jewely I feel unsure that I should contribute further here.
The thread has dipped into some dark areas.
But much like you my thoughts are with the kids.
This last week has seen the dead thing known as DOC,s shoot itself in the foot yet again.
My only concern is it must soon be the groin
Yes I can debate the other side of that story, blame the mum, tighten the laws to allow police to act, give kids to more good dads rather than bad mums.
But while all have merit DOCS is to blame, its political corectness its blindness its white wash its complete lack of direction.
Good thread good intent but this dark stuff has nothing to do with subject and is not debate
regards

Yes Belly the “dark stuff” is a worry but also something the government has now advanced closer to placing the children closer to.

I’m not really one for adhering to topics; I appreciate the natural ebb and flow of conversations in general. I was hoping for no debate at all, having to prove how wrong these recommendations are isn’t something I thought I would have to debate with anyone.

Last week the media named DoCS several times, was amazing how they stepped up the anti-DoCS material and heralded in the Woods Report as a savior of children. If you read through the articles half the kids were with NGO’s while being abused and raped.

DoCS needed to be improved whereas now it looks like they will remove kids from parents, go to court and hand out vast amounts of monies to NGO’s while never having to set eyes on the state wards again.

Caring for children will be about money and the building up of caregiver bases in NSW, it was already going in that direction. I have to say I have not met a caseworker I didn’t like, I am lucky enough by the sounds of it in my area to have met some genuine and caring people. It was always management as Fractelle pointed out.

I have met NGO caseworkers too, was half and half but the half I didn’t like had a horrible grabbing attitude towards children, they wanted them fast and didn’t care what distress the children were in. Never had I ever heard a DoCS caseworker say “screaming children is normal” just the NGO’s.

That dark stuff Belly, this is the little Aussies new reality. Private businesses are capable of hiding what is happening even better than government departments especially since they can keep the DoCS caseworkers at arms length.

You’re comforting OUG, the day fostering fell to bits for me. My first weird thought was going to the hospital, maybe they could do something – medical induced coma until it was all over would have been nice. Then a little hand put itself in mine and I realized with a lot of shame that I had forgotten something.

What name did you want? When I first saw “OUG” I kept thinking Under One God and thought Muslim.

My name change is me hiding more after my recent DoCS encounter and a reflection of what the NGO’s will make foster parents. Most of the children have called me “ooeee” being little and all. Doesn’t look good in print.

“[on another note i noted the appeal period has been extended[and appeal judges have changed,..”

Where did you see this? Something this huge and nothing from the media. I had a young mum whose children have been taken e-mail me the other day telling me to quickly go listen to a radio station about DoCS because there was a mention of the Wood Report. Her children have been moved because of a foster parent abusing her child and still she finds time to help another foster parent. The parents are starting to understand… I guess the powerless usually understand something first.

from your last link
[5],Omit“at risk of harm”wherever occurring.
Insert instead..“at risk of significant harm”.
[6]Section 27 Mandatory reporting
Omit..'the person must,as soon as practicable, report to” from section 27 (2).
Insert instead “it is the duty of the person to report,as soon as practicable, to”.
[7]Section 27 (2)
Omit the penalty..at the end of the subsection.
[8]..The Director-General and the head of a relevant agency may
enter into an arrangement under which a person (the staff
member) who:
(a) is employed in or engaged by the relevant agency, and
(b) is a person to whom section 27 applies,
may, in accordance with the terms of the arrangement, refer to an
assessment officer of the agency any matter that the staff member
would otherwise be required to report to the Director-General
under that section.

2Section 8 What are the objects of this Act?
Omit “taking into account the rights, powers and duties” from section 8 (a).
Insert instead “having regard to the capacity”.

155 Review of supported out-of-home care arrangements
(1) If a child or young person has been in supported out-of-home care
for a period, or for periods in the aggregate, exceeding 3 months
in any period of 12 months, the designated agency having
supervisory responsibility for the child or young person must
conduct a review of the out-of-home care arrangements at least
once in every period of 12 months.
Omit section 43 (1). Insert instead:
(1) The Ombudsman must prepare a report every 2 years on the
Ombudsman’s work and activities under this Part for the
preceding 2 years.

The first such biennial report is to be prepared
in respect of the 2-year period ending on 30 June 2010.

(1A) Each report under subsection(1)must be provided to the
Presiding Officer of each House of Parliament as soon as
practicable after 30 June.
[
4]Section 43[2)(a)
Omit “previous calendar year”.Insert instead“reporting period”.
[5]Section 43(4)
Omit“an annual report under this section”.
Insert instead “a report under subsection (1)”.

Pied Piper

OK - prefer your previous moniker. But you have your reasons.

The more I read about Woods recommendation the more it sounds like a push for privatisation. Maybe the intentions were good, but the solutions offered are not in the best interest of the children.

Number One priority is welfare of our children. Therefore:

Should we place our children's care into the for-profit sector?

If you answer "yes" go back to question and start again (little joke).

Therefore we need public service to provide overall administration of placement, history and progress (or not) of children.

However, current system isn't working - only possible way to change is to lobby local MP's. For example, make the Liberal Opposition do some work for a change and push Labor towards repair and rejuvenation of DoCS.

So that you don't 're-invent the wheel' below is link to previous petition on DoCS with good advice on presenting a petition.

http://altnews.com.au/drop/node/2551

Love and Good Luck.

Hey Fractelle, I also liked my other name. It was suggested I don’t be so obvious – I have no idea however how to not be me.

DoCS are all over the Altnews site, requesting copies of all my posts. I have signed some petitions on there though and understood a bit more from the parent’s side of things which I can condense in to two words “powerless” and “angry”. Given these huge changes that are currently going through I cant see a petition getting through right now and no one seems very focused on the NGO’s and the role they are about to play in the fostering game.

OUG…
“155 Review of supported out-of-home care arrangements
(1) If a child or young person has been in supported out-of-home care
for a period, or for periods in the aggregate, exceeding 3 months
in any period of 12 months, the designated agency having
supervisory responsibility for the child or young person must
conduct a review of the out-of-home care arrangements at least
once in every period of 12 months.”

Translation: Place in other filing cabinet then put back.

“[5],Omit“at risk of harm”wherever occurring.
Insert instead..“at risk of significant harm”.”

Translation: Don’t call us our phones don’t work (Justice Wood obviously has no idea how insignificant all the little parts of a neglected child’s life are over time).

“[6]Section 27 Mandatory reporting
Omit..'the person must,as soon as practicable, report to” from section 27 (2).
Insert instead “it is the duty of the person to report,as soon as practicable, to”.

Translation: You have to but, whenever.

Tell me I am wrong and I will be a lot happier.