Parents Against Negative Intervention by CYFS
PANIC
Director: PO Box 9078 Palmerston North
Home email: jktonson@inspire.net.nz


13 December 2000


Letter to Editor - The Tribune


Abduction shocks city, a headline on last week’s Tribune front page, instantly reminded me of many somewhat similar events told to me by contacts of PANIC, Parents against negative intervention by CYFS.

While almost all Child Youth & Family social workers are not known to molest children, their sudden removal of significant numbers of children from families has been likened to legalised kidnapping or legalised abduction, and this often leads on to various kinds of abuse in CYFS approved care.

Many children have sadly experienced the horrific event of two social workers and two or three police suddenly arriving at their home or their school to uplift them supposedly because they were seriously at risk while they were actually happy and safe as far as they knew!

This kind of Family Court sanctioned abduction sends shock waves through many other families in the same school and community circles. For example, many of the sixty families associated with a school in Paeroa are frightened because one of their families has suffered the unexpected abduction of its children. Also many school principals could testify to the highly questionable removal of some of their school pupils.

Most of these children have little or no idea why they were removed from their family. They suffer immensely from all kinds of emotional and psychological problems in a prison without bars, not to mention the absolute hell their parents and other extended family members also go through.

Some children in situations of serious abuse or chronic neglect, such as James Whakaruru, obviously need to be removed and brought up in a safe home.
Otherwise social workers need to follow the example of caring professionals who consult adequately with families before imposing life-changing decisions. These true professionals follow the key principles of the CYFS Act in a balanced manner and rather than destroy families work with them to strengthen and empower them.

John Tonson
Director of PANIC
Parents against negative intervention by CYFS