CYFS under Fire
Child, Youth and Family Services management is under the microscope. The Government will pump millions of dollars so the dept can be rescued from crisis and a "dysfunctional senior management team".
This dept has the responsibility to help children become part of the real world instead of falling off the rails from truancy to crime to drugs and prison. It is there to help children from abusive homes. It failed to respond to the call of the distressed father of Corel Burrows and that meant that it failed to protect a child in danger.
The conditions of its northern residential centre have come under criticism. Some of the failicites we have viewed have been substandard and others extremely good. That is it a service overloaded with difficulty is not in question. That is is underfunded is not in question.
It is hard for Governments faced with massive interest bills to see reasons to invest in kids who may be criminals. But it is important to provide help before the behaviour is ingrained. The investment of a few million dollars by a Government running in surplus to help integrate 2000 kids back is the least they could do. We ask if the management of CYFS is considered defective, then why not start at the top, and do the job properly.
Nobody in CYFS want poor management. An investment here is good news. Let's hope they find people who can spend it wisely. The trouble often is that great practicioners oft do not make great adminstrators.
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