The fact that over 100 cases of Human rights negligence against the UK cases are at the European courts after they joined the family court and child protection together, they want to do the same here. It seemed like a great option with the media buzz going around about child abuse cases to foster the children out to negligent families. The problem with all of this lies in the abuse of power and drive for money that led to 100 cases of human rights atrocities. Social workers were given $5000 for every child they could find abuse on. How they defined abuse became a very loose term. Like the poor frog in the slowly heated pot phrase, it began with foster care and then the adoption law joined in. Australia has only just had the child death inquiry and child protection has been under fire for quite some time in their own negligence. How a child is treated in this system is one of the governments best kept secrets and one that would blow you mind away. Before we get to the article, I am going to take you on a little journey inside a government residential home for children:
In an average residential home for children, you will find it resembles a typical family home usually in a residential area with 4 - 6 bedrooms and a staff office. Staff is present for 24 hours where they participate in duties such as delivering children to school, making meals, washing and cleaning. Sound ok? Now shall we get to the disturbing parts, the part where the only ones who know about this are the workers, the children, the parents and the government. Of course most of the parents have been moved off the scene so little chance of any challenging or obtaining evidence against these facilities. Everything inside the home is locked - the food, the utensils, bathroom items and even access to towels. Children as young as ten have been placed with teens that have records of extreme violence that is often manufactured by this type of institutionalized abuse. The children are watched or as child protection prefer the term, "monitored" and recorded 24 hours a day. The heir-achy of Human Services in the community services field is seen amongst workers from independent agencies as "untouchable" and it is common knowledge that if you challenge their behavior towards children and young people, they will do everything they can to destroy your career. Inside child protection the culture is psychopathic and incentive by fear. Personality types who are humanistic usually get pushed out and what remains is the types that would make your blood run cold. Perhaps if they would have just been a little more careless in their bullying tactics, they might have been serving jail by now, but instead, they are serving up the children to feed the future criminal justice system.
The children learn very quickly that this is not a nurturing environment, but one of the survival of the fittest and if they play the game right, they will have their freedoms. Sometimes this might be access to basic life necessities and other times its access to social contact. often what is common with these children is that they end up seeking out acquaintances with power and knowledge in disobeying the law because what began as a freedom from abuse ends up a massive plight for freedom from the system who treated them like criminals at such a young age. So lets have a look at these proposals, shall we?
FAMILY Court judges may be given the power to decide that children are better off in foster care instead of granting either parent custody as part of a range of options being considered by the Federal Government.
Attorney-General Robert McClelland wants the Family Court and state welfare agencies to work together more effectively. In an interview with The Age he said there was a "fracture" between them. The court made decisions about which parent should have residence or access but "the reality is it's not uncommon for both parents to be effectively dysfunctional".
"Quite often, Family Court judges are required to give access and residence to the least worst option and I think we need to certainly explore giving them additional options," he said.
Mr McClelland said there should be greater collaboration between the Family Court and state community services departments.
Giving the Family Court the power to determine all matters relating to the welfare of children would be legally complex, as the child protection system is managed by the states. But linking the two would make sense, as many matters that go to the Family Court involve substance abuse issues or allegations of violence and abuse.
"It's not easy. It's complex, it involves constitutional issues but it's a very important issue and one we're working on," Mr McClelland said.
"We're certainly exploring whether that can be done and indeed whether it is something that the states would regard as desirable in terms of referring powers to the Family Court."
Mr McClelland has asked his department for advice on options, and said he would take the matter up with his state counterparts in the first half of next year.
"In circumstances where child welfare matters are central to issues relating to family break-up my instincts are that most states say it makes sense," he said.
Currently, state welfare authorities seek child protection orders through the Children's Court, which has been overwhelmed with such cases and has experienced long delays. Mr McClelland said at the very least the Family Court should have greater access to information that is considered by state welfare authorities.
Former chief justice of the Family Court Alastair Nicholson has for years been lobbying for Family Court judges to be able to deal with child protection matters.
"I think it's a terrific idea," he said. "There should be an attempt to unify the system so that the one court can deal with all of these issues."
Mr Nicholson said the concept of granting custody to the "least worst" parent was well known in family law. There had been cases where a child who had been subject to a Family Court matter ended up in the child protection system.
"If you have a situation where both people (parents) are that bad, it's inevitable that it's going to come to the attention of child protection authorities, but it might come too late."
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