This post has been written by Francesca Polini, an advocate for adoption reforms in the UK, and published on her blog. I found it so interesting that I have re-published it here.
Last week I was invited to the launch of the Parliamentary Friends of The Big Issue. The Big Issue was started by John Bird as a way of getting homeless people back into work and into society. The event itself was low key however John made one of his inspiring speeches in which he spoke of the poverty trap, made worse by our current benefit system. It was this handout culture that prompted him, with the help of Gordon Roddick, to set up the Big Issue whereby the poor and homeless would work for their money, gaining self-esteem and a ‘hand-up’ in the process. His statistic on the 501 homeless charities that exist was disturbing: you really have to wonder what would happen if that effort was directed to ‘hand-ups’ rather than handouts as most of it currently is.
John himself was a neglected child who, as he wryly puts it, was brought up by “Her Majesty’s prison system.” In an amusing aside he pointed out how his time in prison cost more than it did to educate David Cameron at Eton!
The need for John’s work is inextricably linked to the way in which children begin their lives. Lack of a loving stable home will almost,always result in a problem be it large or small. Every year around 4000 children are removed from their birth families where they have been subject to neglect or abuse, either intentionally or not. On average they will have probably spent a year ‘waiting’ while the social care system tries to sort out foster parenting. Of these about 1000 never find a home and are shunted around the care system. Needless to say, their futures are not hopeful. Around one-third will not take GCSEs. Children in the care system are three times more likely to be unemployed and twice as likely to have a criminal record.
I’m not saying this means they’ll end up homeless but whether they end up with a home for life is another story. The way in which children are shunted around the system slowly means that with each birthday they become less likely to get adopted. And that’s why the issue has to be tackled holistically, something John instinctively understands.
*Francesca’s adventures in Mexico with husband Rick when adopting their first baby has just been published in a book, Mexican Takeaway, with a foreword by dress designer Bruce Oldfield. Francisca’s inspiration story was included in The Times Saturday magazine last month in a feature on adoptions and you can read it here.
I agree with most of what John says, with maybe these amendments. Much of the previous ‘work for the dole’ programs were run inefficiently in a manner denigrating to the people forced into the pretend schemes. These mostly did not train, did not have adequate supervision nor lead to a job. This is why handouts never converted to hand-ups.
RE IVF, I am aware that the current DHS system tends to recycle children in temporary accommodation because laws do not exist to allow abused children or neglected children to be permanently adopted. This means by the time the system gives up on them, and they are allowed to be adopted (damage is often done by the age of two) then the children are often irreparably damaged making it very hard for them and the adoptees. There are many people on IVF who would just as happily adopt, but they are told to ‘mind’ damaged children instead.
This is not a very attractive choice for anyone who does not have sophisticated training. There are many things that could be done, for the children, to stop then in this vicious poverty and violence cycle, but .. there will always be the system, protecting the the compulsive violent biological parents, just in case they want the children back one day. Guess it safeguards the Govt against law suites?
Bruce, many thanks for your comment, it’s really good to hear from you. I very much hope Francesca’s campaign will address the issues which you raise here so that children do not continue to suffer unnecessarily.
The Big Issue was started by John Bird as a way of getting homeless people back into work and into society.
Ah, I didn’t know that. Think I might buy it in future.
Yes, very interesting.
The Big Issue is a remarkably poor proposition for sellers because its a product nobody actually wants to buy:
http://www.ecalpemos.org/2011/04/message-for-big-issue-sellers.html
Harsh, but true.
Gordon, sorry you feel that way.