In a sad indictment of our society, more and more children are being taken into state care. Public funds are not delivering the right level of care that is needed, so donations from the public and corporate sector are being desperately sought.
Drugs, poverty, family break down and sexual depravity are some of the causes for this surge. The outcome is greater demands on government to take care of “at risk” children and teenagers.
Government attempts to mitigate the aberrations of society by funding a variety of interventions. Options include foster, kinship and residential care – the latter receiving media attention at the moment as sexual abuse is being visited on already traumatized young children in these facilities.
Foster or kinship care is clearly the better option. Living in a loving family environment is a crucial ingredient for recovery and adjustment for these abused children. In an ideal environment, early access to therapeutic advisers providing foster parents with detailed assessment for each child aids their recovery mission. Similarly educational support compensates for learning impairments that usually comes as a direct result of a child’s abuse.
However, government does not uniformly fund therapeutic advisers or educational support for each child despite the fact that research shows this is a powerful aid in the recovery process and assisting these young people to go about a normal life.
In reality, government provides the minimum level of care, relying heavily upon the compassion of carers to somehow make do. Carers do their very best but almost always lack professional support.
If the proper level of intervention is to happen, then it must be funded by other means.
Ozchild has 163 years of experience in helping children in his troubled space, whether with disability, educational needs or foster care. Donations from the public can be made online at their website https://secure.donman.net.au/client/ozchild/Donate.aspx
For corporations wishing to make a difference, contact me to provide you with the information and insight into how to you can help. Every child deserves the right to shine.
I am a part time employee of Ozchild, keen to make a difference.