I am so angry that I am beyond coherent speech.
We have a 5 year old child here that comes from a less than functional family, but he’s a bright little chap and as a result of his upbringing is remarkably self sufficient and streetwise. It’s just transpired that today he came to school on his bike. This involves several quite major roads, a roundabout or two not to mention the army traffic that frequents these roads. He’s at football club at the moment and it will be dark when he’s finished. I can’t get hold of mum and I’m not prepared to let him cycle home. I don’t believe he should be out on the streets on a bike anyway, he’s far too young. I have just phoned his social worker and do you know her advice?
She has told me that if it will be too dark when he finishes football then to send him home on his bike now. Did I mention that he’s 5 years old?
Every Child Matters ??????? yeah right
6 comments:
Oh my goodness Ziggi! When my kids were 5 year old, we never let them out of our sight except in the care and responsibility of another adult. It's too bad that the parents think he is old enough to care for himself. Some children grow up fast and miraculously are able to care for themselves because their parents can't. It's a sad, sad situation. Five years old! May God bless him.
I'm not certain of the spelling, but aarrgghgreschk#!&*^%!!! How the hell did that dummy becoome a social worker!
dinahmow
I Used to foster care teenagers from difficult backgrounds and each had a social worker assigned to them. The problem was then(and now) and I am sure it is similar to Australia in the UK that the caseloads assigned to each social worker were far too large for them to be able to give the proper time to any individual. I spent loads of times in tears and frustration in the years I fostered in just trying to get the bureaucratic stuff out of the way first then any extra help with concerns for the young person was almost like banging your head against a brick wall. Some social workers were fantastic and caring but ended up burning out rapidly and then you were left with those who gave cursory care, if that. In the end I burned out after a decade too but not before working out that directly involving the minister(politician) responsible plus local mps, knowing all the local police and actively involving my own network of friends including media was the only effective way of getting what you needed done. It wasn't fair then, isn't now and I don't know what the answer is BUT I am glad this kid has you on his side albeit in a limited capacity. Respect to you for caring AND for writing it down.
He got home safely - I kept him at school with me until Mum eventually pitched up then I read her the riot act. Her lack of care is mainly through ignorance rather than deliberate neglect but I fear for him I really do.
Can't beat the social worker's logic - it'd be hitting something mentally deficient and defenseless
Ziggi,
You are one of those guardian angels that mothers pray to all the time. God bless you.
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