Homelessness -more than boundaries with 4 walls!

ABC TV PROGRAM ON OASIS

Family breakdown IS THE KEY ISSUE .
So lets talk about it . The parents themselves have tried and failed . In many cases both parents and children have given up on each other. Why shouldn"t society?. Tough job for tanya .
Its not easy for any parent to admit defeat . But as Noni hazelhurst said so well on 774 - we all give up on each other from time to time . Failure is no reason to give up on providing down to earth parental support on the street or THE BIG RISK ( NOTE YOU POLYS AND MEDIA WANNABES) to keep changing direction is how that service is provided ( The stupid technological fix syndrome of the wannabes) . Fact is we all fail every day in the boundary setting job , so noone need give up .
CONCLUSION
SO Lets not pretend to find some new way to do one of the toughest jobs in the world - lets just make sure someone is there WHO HAS THE ENERGY TO REALLY CARE LIKE THEIR OWN PARENTS - PREPARED TO PUSH BOUNDARIES AND not JUST BE PUSHED AROUND !

SO WHAT"S WRONG WITH NOW? ---the inadequacy and mutual irresponsibility of the merry go round of 9-5 weekday care. One or 2 persons needs to act as parent, not 10! ( MAYBE MORE THAN 2 -JUST HOW MANY AND WHERE WHAT ROLES IS A key QUESTION BUT AUTHORITY TO AcT LIKE GUARDIAN - ALSO -PUSHING EM BACK TO tHEIR OWN PAReNTS ---DAVE COULD HELP WITH)
The govt are like the worst step family you could think of - and kids know it . Too many can still get "what they want" ( as opposed to what they need") from our defacto and dysfunctional families (nature of bureaucacry to be so - just give the right jobs to the right people) Rememember current govt case workers jobs ( which you can't and won't fill) is impossible if it doesn't have a cutting edge care angle ) giving them what they need - not always what they want!)
The risk with half baked measures (where the waste is now)is ALSO that these children do not get any helpful modelling on anger, resistance , respect and confrontation management ( they keep pushing people around) with merrygo round of "so called servicing" that is currently the go .


Many of the old merrigo round service centres operate as if the children were in charge . What the community wants and the children need is for the parents ( or someone seriuos enough about authority - NOW I HAVE DONE IT ! --that role) to stay in charge -Avoid the woosy LEAVE TO NOONE handout merrigo round of the present !

Bad labelleing of the problem of homelessness isn't the end --provided the label doesn't keep distracting us from dealing with the core motivating factors . Sure beds are needed but not neccesarily "secure ones" .
Other boundaries of care and love and discipline need to be reset - thats the hard bit - where you need tough people with tough action at their disposal . Street living does some of that discipline ( so its not all bad ) but without hope and stability of stable adults who aren't hooked on the universal drug of " doing what you feel like " it is indeed hopeless.( those wonderful Salvo people can't be beat with the help of specialists and other needed bureaucrats BUT PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE and GIVE the HORSE A BETTER DRINKING HOLE ! )

The opportunity to direct and set new bounadries for young people was nearly missed.

In a post moden age the ABC could lead the way beyond mere quickfiz by moving beyond the " how do you feel" focus to really help provide objective answers for children who find themselves without parental influence. THE OBJECTIVE VIEW

TOWARDS BETTER FUNDING DECISIONS
The audience want answers and the polys want answers that accord with that ( so they can stay in power) - so make it happen ABC . Dave gave the hint ( somewhere in the system 0 but Tony didn't take it .( where in the system?)

DAVE might have said " The state is reluctant to give its power of playing parent to the right people, but really in a crisis who best can play the role ? -Surely those near the street who are almost as equally powerless people-- who have the guts to act as defacto parents' .Who can with adequate support stay there to pick up pieces and keep hoping . Self praise may not be the easiest thing to do,
but it doesn't change the fact that like the NT the church has a critical and important role to play ( one which has been given a hard time over for too long) Salvos don't intervene without review , so don't worry .
Anyone who has ever worked at that boundary knows just how difficult any case workers job is ( secular or non secular) ( none less than Plibersek,,, who did well ) The point is it like so many PS jobs, it is the person without the pay, the influence and the predictabliity that is most vulnerbale tpo the poly project mentality ( polys love to keep changing the way things are done - what kids need is stable mentors who hang around )

Got news for you powerbrokers
Parenting has not changed. therefore keep the people who have the guts and strength to stay there and be there to stay there ( the poys know casework filling is a big problem at the moment so deal with it) - maybe plibersek might have said to the OASIS audience – “how about I give just one of you gets a job helping others like yourlseves through this period - wow what an outcome .

We missed it - Does the ABC prefer control and leaving the stated objective of “answers” --up in the air ? . Hate to dictate - to intervene?. T be held responsible . Give responsibility tothose who take it I say ! The absolute right to freewill thing was checked well by david burbidge . If all sides of goverenment’s natural tenedency to "changechange change programs" ( see note about "not working" in relation to all families below)isn't checked by media , the growth of parentless potentail on the streets will increase .

POLYS WATCHING? The job for plibersek- sit on any techno fix and get consensus for ongoing support for caseworkers on the streets and in the schools ( another area where quiet early intervention is working )
Avoid the merrygo round syndrome . What the community wants and the children need is for the parents ( or someone serious enough about tough but listening roles) to stay in charge -Avoid the woosyy handout merrigo round of the present. Put people on the street where it really means they can make a difference and help cut cleanly with care.

Like in real parenting You can't always see the good that’s coming from cutting , caring and specific discipline (all children are different ) the stress of contininiug to set boundaries All the good that is going on - best not to focus too much on the ever present and unexorzisable bad OR you will miss the pointy end of really doing good !


----and miss the point of giving our children all the parental and real world boundary setting help they can get at such a difficult time in their/ all our lives .

Tanya will do well even to insist in a discussion of taking roles of authority seriously –The best balance is probably a mix - as long as it’s a strong mix with little duplication and real leadership responsibilities .

More Care - less Change

Rudd maybe getting a little carried away with his own power to change things he cannot change . Not a good look
If he not more careful in pressing the fear missile on water ( you will get less rain --he said to the Chinese this week )he could himself become subject of a missile attack .

ALSO People in charge of glass houses should not throw stones -Australias commitment to c02 reductions is as much hot air as any countries at the moment -diplomacy mate !.

Those of us who want Kevin for more than 07 want him to stay. That means not always taking advice from the panic merchants in his midst .