Licence tests for parents
Economist Murray Weatherston says child abuse costs New Zealand $1.25 billion a year. About 120 people, including social workers, paediatricians and Children’s Commissioner Cindy Kiro, attended a one-day seminar on Monday called by Weatherston and Family Court Judge Graeme MacCormick.
NZ Herald: Parents should sit licence test, say experts
A high-powered expert group has proposed a kind of “parents’ licence test” which all parents would have to sit to keep care of their children and to receive child-related welfare benefits.
The proposed assessment, similar to a driver’s licence, would be administered when a baby was born and repeated when the child turned 1, 3, 5, 8, 11 and 14.
Parents found to have “risk factors” for child abuse, such as domestic violence, drug and alcohol problems or mental illness, would be offered help.
Judge Graeme MacCormick, a former Family Court judge who initiated the proposal, told a seminar in Auckland yesterday that parents who refused to accept help, or to be assessed, should have their child-related benefits suspended and possibly lose their children.
If currently popular “no smacking” standards are imposed, around 80% of us are going to fail. Perhaps a massive programme of building state orphanages is just around the corner.
Are the “risk factors” likely to be applied in a gender-neutral manner I wonder? Mmmm…
Parenting Council chairwoman Lesley Max said society should not tolerate “child hostage” situations where “fearsome fathers or father figures frighten away those who might help”.
Parenting Council chairwoman Lesley Max said society should not
tolerate “child hostage” situations where “fearsome fathers or father figures frighten away those who might help”.
Can I please remind the parenting council that recent studies and statistic’s show the culprtis of NZ
domestic violence are equal in numbers belonging to both genders.When will
the attitude change ??? I wish the feminazi’s would stop trying to demonise all fathers, so real dads who care, can help tackle the modern day scourge of society , that is, domestic violence.We owe it to the countless unhappy children to
try and establish a modern day crusade against the anti -father jihad
that distort the truth.
Comment by dad4justice — Tue 19th September 2006 @ 10:24 am
Mother and Fathers already have a drivers licence. It is called section 59 of the crimes act. So someone is anticipating its removal from the statute books!
Comment by Bevan Berg — Tue 19th September 2006 @ 11:18 am
I live in a cul de sac, approx 20 houses in this street.
Three of my neighours smack their children. I have heard it, witnessed it a few times, and heard the kids screaming in pain. This is much more than a tap on the bum.
What disturbs me even more is the screaming at the kids, the use of the most vile four letter words directed at them. One of these neighbours lives five houses away and I can hear it plain as day. Poor bloody kids!
Guess what…the screaming and the loud smacking comes from the women. I have never heard the fathers screaming at their children.
Fearsome Fathers? Maybe on some occasions. Fearsome Mothers…oh yes.
Comment by Morris Lindsay — Tue 19th September 2006 @ 1:51 pm
I would suggest it would be appropriate to introduce a compulsory topic at secondary schools ;with examinations;called ?Relationships.Young ones could be taken through the many possible situations;marriage ;living together;producing children;legal aspects; and the range of outcomes.
Comment by keith — Tue 19th September 2006 @ 5:06 pm
That’s not a stupid idea Keith. There is heaps of violence in dating relationships, and that presumably sets the pattern.
Comment by JohnP — Tue 19th September 2006 @ 5:22 pm
Equal shared parenting responsibilities so the deadbeat parents could not tarnish the reputations’ of many credible parents denied their chance to help nurture their children.Developing children need to know their boundaries will be honoured by both mum and dad . Simple change the law make it fairer for all eh? lol -yeah right .
Comment by dad4justice — Tue 19th September 2006 @ 5:37 pm
.
What a bunch of elitist wankers.This reaks of fascism.
What next?!
Cant raise them as a Catholic as “imposing” my religious beliefs on them is abusive.
Ask another economist and you will get a different figure.
The ideology that underlies this massive intrusion of the state into parents lives is worrying.
Scrap
Comment by Scrap_the_CSA — Tue 19th September 2006 @ 7:10 pm
I wondered when an idea like this would be tossed around. CYFS were suppose to help and look how well they do!(not).
Well there is no away Im going to get a ‘licence’ to have my children. I am a good parent and be buggered if I need a licence. I wonder how the rest of NZ will take it? Our population is not predicted to rise much over the next 20 years, maybe this is why, its just to hard to have children now days with so may ppl breathing down your necks. I feel for my children and their future here. Guess I might not have grandkids.
Comment by wendy — Wed 20th September 2006 @ 11:22 am