Dear Editor,
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10886055
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10887922
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10887476
In the articles above, they talk about how an organization called Child Family Youth (CYF) failed to help, care and protect children from being abused and or neglected. My response is, "This is an outrage!", while CYF social workers sit around not doing anything more children are admitted to the hospital from being abused and neglected, they need help from someone.
I would love to come from a country where there is no child abuse and every child is cared and protected for. Unfortunately though, New Zealand holds a reputation for the highest child abuse records, however maybe if people started to respect and look out for each other, and organizations like CYF helped those vulnerable children in need, New Zealand will get rid of this bad reputation.
Vulnerable children that are left in a situation of abuse by their families should have someone they can rely on, to help them. Labour's social development spokeswomen Jacinda Arden says "I don't think it's acceptable that we're leaving any vulnerable children in a situation of abuse when CYF knows about it," I've got to agree with her statement. Being an abused child myself, i think that if an organization like CYF knows that your being abused by a family member or caregiver, then they should try to help you or at least suggest someone who can help if they can't. Everyone needs someone they can rely on to be there for them when no one else is.
CYF should show some concern, i mean those poor kids are being abused, ,starved and neglected. They could use some help, and since it CYF's job to help children they should try to give them the protection and care they need. In another article called "Children raised in meth labs" the article discusses that police found children living in a P lab with drugs and two loaded rifles inside the house. When CYF were alerted about it they showed "no care and protection concerns" for the youngsters. Then the article goes on to say that the kids have been put back into care of the bailed p cooks. To me this is appalling, I can't believe CYF would let them get away with that. Of-course it's going to happen again if they don't get some serious help or support, like from CYF.
Providing protection, is one of the most important roles of being a parent/ caregiver. Wouldn't you agree? Well if most parents and caregivers can manage to protect children. Why can't CYF manage to, especially if its their job too. CYF have been in the news a lot lately and it's not for positive reasons. I read an article called "Fatal fire victim's family: CYF failed to manage teen", 49-year-old Lynette Chapman, was killed as she slept in her Pukekohe home. Ms Chapman's family say Child, Youth and Family failed in its responsibility to properly manage the teenager, who killed her in an arson attack. Tonya Bennett the 16 year old girl that killed Ms Chapman, had been in CYF care since she was a child. It's not CYF's fault entirely, that this teenage girl was obviously messed up from being abused as a kid, though maybe if CYF provided better support for her, she wouldn't have done what she did.
I think it is wrong to abuse or neglect a child, if men and woman want to have a child they should seriously think about how their going to take care of that child and make certain that they can provide the necessities like food, water, shelter and education. As well as clothing and other things. Or if its an unwanted child then they should give the child to a family that will care and protect her/him. They should not be neglected, abused, starved or tortured. It is appalling to know that their are poor, innocent children in the world that have to go through being neglected and abused everyday whether by a family member or caregiver, it's not ok. People of New Zealand we should take a stand against child abuse.
Regards,
Ruby
Written By Olivia Nuttall
