The recent Bill needs urgent revision. 1) Appogg social workers to focus on permanency for children 2) Mandatory reporting to be removed especially the penalty for professionals 3) Foster care should not be left exclusively to the state 4) Therapeutic residential programmes for children to offer specialised care 5) Key positions not to be appointed by the Minister 6) Improve training given to foster carers 7) Differentiate between fostering and adoption - two distinct services.
The Bill was left on the shelf for years (after successive PN governments did nothing about it) and then it was rushed through parliament without proper consultation. A lot of work needs to be done to make it work.
I like No 5. Especially when the government is going against the Law by not having an open call for the key post in this new Law.
I agree. It definitely needs to be revised. Children are not going to benefit from this legislation. They were never consulted. We have a number of young adults today that have been in Care who I think can validly contribute to make this Act much better than it is.
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