Be the change!
Is it just me or does everyone believe that Ghandi was right…we have to be the change we want to see in the world?
I stole that line, by the way, yesterday I helped launch ‘It takes all kinds’ a campaign to attract at least 40 new foster carers on the Sunshine Coast…
We are desperately short of foster carers, desperately short.
Tonight in Queensland, 6200 children will spend the night out of their homes, because for some reason, they are not safe in their own beds. 6200. And that number, tragically, is growing all the time.
I stole the Ghandi line from Matt Lupi from the Department of Child Safety, he also talked about how for most kids, when people who hurt them are prosecuted, it’s largely irrelevant to the child. It doesn’t even begin to heal their wounds. What is relevant to abused children, is how they are treated after the event, who steps in to fill the breach.
When I was very young I used to go out with a boy who had a foster sister. Emily was nine and while her Mum loved her, she was a druggie…and whenever she went on a bender, Emily went to Matthew’s house.
Sometimes Emily would just spend Saturday morning cooking cakes with Matthew’s lovely hippy Mum, sometimes she’d call in the middle of the night because she was home alone or her Mum was passed out. And sometimes, happily, they didn’t see her for ages.
I don’t think I understood it at first. I used to harrass Matthew with questions…why don’t you adopt Emily?…How can your parents let her go back…? Don’t you miss her when she’s not here?
But I get it now. Matthew’s Mum and Dad showed perfect love by providing Emily with exactly what she needed. Emily had a mother who loved her, they were just the support crew.
And it doesn’t matter who you are, there’s a kid on the sunshine coast who needs you too.
Think about it, it doesn’t matter if you’re old or young, single, married, divorced, black, white, rich, poor, gay or straight. If you are a good parent or you think you’d make a good parent, trust me, there is a kid waiting for you to change their future.
For more information call Integrated Family and Youth Service (go on - do it!) 54 38 3000
I stole that line, by the way, yesterday I helped launch ‘It takes all kinds’ a campaign to attract at least 40 new foster carers on the Sunshine Coast…
We are desperately short of foster carers, desperately short.
Tonight in Queensland, 6200 children will spend the night out of their homes, because for some reason, they are not safe in their own beds. 6200. And that number, tragically, is growing all the time.
I stole the Ghandi line from Matt Lupi from the Department of Child Safety, he also talked about how for most kids, when people who hurt them are prosecuted, it’s largely irrelevant to the child. It doesn’t even begin to heal their wounds. What is relevant to abused children, is how they are treated after the event, who steps in to fill the breach.
When I was very young I used to go out with a boy who had a foster sister. Emily was nine and while her Mum loved her, she was a druggie…and whenever she went on a bender, Emily went to Matthew’s house.
Sometimes Emily would just spend Saturday morning cooking cakes with Matthew’s lovely hippy Mum, sometimes she’d call in the middle of the night because she was home alone or her Mum was passed out. And sometimes, happily, they didn’t see her for ages.
I don’t think I understood it at first. I used to harrass Matthew with questions…why don’t you adopt Emily?…How can your parents let her go back…? Don’t you miss her when she’s not here?
But I get it now. Matthew’s Mum and Dad showed perfect love by providing Emily with exactly what she needed. Emily had a mother who loved her, they were just the support crew.
And it doesn’t matter who you are, there’s a kid on the sunshine coast who needs you too.
Think about it, it doesn’t matter if you’re old or young, single, married, divorced, black, white, rich, poor, gay or straight. If you are a good parent or you think you’d make a good parent, trust me, there is a kid waiting for you to change their future.
For more information call Integrated Family and Youth Service (go on - do it!) 54 38 3000
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