Children are stolen; children are abused in state care; Oranga Tamariki is a racist institution, and so on.
They aren't my claims but they abound from various sources. You'll be familiar with them.
Yet when children and young people in state care are surveyed about how they are feeling currently their responses are fairly positive. Probably - dare I say it - on a par with most young people their age.
The first statement: 'Have people in my life who love me no matter what'
77% say 'Yes definitely' 20%, say 'Yes I think so'.
The lowest agreeable score was, 'Know my ancestry (whakapapa)' where just 25% said 'Yes definitely ' and 28% said 'Yes I think so'.
For me the first aspect of a young person's life is more important. The importance of feeling unconditionally loved is hard to overstate.
Not all young people in the care of the state have participated so that's a shortcoming. 84% participation rate is nevertheless good.
The survey results seem strangely out of sync with the failure of OT opponents put about.
2 comments:
Yes, it does. But heartening.
Children in family placements are still considered in state care.
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