from New  Zealand Legislation: http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1989/0080/latest/DLM175959.html

New Zealand Red  Cross. (n.d.). Migration programmes | New Zealand Red Cross. Retrieved  from New Zealand Red Cross:  https://www.redcross.org.nz/what-we-do/in-new-zealand/migration-programmes/

Oranga Tamariki —  Ministry for Children. (2019, April 2). Family Start | Oranga Tamariki —  Ministry for Children. Retrieved from Oranga Tamariki — Ministry for  Children:  https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/support-for-families/support-programmes/family-start/

Stats NZ. (n.d.).  Measuring child poverty: Concepts and definitions | Stats NZ.  Retrieved from Stats NZ:  https://www.stats.govt.nz/methods/measuring-child-poverty-concepts-and-definitions

The Valley  Project. (2020). Healthy Homes | Valley Project | North East Valley.  Retrieved from Valley Project: https://www.northeastvalley.org/cosy-homes

The Valley  Project. (2020). Kai Share | Valley Project | food boxes. Retrieved  from Valley Project: https://www.northeastvalley.org/kai-share

[grad702communicationdesignstudio]

Wānanga with Waipareira - Kei roto tō tātou rongoā

This was my first hui as part of the project I am about to be involved in for my Master Degree where we will be working alongside Taupua Waiora Centre for Māori Health Research as a research assistant where I will be focusing on using my design skills to help support whānau Māori engagement and understanding of knowledge within complex issues such as whānau violence which impacts cultural identity and wellbeing.

This particular hui was with Māori who had all had Tamariki removed from their care by Oranga Tamariki. Of note was the fact that all of the participants had come from broken homes or homes that involved whānau violence in some form.

What I found compelling was that I had done so much research around this but reading it was different, actually seeing it and hearing the stories made it so real and gave me the context I needed to know that the direction I was taking with my project was the right one. If these participants had the support of a loving whānau, then they probabaly wouldn't have been in this hui.

Further research on Childrens story books. All of this was preparing me to write my own. I know I need to keep it simple but also keeo it interesting so the users can enjoy the experience.

[airyairyaucontraire]

I really hope this will be the start of something better. First they had the problem of viewing Māori families as inherently inferior and damaging to children so that they would be better off anywhere but in their families of origin; they were swift to remove children without, in fact, having a guaranteed safer place to put them. That's given us generations of young people alienated from their whānau and culture, many of them suffering abuse and neglect in state care, their self-confidence and sense of hope wasted away, essentially placed into a state-care-to-prison pipeline. The ones who managed not to end up in that situation succeeded in spite of the system.

Then, much more recently, in a sense they overcorrected to prioritising same-culture placement to the extent of undermining placements of children who had already been placed with Pākehā or other families, had settled down there and were doing well, uprooting them all over again rather than acknowledge that while it would have been ideal to have placed them with Māori caregivers in the first place, they weren't and it's not fair to them or good for them to remove them from a good situation in pursuit of the ideal. (Incidentally, this doesn’t happen only to Māori children; I’m personally aware of such a case where the child was Asian but obviously for the sake of their privacy I can’t mention anything specific.)

Whatever is going to happen now needs to be led by Māori, because Māori children and families have been the most commonly and severely affected by the system to date and the only practical way to reform it is to prioritise that problem, and also ensure that children of any culture or ethnic group are protected from harm in the home, kept with some part of their family wherever possible, well treated and able to put down roots wherever they are placed, and that every reasonable way of providing support to the family to make the home safe is tried before resorting to removal of the children. Which is a huge project to attempt, but not attempting it just means setting up more and worse social problems for the future, and ensuring more children will grow up being hurt and degraded and feeling that their lives are not worth anything.

I really, really hope that this will be the start of something better.

[isedoraklopper]

Parental Alienation Shame

I have wanted to write about another experience that has come very strongly in the last year of my life again. It’s a long story so bear with me. While I was working in alternative education, my students were often high needs. Meaning they come from what society consider to be the less favourable family environments.

What that meant is that I was never just teaching, I had to be able to provide pastoral care, counselling and even sometimes parenting skills came into play. All because often the ones sitting my class had come from the child protective services (CYFS/OT and all their supplementary services) and had been in their care for decades. Some had also been in the care of the youth justice system, these students often already in the system since they were children.

What I encountered however is youth who in the process of my course would become old enough for that system (child protective services) to no longer be applicable, as in they become adults. They were given a file, a pat on the back and a wave as they left the service. A great deal number of things would happen to these youth in the next few days and month that I was privy to, as I was outside of the family and it cost them nothing to have me listen and support them. Firstly, all support they had previously received from services ceased immediately.

What I learnt is that out every twenty students I met, that most (at least 15 at times) had experienced child protective services at the time. Of those who were in the child protective services at the time, probably only a handful (maybe four or five) had good reasons for being there with histories of gangs, drugs, abuse of all kinds and violence. That does not mean that I did not have to then sit with those students either, but it was a reality call for them that was pretty damn rough.

The next came the cases that really shook me to core. The cases where the youth would sit in front of me with a file and be totally confuses and perplexed about what they were reading. Confounded with messages they had received from the family they had lived with because of this whole process. What they had in the files were stories or accusations made toward one parent, and just about all manner of accusations and stories. They had by now been living with other family members which included the other parent who had told them more stories about how bad that parent was.

My students would sit in front of me perplexed and lost, because they did not remember any of what was said about that parent. What was said is also not what others have said, or the family have told them stories that created a deep sense of rejection, isolation or that were just painful. At the time I did not have words to help, but I had a listening ear. So, I would work with students to recognise and accept their own memories, as well as learn to trust themselves in their own decisions.

In all of the occasions (there were more than I care to say), they would then go about re – establishing a connection with the so-called bad parent only to discover more stories, accusation and to then find the rest of their family angry at them. As young adults it was difficult for them, their first greatest decisions were what to do next. I will not speak to some of the other things I saw happen because of this, as its pretty serious. I can say that often the parent who had been cut out of their lives take a place back in it. My students often being hurt, angry and frustrated with the stories, sometime going as far as to cut the other family from their lives. I had more than one student come to me angry, that their estranged parent had offered great support, but they had been rejected by the other family.

What I did at the end of all these processes was reflect and go back over what I had learnt, as I always do. I discovered that there is a pattern. It begins parents who fall in love and have children then split or have family who are overly involved their parenting. I only ever encountered one youth whose parents had not planned for him and treated him much that way, all other students were very loved. However, a split in the relationships meant a feud over where their kids go. It is amazing how parents turn on each other, it was in my students lives pretty even between the genders in the slinging of mud. Sometimes the dad was saying the mum was not good, and other times it was the mum saying dad was not good. If by some miracle the parents were okay, then other family members were involved, their grandparents or aunties who thought their kids could not parent their own kids and just got too involved. The scary part was the frightening amount of solo dads and mums who had been caught in this, who had not been in  the relationship with the father or mother but made to sound as if they had intentionally cut them out.

What usually happened is someone decided the other could not parent and then involved the protective services. Alarmingly, none of the cases I had seen in this instance actually had any decent evidence to back up any accusations. The files were messy, unorganised and looked like a toddler had taken crayons to the file. Dates were also often completely messed up. However, investigations were made, and eventually the courts became involved which actually made it worse. Even less evidence was ever produced, but it all just steam rolled on right ahead and ensure that these children were placed somewhere else. Whether there was truth or not to any accusations.

Though most of what was share with me confidentially was redacted files, but it can be clearly seen that often the investigations lead nowhere, the files were just never closed and instead became a further filth for some parents to be smeared with. It was harrowing to see the destruction it had on the students in front of me, who as young adults came face to face with lies, accusation and also some pretty angry family members. Some having experienced worse things than had they had stayed with the original parent or if their parents had gotten along, or the family had just butted out.  

The most important thing I noticed, once they had worked through their own memories, ideas, trusting themselves and what they wanted. They always re – established contact with that parent, even if it cost them the other family members, who were quick to pile on the dirt, or even phone me as their tutor to try and convince me to bring them back around to their thinking. It is also important to know that these young adults often were not bad kids, they may have had to grow an attitude and thick skins, but were still just kids. However, the involvement in these cases of child protective services and the family courts caused almost irreparable damage, most of these young adults did not complete their education and could not until it was sorted.

Again, there are a handful of cases where the files were correct and showed clear reasons for the young adult to have been in the system, and these youth adults were a completely different ball game when it came to be supporting them. I had these cases in my classes for years, and then not even a year ago because of a personal encounter I came across something called parental alienation. It was a term coined roughly in the 1980’s by a psychiatrist called Richard Gardner, which has over the decades had lots and lots of controversy surrounding it. Mostly because research has been few and far between.

Parental alienation however rang some major bells.  Parental alienation happens when a child is made to believe that a parent or the other parent is bad. It requires a fair amount of manipulation, brainwashing and psychological abuse that is very damaging which happens over a long period of time. It is where parents talk about having had a close relationship that safe and healthy with their kids, and then suddenly their kids don’t want to see them, or they say things that are out of character for them.  It is done behind closed doors and because there is some controversy behind it, is also easily dismissed.  Some parents becoming alienated from their children for decades, though they all eventually return to one another.  

I realised that I had been in the presence of this for the whole time. I can also say that it is very real and very painful for all involved, worse so for the child who later discovers the truth and then have to figure it out. I realised that parents who are going through or have gone through the process with child protective services are often made to be ashamed, even if there is no reason to be ashamed. It is not talked about; parental alienation is not talked about. It seems to be believed that it is often mothers who do it to fathers, but I had encountered equally as many fathers who are guilty of this too.

Though I had recently had another level added to the whole process while supporting my partner with her battle. We are in a same sex relationship and though I had given my full support, I was told it was not appropriate for me to be involved. Though not one will outwardly state why, I have an odd sensation I know why. On a personal level I have now encountered what my youth had explained to me. The stories and accusations, even though the file says nothing of use and all of which had already been discredited. The dancing around questions and literally being avoided by all the professionals involved while a case was built of false accusations and information more than ten years old.

This time I am sitting in live action and watching the parental alienation take hold. I am watching the devastating affect it has on my partner, and the sadness in her son’s eyes when they do get some time together.  I have also found the way others view it as ridiculous, how quick everyone is to assume the worst or think that there has to be a reason. How there is this crazy shame attached to going through this, and yet it is a fairly frequent experience, more than more realise, especially with the divorce rate of New Zealand. We have a situation where there is a legal system in place that alienates children and parents, and almost legally allows kidnapping.

[cathnews]

Teachers not trained to spot child abuse, reporting optional

Teachers not trained to spot child abuse, reporting optional

Teachers and childcare staff aren’t taught how to spot child abuse. If they suspect – or even know – a child is being abused, it’s up to them to decide if they’ll pass on their fears to agencies. Both these things have to change, say child advocacy campaigners. They want teachers and daycare staff to get compulsory training so they can spot abuse. They also want the Children’s Act to sharpen up,…

[swldx]

RNZ Pacific 1328 4 Feb 2024

7390Khz 1259 4 FEB 2024 - RNZ PACIFIC (NEW ZEALAND) in ENGLISH from RANGITAIKI. SINPO = 55344. English, s/on w/bellbird int. until pips and news @1300z anchored by Catriona MacLeod . The opposition has been told not to lick its wounds for too long, so it can join the fight against the new government's policies affecting Māori. The Labour Party and the Green Party were welcomed onto Te Whare Rūnanga on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds on Saturday afternoon. The new government has committed to supporting legislation to redefine the principles of the Treaty up to the Select Committee stage, on top of repealing Te Aka Whai Ora (The Māori Health Authority) and Oranga Tamariki law allowing iwi and hapū involvement in the uplift of children. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has repeatedly stated National has no intentions of supporting the Treaty Principles Bill beyond first reading but stopped short of categorically ruling it out. Wellington City Council staff will look at what may fix broken storm water pipes leaking leachate from a closed landfill into Houghton Bay. Wellington Water has assessed the pipes via CCTV and recommended relining the stormwater network to address the contamination issue, which would cost $7 million. Two helicopters equipped with monsoon buckets are on their way to a large scrub fire near Doubtless Bay in the Far North. The blaze, in 1.5 hectares of pines and dense scrub at Taemaro Bay, was reported just before 11am. Northern fire communications manager Michael Anderson said two fire trucks from Mangōnui were at the scene with more on the way from the Karikari rural brigade. The Cancer Society says it is great to see the new government invest in cancer drugs, but it also needs to ensure the drug-buying agency acts more quickly to save lives. Sunday marks World Cancer Day. Cancer Society chief executive Rachael Hart said National's promise to pay for 13 cancer treatments should make a difference, but Pharmac's processes also need to be overhauled. Queenslanders are being warned of another wave of wild weather as a tropical low off the coast threatens to form into a cyclone. The system isn't expected to make landfall but could still wreak havoc on communities recovering from ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily. Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill has made history after she was appointed Northern Ireland's first nationalist first minister. The DUP's Emma Little-Pengelly has been appointed deputy first minister. The return of power-sharing follows the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) ending its boycott over post-Brexit trade rules. O'Neill told the assembly chamber it was "a historic day" which represented "a new dawn". Northern Ireland's devolved government was restored on Saturday - two years to the day since it collapsed. @1303z trailer for RNZ "Morning Report". @1304z Weather Forecast: Mostly Fine and warm, some areas rain with some heavy falls. @1305z "All Night Programme" anchored by Catriona MacLeod. Backyard fence antenna, Etón e1XM. 100kW, beamAz 35°, bearing 240°. Received at Plymouth, United States, 12912KM from transmitter at Rangitaiki. Local time: 0659.

[yeltsinsstar]

Oranga Tamariki boss makes stunning concession of 'structural racism' to Waitangi Tribunal

[pappito]

9 napja kempingeznek a parlament előtt a tiltakozók, bár egyre átláthatatlanabb, hogy mi ellen tiltakozik a jelenlevők melyik része. Ide érkezett az a konvoly ami a kanadai mintájára formálódott, de úgy tűnik mire elért a fővárosba, boldog-boldogtalan csatlakozott, akinek volt valami tiltakoznivalója. Van antivakcinás, van aki trump2024 zászlót lenget, van aki a kötelező maszkhordás ellen, (a munkáltató megkövetelheti a vakcina passportot) de van aki a gyerekügyi minisztert akarja lemondatni az oranga tamariki éléről, de nem hiányoznak a maori szeparatisták, és mindenféle válogatott összeesküvés elméletek hívei sem. Ja és persze az egyik legnépszerűbb újkeresztény szekta hívai is ott vannak, akiknek a főnökét becsukták a böribe korábban - az egyházától meg a saját balfaszsága miatt tegnap vonta meg az állam a charitable státuszt - nem teljesítettek valami bevallási kötelezettségeket.

szóvivője nincs az egésznek, de úgy látszik nem is könnyű ilyet találni, tekintve, hogy mennyien mennyi minden külön dolog ellen tiltakoznak, bár abban egyetértenek, hogy így vagy úgy, de kormányzat kurva anyját.

a parlament (ha jól értettem akkor ahol a sátrakat felverték az a parlament területe) eddig annyit csinált, hogy rájuk nyitotta az öntözőrendszert, bár ez nem nagyon hatotta meg a népet, tekintve, hogy vagy három-négy napig amúgy is szakadt az eső. a rendőrség ott van meg csomó további rendőrt odaküldtek, de egyelőre parkolási bírságokat osztanak a 400+ szanaszét hagyott, jobbára illegálban parkoló autónak. Tegnap óta fenyegetőznek, hogy elvontatják az összeset a picsába, (miután felajánlották a tüntetőknek, hogy a közeli stadionban parkolhatnak ingyen de ez nem kellett a tiltakozóknak) de az sem egyszerű, mert a vontatókat üzemeltető cégek nem nagyon akarnak odamenni és elvinni a kocsikat - félnek, hogy a kedves tüntetők elverik őket vagy megrongálják a kocsikat (a tiltakozók már felhivogattak autómetős cégeket mindenféle retorzióval fenyegetőzve, ha odamennek dolgozni) Erőszak nem nagyon volt, pár napig bazi hangosan tolták valami hangrendszerről a macarenát, az mondjuk nem volt szép.

Ma megjelent 4 katonai csapatszállító autó is, de a katonák bevetéséhez valami külön döntés kell, ami még nem született meg és nem is biztos, hogy velük takaríttatják ki a teret, a rendőrség meg az NZDF egyeztetget.

a környéken bezártak az üzletek, mert nem lehet közlekedni és a tiltakozók fenyegetik a maszkot viselőket akik oda mentek volna vásárolni vagy ügyeket intézni, őket meg nem engedték be a boltokba amúgy se mert nincs vakcina passportjuk. Úgyhogy a bizniszek mennek tönkre és a környékbeli lakásokban se jó lakni mostanság a zaj meg az ellehetetlenített közlekedés meg a szétbaszott közterület miatt.

párszáz és 3ezer között ingadozik a hetijegyes fesztiválozók száma, sokan vannak kinn családdal, gyerekkel, kutyával, kaptak mobilvécéket, hogy ne szarják össze a gyepet meg leeresztették a molesworth utcai szökőkutat, mert abban fürödtek a népek. ott van ilyen átabotában összerakott elsősegély hely is a tüntetőknek.

hát így állunk