Public Inquiry into welfare Homes

Mana (Auckland), Volume 2, Issue 4, 18 May 1978, Page 1

Public Inquiry i n to welfare Homes

The Auckland Committee on Racism and Discrimination, in collaboration with Nga Tamatoa and Arohanui Inc., is to hold a public inquiry into the administration of Social Welfare Childrens Homes in the North Island. ACORD wrote to the Minister of Social Welfare, Mr Walker, on April 7th asking for a public inquiry. A month has passed but no reply has been received from Mr Walker. He has. however, said that there will be no inquiry. Our inquiry will allow the many people who have first-hand information about these homes a chance to give their testimony publicly. They will include young people who have been locked in solitary confinement for days and weeks on end. parents, and ex-staff members who will describe the conditions in the homes. In this way the full picture of the disgraceful conditions children are forced to endure in Social Welfare Homes will come out. The inquiry will be held 9am — spm on Sunday June 11th in the Auckland Trades Hall, Great North Road. ACORD would like anyone with any information on these homes in Auckland or elsewhere to attend and present their views. The inquiry will be chaired by Betty Wark of Arohanui. Haere mai, Nau mai. Oliver Sutherland Auckland Committee On Racism and Discrimination

Bewildered and frightened, a Wellington boy went through two brutal weeks at the Owairaka Boys Home in Auckland without knowing why he was there.” Evening Post 26/4/78.

A 12-year-old girl was kept in solitary confinement at Strathmore Girls Home as punishment for running away, claims a former employee at the home.” Ch. Ch. Star 14/4/78.

‘Sir — regarding the article (Star-April 14) about the 12 year-old kept in solitary, I would like to state that the version of theex-employee rang very true to me. Sally Raymond. Ch. Ch. Star 20/4/78.

These are the startling facts only just beginning to emerge. How many countless children and young persons have the Social Welfare, the so-called elite in fighting for children’s rights in the whole world, just how many lives in this God’s own has this bullshit department ruined? How many Polynesian families (cos the Polynesians in this country are more ‘eligible’ for these types of institutions), do the Social Welfare intend to ‘rehabilitate’, and ‘care’ for? One major question springs to mind — ‘‘What is Social Welfare doing about these blatant facts? They have been approached (Mr Walker, Minister of Social Welfare) April 7 1978, and

nothing has come of it. In order to stress the urgency of the drastic and yes. revolutionary changes that must happen 1 would like to continue the letter written by Sally Raymond, and you can judge for yourself what must be done. It was only 11 years ago (at the age of 13) I experienced first-hand the way the Social Welfare Department and its institutions deal with children. Strathmore was then called simply Ferry Rd Girls’ Home and the cells were definitely used as punishment. Then there were no exercise periods, one spent all day in the cell, for several days at a time. The only time we were allowed out was for washing and toilet. There was no bell either. You had to yell and bang on the door to get attention to go to the toilet. At the age of 13 in Dunedin, I and three friends (aged 13 and 14) w ; ere locked up in Dunedin Women’s Prison for a few days because there were no cells in the home in that city. Our crime: Running away from Ferry Rd. Kingslea also, used its cell block frequently and for periods of anything between a month and three months at a time (at least we were allowed out to exercise there). Okay, I ran away from homes, swore at staff and was naughty

but hardly a hardened criminal and neither were the other girls. But I wonder how many did end up so-called criminals, institutionalised after being treated in such a way. I now have a daughter aged five years and if she goes through the same stage as I did, she will be treated with understanding and live from someone who knows first-hand what it’s like. If Social Welfare officers and staff of institutions were people who had been through hassles and found their way out of them, they would be able to relate better to the children they deal with. I think the Social Welfare system in this country has a lot to answer for. Many people in prison now would not be there had they been treated better when they first came under Welfare “care.” If (which I doubt very much) my daughter does run away from home. I will find her myself rather than let Social Welfare damage her whole life. I said this before I made out okay — but the mental and emotional scars will never go away — SALLY RAYMOND. I would like to stress once again the urgency of YOUR attendance at this Public Inquiry organised by concerned people in the Auckland community; because we are dealing with the so-called experts who are

le ttmg these vicious and inhuman institutions look after OUR social problems; because they (Social Welfare) have not publicly stated exactly what is happening within this institutions or what they intend to do about the dissatisfaction of many, about their silence; because WE as past present and future

Parents of children must ensure that at some stage of our lives when a family crisis happens (a natural and human phenonemon) we are confident that OUR children MUST NOT SUFFER ANY MORE. Tigilau Ness