The young lady (Not her real name) was very up front about her history but proud of the length of time she had being (had been) drug free.

“I’ve even had hair follicle tests to prove it, and I passed those too.”

Telling me she really wanted to get her kids back, I asked where they were.

“With them (not their real name but a Māori organisation which I’m not familiar with)

I nudged in a few questions about their father;

“He wants them too but I think it’s only because he doesn’t want to go back to work.”

[By my understanding in the conversation the father is still involved and seeing the children once a fortnight]

But then came something unexpected.

“But we can’t get the kids back unless we work together.”

I hope it goes well for them because reading between the lines there must be a lot of people on the same page putting in a lot of effort.

The bottom line in her words though;

“It would have already happened by now if the court hadn’t been involved, now we have to prove everything to them too.”